LINCOLN, Neb. — Who's No. 1? Well, Nebraska can tell you who's not.

It definitely isn't Colorado, which left Memorial Stadium in a daze after the Cornhuskers' 24-7 victory Saturday put a sweat sock in the mouths of everyone who considered Nebraska a national championship afterthought.

"They did at will whatever they wanted to," Colorado defensive tackle Darius Holland said.

So thorough was the defeat that you could have given the Buffaloes a fifth . . . sixth . . . even seventh down, as well as a rosary full of Hail Marys, and it wouldn't have mattered. About the only miracle for Colorado was that nobody got hurt as jubilant Nebraska fans stormed the field and tore down the uprights and took an ABC mini-cam with them.

This was the third consecutive Cornhusker victory over the Buffaloes, and while it didn't quite match the so-called "Lincoln Assassination" in 1992, when Nebraska won, 52-7, it was close. In an afternoon's time, third-ranked Nebraska (9-0) ended second-ranked Colorado's undefeated season and the Heisman Trophy hopes of quarterback Kordell Stewart.

More important, the Cornhuskers positioned themselves for another Big Eight Conference title, another trip to the Orange Bowl and another shot at a national championship.

"This was the Orange Bowl game," said Stewart, who completed only 13 of 30 passes for 159 yards and no touchdowns. "We're not going and they are."

Nebraska still has to beat Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma, but nobody seemed too concerned about the prospects of a Cornhusker collapse--not after the way Nebraska handled Colorado (7-1), which began the game with 11 consecutive victories, five against ranked opponents. Instead, there was postgame talk of the Cornhuskers challenging Penn State for the No. 1 ranking.

"Oh, I don't much care about the polls," Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said.

John Junker does. The executive director of the Fiesta Bowl came to Lincoln to protect his interests, though he couldn't come out and say so. With Colorado supposedly on its way to an unbeaten season and Nebraska supposedly hampered by the loss of star quarterback Tommie Frazier to a blood clot, Junker figured the Cornhuskers would be in Tempe, Ariz., come bowl day.

Then came Saturday's rout. Afterward, Junker stopped Osborne as the Cornhusker coach made his way out of the press box. You couldn't tell if Junker congratulated him or simply said goodby. Whatever it was, you can probably wave farewell to that Notre Dame-Nebraska matchup.