Nebraska football had a clearly defined program mantra in Year 1 of the Matt Rhule Era: Earn back the respect.

Rhule stood on the pulpit at center stage inside Lucas Oil Stadium nearly a full year ago, and the preacher’s son shared the Huskers’ message – more of a mission statement – firmly and clearly. A program once feared, now dormant in comparison to the peak years, trying to ascend back up the mountaintop but looking to earn its way there with a deliberate and methodical climb.

The Huskers want to be a program that’s feared again, he said, but first comes gaining back respect – from both themselves and their foes.

Objectively, it is absolutely irrefutable that Nebraska accomplished that Year 1 checkpoint. The program-changing five-star quarterback – who could have stayed committed to Ohio State or Georgia – chose the Huskers. That’s the best example to point to. Forget the family connections for a moment. You think Dylan Raiola is signing with Nebraska if he doesn’t have the utmost respect for Rhule and this program?

RELATED: Rhule on Raiola: "He's gonna be a guy all of college football knows"

That’s all, however, in the filing cabinet. Tucked away in the past for future reference. We now shift into Year 2, which will officially get unofficially underway at Big Ten Media Days on July 24 in Indianapolis.

This time, the stakes are much higher. No, it’s not the Ohio State natty-or-bust type of stakes. It’s not playoff-or-pull-the-plug like it very well might be for James Franklin at Penn State. But this one? This is THE year.

This is the year Nebraska needs to take its next giant step toward instilling fear into its opponents’ locker rooms and huddles. The year where Nebraska’s opponents start to overlook its upcoming matchup THIS week because they know they’ve got the Huskers on the schedule in TWO weeks. This is the year where you need to truly see it and feel it.

And you know what? Rhule knows it.

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