Someone may have already brought this up, but one reason this game is so important for the trajectory of this program is the potential national hype train with a convincing win.
Colorado isn’t necessarily a great team, but they bring viewership and national punditry at this time. Nebraska is already starting to get some run with the national media as a program that is on the rise or “on their way back” as some are saying.
Recruits notice which way the winds are blowing with a program and which programs are on an ascent. A good showing against CU gets more ESPN coverage, etc…. This could also springboard the teams confidence going into tough conference play and as we all know, the more confidence a team plays with the looser they play and the game tends to slow down which allows them to play up to their ability. I could definitely see a 7-0 or very much a 6-1 start after beating CU. If Dylan continues to play real well, recruits will follow knowing they have at least 2 more years to play with him.