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Forget schemes, film and diagrams. When the Huskers picked up a certain national sports magazine a few weeks ago they had all the motivation they needed. Texas quarterback Major Applewhite, after breaking down film, called the Husker defense simplistic, saying, "It's not calculus."

It wasn't your usual smack-talking billboard material. It was a smack in the face to the nation's No. 4 defense. Applewhite cited particular plays and described how they would work against the vaunted Husker defense. All that was bad enough but when Nebraska found out Applewhite said all of it before Texas' 24-20 victory on Oct. 23, well ...

"I wanted them (the defense) to come so hard that they peeled the skin off their eyeballs," Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said.

The attitude carried on for six weeks for a Husker defense that bided its time. Maybe Applewhite didn't expect a rematch. Maybe he's a naïve sophomore who doesn't know the power of the press.

He does know, now, revenge is a dish best served burnt orange. Nebraska broke out a blitz package that broke the Horns spirit 22-6 Saturday in the Big 12 championship game.

They came early, they came late but they always kept coming, blitzing almost on every down. Applewhite and his apple cheeks couldn't cope.

"We've had these blitzes in since fall practice," cornerback Ralph Brown said. "Coach McBride really wanted to get after them to see how they would react to the pressure."

It seemed like the No. 3 Huskers valued revenge first and the Big 12 title second Saturday at the Alamodome. Nebraska usually lined up with seven players in the box and sent a couple of linebackers streaming right up the middle. Applewhite was sacked seven times, threw three interceptions and basically will have to wait awhile for the bruises to heal.

"We made it a pretty rough calculus test today," Nebraska defensive tackle Loran Kaiser said.

"Let's see if he passed the class today," linebacker Tony Ortiz said.

Good defense overcame everything but bad puns.

There was a lesson learned. Never play the same team twice in a season. The Huskers hadn't done it since 1978, when Tom Osborne beat Oklahoma the first meeting then lost to the Sooners in the Orange Bowl. Texas, though, hadn't done it since 1909, when it lost twice to Texas A&M.

"Nebraska, tonight, might have been the best team in the country," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

We'll probably never know. The victory probably wasn't enough for Nebraska to make an improbable leap over Virginia Tech in the Bowl Championship Series. In fact, coach Frank Solich said he was "satisfied with the system" that would match his team most likely against Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska harassed Major Applewhite all day, leaving Montrell Flowers (2) diving for throws.(AP)

Solich can take solace in that, at 11-1, Nebraska won the conference title while rebuilding. Saturday's team loses only five starters for 2000. The offense limped through most of the game without starting I-back Dan Alexander, who cut his right palm and required 12 stitches. That meant Solich was down to one serviceable I-back in backup Correll Buckhalter, who responded with 136 yards.

Freshman I-back Dahrran Diedrick carried three times, fumbled once and watched the bobble get returned 20 yards for Texas' only score. Help is on the way. If blue-chip junior college I-back recruit Thunder Collins makes his expected splash next year, the Huskers' depth will improve.

Without many weapons, Solich made quarterback Eric Crouch the focal point this season. The sophomore (23 carries, 72 yards) has more wisdom than Applewhite (15-of-42, 164 yards), but not as good an arm. That alone should break the tie that led to the two being named co-offensive players of the year in the Big 12.

"I was a little wary about why he (Applewhite) would say that," Crouch said. "The first time we played those guys it was our turnovers that won that game for them. I don't think our defense allowed us to lose that game."

For the second consecutive year, Texas (9-4) has been one of the feel-good stories of the Big 12 under Brown. Last season it was Ricky Williams' run for the Heisman and a surprising nine-victory season. This season it was the emergence of Applewhite, receiver Kwame Cavil and running back Hodges Mitchell. Texas was one of only two teams in the country to have a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher.

When the Texas Triplets fell flat, Brown was sure to catch heat again from the fickle Texas Exes. The six points were the least scored since the 66-3 loss to UCLA two years ago that led to John Mackovic's firing.

In fact, Texas came dangerously close to being shut out for the first time since 1980.

"We want to be two-dimensional," Brown said. "Tonight we were no-dimensional. Any BCS people watching tonight would have to be concerned about their ratings because they (Nebraska) looked real good to me."

Texas will go to the Cotton Bowl for the second consecutive year, this time to play Arkansas, but the bid won't smell as sweet as last season.

That fact was assured with 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining. That's when Bevo, the Longhorn mascot, was led through the end zone to his trailer through a hail of taunts from Nebraska fans. Never mind the mentality of Husker fans hurling insults at a cow. What's more amazing is how Bevo "responded."

The Huskers were a load. All the Longhorn could do was drop one.