There are pregame speeches that miss the mark, such as a coach asking a silent audience if players have his back, and then there is the message delivered by second-year Nebraska coach Matt Rhule last week in advance of his team's rivalry game against Colorado.
Speaking to his Cornhuskers in their gleaming 'Ready Room' before last Saturday's massive, border-war tilt, Rhule had a direct, simple message that very clearly resonated with his charges.
"Take all that nervous (energy) and send it out of this room right now," Rhule said. "Nobody's done what we've done. Nobody's built like us.
"Take all that nervous (crap) and cast it out. You're warriors. You are ready. One snap at a time, play together. You're warriors. You're ready. Play one snap at a time. Play together. That's it."
And then:
"When we leave this 'Ready Room,' I want you thinking about what's important to you," Rhule implored. "Your family. Your friends. Those fans. The people who find joy when you play. Go play for the love of that. Go play for the love of each other.
"Coming back in this locker room and hugging and dancing and having fun. All the work was worth it. Watching the guys WHO BUST THEIR ASSES get a chance to get in the football game.
"Play because we love to win and we're winners. I can't wait to watch you guys play."
Rhule's faith was rewarded.
Nebraska dominated Colorado in a wire-to-wire win in which it led 28-0 en route to the 28-10 final, a game that Rhule said on TV afterwards that "it really wasn't a contest in the second half."
Nope.
Now, the Cornhuskers are 2-0, hosting FCS Northern Iowa and then battling Illinois in their Big Ten opener next week.
Rhule's methods and messages are at the root of it all.