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Utterly shocking. And that is a tribute to Washington and coach Steve Sarkisian: No one saw a 19-7 victory over Nebraska in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday coming.

How the game was won: The Huskies won because they physically manhandled Nebraska in every facet. You know: The exact reverse of what happened on Sept. 18 during a 56-21 Cornhusker beatdown in Seattle that caused most folks to write this game off as the worst matchup of the bowl season. You just never know, even when you think you do.

Turning point: It looked like things were going to go as expected when Nebraska drove into Washington territory on its first possession. But then Rex Burkhead fumbled and Alameda Ta'amu recovered for Washington. The Huskies quickly scored a TD to go up 7-0, and the Cornhuskers never really made much of a challenge thereafter.

Stat of the game: 189. That's Nebraska's total yards. It had 533 in the first game. The Huskies outrushed the Cornhuskers 268 to 91. In the first game, the Cornhuskers outrushed the Huskies 383 to 175. Go figure.

Co-Players of the game: Washington running back Chris Polk had 177 yards on 34 carries with a TD, while, on defense, linebacker Mason Foster had 12 tackles and two sacks.

Unsung heroes of the game: There are two: Defensive coordinator Nick Holt and the Huskies offensive line. Both were maligned after the first game. And fairly so. And both came up big in the second game.

What it means: It means that Huskies QB Jake Locker goes out with a winning season -- 7-6 -- after a bowl victory, the Huskies first bowl win since 2000. It means the Huskies, who went 0-12 in 2008, are relevant again. It means the Huskies head into the offseason -- the post-Jake Locker Era -- riding a four-game winning streak.

That was pretty shocking. I didn't give Washington much chance to win, and I don't think I was alone there. The Huskies proved us all wrong with a 19-7 victory.

How the game was won: Washington got physical and overpowered Nebraska's defensive line up front for 60 minutes. The Huskies had some success doing it the first time around, but a poor defensive performance kept them from doing it enough to win the game. The defense got it done this time, Washington's offensive line got consistent pushes up front and Jake Locker only had to throw into the Blackshirts fearsome secondary when he wanted to. More often, he used his legs to make plays, on called runs and scrambles as part of that success running the ball. The Huskies rode Locker and Chris Polk to a 268-yard rushing night and a convincing win over a team almost no one picked them to beat.

The Huskers, meanwhile, made constant mistakes, lost the turnover battle 2-0 and were penalized 12 times for 102 yards. One of the most costly came in the fourth quarter after a goal-line stand that looked like it might swing momentum with the Huskers trailing 17-7. Cody Green ran for a first down, but All-Big 12 guard Ricky Henry was called for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety, which stretched the deficit to 19-7 and gave the ball back to the Huskies. Blame the supposed scapegoat, the dreaded "lack of motivation" if you'd like, but the Huskers' lack of execution in all three phases of the game is a bigger reason for the loss. I never, ever would have pegged Nebraska for seven points against Washington's defense after ringing up 56 in Seattle with three 100-yard rushers back in September.

Turning point: Locker scored on a 25-yard run early in the third quarter to cap a four-play, 53-yard drive that put Washington up 17-7. The game teetered at halftime even though the Huskies had dominated the line of scrimmage, but Locker's emotional run shifted control of the game firmly in Washington's favor.

Turning point II: Locker's return. The quarterback took a nasty-looking hit and remained on the ground for several minutes early in the second quarter. He left the game for a few plays, but was able to return and lead his team to a big bowl win after a winless season in 2008 and no bowl appearances since 2002. I don't wear hats often, but if I did, mine would be off to Steve Sarkisian. This was impressive.

Stat of the game: This wasn't the prettiest passing game. All the quarterbacks combined threw for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-of-40 passing.

Player of the game: Jake Locker, QB, Washington. Polk racked up the yards, but Locker played smart, tough, and made plays with his feet. Polk and the offensive line have a legitimate case for player of the game, but Locker kept the Huskies' offense rolling and did exactly what he had to do for his team to win. Considering the nightmare outing he had last time against the Blackshirts, it's even more impressive.

Record performance: Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David topped 150 tackles on the season for a single-season school record in just his first year on the field. The junior juco transfer broke former Blackshirt Barrett Ruud's previous record of 149 tackles in 2003.

What it means: Nebraska's season began with so much promise. National championship aspirations arose following a thorough Thursday night undressing of Kansas State to move to 5-0. A loss to Texas and Taylor Martinez's midseason ankle injury were speed bumps for the Big 12 North champions, but a pair of offensive clunkers against Oklahoma and Washington end the Huskers' season with a frustrating thud on the way to the Big Ten.

Conference-wide, it's another loss for the Big 12, who is now 1-4 in bowl games and no loss was more shocking. The Huskers entered as two-touchdown favorites, and were completely outplayed in every way.

What do the Washington Huskies need to do to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl? Here are three keys.

1. Get physical: Nebraska pushed Washington around in a 56-21 whipping in Seattle on Sept. 18, dominating both lines of scrimmage. Even the Huskies touted receiving corps got beat up by an aggressive press-man coverage from the 'Huskers. The Huskies need to get mad and man-up this go-around. There is no question that Nebraska is vastly superior on both lines. But the Huskies don't have to wilt like they did in the first game when they were outgained 533 yards to 246. Nebraska expects to take immediate physical control. The Huskies need to make a stand.

2. Big plays on defense: It's hard to imagine the Cornhuskers won't again move the ball well against a depleted Washington defense. But there also is a chance they will not be as focused and motivated in a rematch, and that could lead to mental errors: turnovers, penalties, miscues, a missed field goal, etc. A couple of big plays from the Huskies -- a sack, a tackle for a loss -- could disrupt a drive's rhythm. The Huskies can afford to bend. But they can't break and allow Nebraska to consistently finish drives in the end zone. The Cornhuskers had just one turnover in the first game. What might be different if they end up with three -- or more -- in Game 2?

3. Locker comes through: The Huskies still might not win if quarterback Jake Locker plays well, but they have no shot if he even approximates his 4-for-20, two interception performance from the first game. For one, if Locker is making plays with his arm and his legs, then Nebraska doesn't have the ball, which is a good thing for UW. And if Locker leads a playmaking, error-free attack, then maybe the Huskies have a chance.

1. Make life easy for Taylor Martinez. Martinez has completed just 58 percent of his passes in 2010 and struggled to complete passes and get comfortable in the pocket, especially against Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. If the Huskers can get him some easy completions early on three-step-drop slants to a sure-handed guy such as the underutilized Mike McNeill or on screens to running backs Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu Jr., they can help get Martinez comfortable. The loss to Oklahoma made it clear that Nebraska will struggle if the passing game consists of Martinez dropping back deep and relying on receivers such as Brandon Kinnie to get open and make big plays down the field. If the Huskers can manage an early lead and be afforded the luxury of passing only when they want to -- see the early season Huskers -- this gets a lot simpler.

2. Inflict déjà vu on Jake Locker. Hit him early with a variety of blitzes. Force him into mistakes. I'd be shocked if Locker has another unthinkable 4-for-20 day like he did in September, but the only quarterback who had what could be considered legitimate success against Nebraska's secondary was Oklahoma's Landry Jones. Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill all had below-average outings at best, and all three should be among the Big 12's best passers in 2011.

3. Stuff the run, especially early. Washington actually ran the ball pretty effectively against Nebraska, especially early in that game, and if Nebraska's front seven can slow that down and make the Huskies a one-dimensional offense, forcing Locker into a bad day will be quite a bit easier. The game got lopsided quickly in the second half and prevented Washington from sticking to the running game. Washington still managed 175 yards on 39 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry, and the Huskies will try to recreate what worked against a tough defense that has, at times, been susceptible to the run. If Washington does that, the Huskies could make a game of it. If not, expect another Nebraska blowout.

No, Washington isn't joining the Big Ten or Big 12. It just seems a bit like it to the Huskers. Nebraska will play its second of three meetings with the Huskies in a 12-month span on Wednesday night. The Huskers made the trek to Seattle in September and beat the Huskies 56-21 behind a 383-yard rushing day that saw Roy Helu Jr., Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead all top 100 yards. Good luck finding a team who loses with those kind of numbers. Nebraska didn't come close. So what about this time?

WHO TO WATCH: Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Locker's descent down the 2011 draft board began with nothing less than a nightmare outing against Nebraska's secondary, which finished the season as one of the nation's most fearsome. Cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Alfonzo Dennard are both certified lockdown defenders, and Locker managed to complete just 4-of-20 passes against the Huskers. After 13 games, they're one of just three defenses in the country who prevented opposing quarterbacks from completing more than 50 percent of their passes. Along the way, they ruined an impressive number of impressive passers' days. So what happens this time? There isn't a lot of reason to believe a banged-up Locker will do much better, but you never know. If he has a day like he did back in Seattle in September, this one will be over early. If he learns from those experiences and looks like the prototype NFL quarterback most pegged him to be, it might be closer than the two-touchdown line set on the rematch.

WHAT TO WATCH: Martinez's mobility. The freshman quarterback began the season as one of college football's most electric talents, but since a career-high 241-yard, four-touchdown rushing night in a lopsided road win against Kansas State on Oct. 7, Martinez hasn't reached the end zone and has run for more than 100 yards just once. He suffered an ankle injury against Missouri and never looked as fast or elusive as he did during nonconference play or against Kansas State. He should, in theory, be near 100 percent when the Huskers take the field, but there's no guarantee. His play against Washington will establish plenty of momentum -- good or bad -- heading into 2011.

WHY WATCH: The snide comments are a little too easy with this one. "We've already seen this episode. Late December is when reruns air, right? etc, etc." September's rout aside, these are two different teams than the ones that met back in Seattle. Martinez didn't quite make the progress as a passer as coaches hoped he would, but he could have another special performance in store with a month to prepare. The same goes for Locker, who'll get his second swing at the Blackshirts. Nebraska played pretty average football down the stretch after playing the part of national title contender early in the year. The Huskers lost two of their three final games and struggled on offense against Texas A&M and Oklahoma, both losses and Martinez's last two starts. After being blown out by three ranked teams in the middle of the season, the Huskies closed with three wins, including two on the road in conference play.

PREDICTION: Nebraska 34, Washington 13. Locker does well with an early set of scripted plays via coach and playcaller Steve Sarkisian, but the Blackshirts take over once the game hits a more natural flow.

The second bowl game for the Pac-10 features Washington's rematch with Nebraska in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl on Thursday.

Here's a look.

WHO TO WATCH: While QB Jake Locker is the big name on Washington's offense -- and he needs to redeem himself for his dreadful numbers in the first meeting with the Cornhuskers -- he really is just the first name in a threesome of stars on offense along with running back Chris Polk and receiver Jermaine Kearse. All three need to come up big in this rematch. In Game 1, Polk rushed for just 55 yards with a long run of 9 yards. Kearse caught a 45-yard touchdown pass, but that was about it. All three need to put up big numbers for the Huskies to have a chance: Polk needs 100 yards rushing, Kearse 100 yards receiving and Locker 250 yards passing.

WHAT TO WATCH: Can the depleted Huskies defensive line hold off Nebraska's physical attack? The Huskies are down three key defensive linemen -- Cameron Elisara, Talia Crichton and Semisi Tokolahi -- due to injury. The line began the season as a question mark with dubious depth and it's fair to say that's even more of an issue in the postseason. In the first game, the Huskers rushed for 383 yards and dominated the Washington D-line. It's going to take an inspired effort from some young players -- four of the top-eight linemen are freshmen or redshirt freshmen -- for the story to be different in take two.

WHY WATCH: For one, there's a bit of curiosity as to whether the rematch will be any different than the original. So often teams talk about getting a second shot at a foe that embarrassed it, so, well, here you go Huskies. And that potential redemption starts with Locker. He's still solidly on the NFL radar, so if he produces a distinguished performance in his final game in a Huskies uniform, he could start to reclaim his reputation among NFL scouts. And he could walk away from the Huskies feeling pretty good about helping the program regain firm footing.

PREDICTION: While it's not unreasonable to suspect that the Huskies will be fired up and will play more competitively, it's hard to imagine them winning. The Cornhuskers are just so clearly superior on both lines. That's too much to overcome. Nebraska 41, Washington 24.

Few give the Washington Huskies much of a chance in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl -- in large part because they have already played the Nebraska Cornhuskers this year and the result didn't leave much intrigue: a 56-21 beatdown in Husky Stadium.

While the Huskies used a three-game winning streak at season's end to earn bowl eligibility, it's hardly certain they are a better team today than they were on Sept. 18, particularly with a decimated defensive line that will be missing three key players: Cameron Elisara, Talia Crichton and Semisi Tokolahi.

Obviously, the Huskies defense will have to play much better after giving up 533 yards in the first meeting. But can it? Or will the Huskies just have to outscore the Cornhuskers, which brings along the nation's No. 8 scoring defense?

So let's ask this question: Who might dramatically change this game if he stepped up with a marquee performance?

Quarterback Jake Locker: Too obvious? Well, it's the only answer. For the Huskies to have any chance, Locker needs to turn in his best work this season -- both with his arm and with his feet. And he should be plenty motivated to do so. Recall that the first meeting was widely seen -- here and other places -- as a showdown between Locker, the touted NFL prospect, and perhaps the best secondary in the nation. Well, if that was the case, the Cornhuskers won by knockout. Locker completed just 4 of 20 passes for 71 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown. He also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown, but the performance was a public failure in a disappointing season for Locker. His NFL draft status started to apparently slide precipitously from sure-No. 1 overall to potentially the second-round. Locker, however, could redeem himself with a big evening, and that could send him into the NFL draft evaluation process with game film that might reignite flagging interest. The horrible result in the first game was hardly only Locker's fault. The Huskies played poorly in all phases. This Seattle Times article does a good job of explaining one area where Locker got little help: his receivers. But the only way the Huskies are going to produce a different result -- even if we're just talking about a competitive game -- is if Locker comes up big.

Bowl games are rewards for successful seasons. At least that's the theory.

But what if you lose your bowl game? What does that say about that so-called successful season?

If you've watched college football for many years, you know bowl games often operate as a season unto themselves. And the team that wins is likely the one that is more motivated, not necessarily the more talented team or the one that posted the best regular season.

Some teams tank in a bowl game because they are just happy to be there. Others treat it like a vacation and lack focus. And others wish they were somewhere else -- think of California's flat and uninspired performances in the 2004 Holiday Bowl against Texas Tech after the Bears got Mack Brown-ed out of the Rose Bowl.

It's hard to call a bowl game a "must-win" because it's really not -- rarely does a bowl, for example, determine a coach's fate. But it seems reasonable to measure the four Pac-10 bowl games in terms of "need to win."

So that's what we'll do, starting at the bottom and working our way up.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) vs. Washington Huskies (6-6)

The set up: The Huskies are trying to prove they are ready to rejoin the national discussion. The feeling in the preseason -- with quarterback Jake Locker leading 20 starters back from a 5-7 team -- was they were on the cusp of breaking through in Year 2 under coach Steve Sarkisian. Some even saw them as dark-horse conference contenders. And a certain Sept. 18 showdown was circled in red on the schedule as an afternoon to walk the walk. Oh, but that red circle became a red tide of woe! Nebraska swaggered into Husky Stadium and just kicked the pooh out of Washington, 56-21, rushing for 383 yards in a show of physical dominance that deflated the Huskies and their fans. Moreover, at that moment on a big stage, Locker, who turned in his worst game of the season, became a candidate for the "Nation's Most Disappointing Player." Washington would scramble for bowl eligibility and finish a tepid 6-6, while the Cornhuskers wander into a bowl matchup that likely has them yawning, perhaps looking back at what might have been.

Why Washington needs to win: The Huskies must redeem themselves for a pitiful, soft performance in the regular-season game. Locker must redeem himself for a 4-for-20, two interception performance that began the steep slide of his NFL draft prospects. It's hard to imagine Nebraska will bring its A-game. No matter the protestations of coach Bo Pelini, the Cornhuskers won't be at an emotional peek. The Huskies can take advantage of that. But it also is part of the pregame story that gives Nebraska an excuse for posting a lackluster performance. The Huskies don't have that excuse. If they get pounded again, the college football nation will -- justifiably -- see a wide, physical chasm between the Huskies and the Huskers, and that will carry over into 2011. Washington and the Pac-12 can't afford that perception.

Why Washington just getting there is enough: This game has been widely panned by pundits because the perception is the Huskies have no chance. They are 14-point underdogs, and that spread includes the belief that Nebraska won't been terribly focused. Because no one expects the Huskies to win, just playing a more competitive game than the Sept.18 meeting is really all that matters. Locker, obviously, will want to post better numbers, but the reason Washington has little chance is the Huskers are significantly better on both lines. Everyone with eyes knows that.

Conclusion: The Huskies haven't been to a bowl game since 2002. They went 0-12 in 2008. Just getting a bowl berth is enough for the program to take a step forward under Sarkisian. An upset here would do wonders for the program's emotions heading into the offseason, but it would be pure gravy and won't change the fact that the Huskies need to upgrade their talent to compete at a Top-25 level.

Needs to win meter (scale of 1 to 10, "10" being a must-win): 3.