Matt Rhule was incredibly complimentary of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders when he met with reporters on Monday.

Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers head to Boulder this weekend to battle Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes. The Huskers are 0-1 after losing to Minnesota last Thursday. Colorado, however, won its opener.

As if Sanders’ home debut at Folsom Field against one of CU’s fiercest rivals needed more energy, beating No. 17 TCU on Saturday catapulted the Buffs into the national spotlight. One week into the season and CU has buzz as one of the most improved teams in college football.

The win over TCU gave the Buffs proof of concept. After the game, Sanders said he has a team full of believers.

On the outside, Colorado still has plenty of doubters. Rhule doesn’t seem to be one of them.

“I think everyone — everyone outside, not me — everyone else thinks well this is all a show. He’s the most serious person about football,” Rhule said. “His poster was on people’s walls for a reason as a player because he’s one of the hardest-practicing, hardest-playing people that’s ever played the game. Why would we think his team wouldn’t be the same?”

The Buffs responded well to adversity against TCU. They played clean football. They looked better than expected in the trenches.

Rhule said he wasn’t surprised. He called Sanders a “football guy” and said the talent on the roster was evident.

“At the end of the day, when has he ever not been serious about football? He’s been a head coach now, he’s won at both places,” Rhule said. “They’ve got elite players, elite skill players up and down the front. Anywhere you have a great QB you’re gonna have a great chance to win, so no, I wasn’t surprised at all.”

Colorado is a five-point favorite over Nebraska in the game. Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT on FOX.