LINCOLN, Neb. -- The slights were everywhere for Missouri -- from the suggestion that they were going to be shut out at Nebraska to the loogie launched at their franchise quarterback in warmups.

The scoreboard says it all for Chase Daniel and Missouri. (AP)

It was also lighter fluid for the nation's No. 4 team, which has been looking to legitimize itself with a balanced effort all season. Consider it done. Missouri's 52-17 victory had all the Spurrieresque swagger of the mid-'90s Gators, except it was bumbling Nebraska firing off the invective.

"I've never had that happen to me ... blatantly spit on," Daniel said. "They're trying to throw balls at us in pregame. They were hitting me late, obviously. ... Nebraska is definitely one of the dirtiest teams I've ever played."

It didn't last for long. It took three plays for Missouri to score, less than a half to bury its tormentors and an evening to realize that winning in Lincoln for the first time in 30 years wasn't the best thing that happened.

Let this serve as official notification that Missouri can win the national championship without a defense. Well, without a championship defense. Although the Tigers played their best game of the season -- and maybe their best ever against Nebraska -- the roadmap for the season has been drawn. If everything else goes bad, these record-setting Tigers can outscore everyone. That includes everyone from Oklahoma to Cincinnati -- the Cincinnati Bengals, that is.

If that means a 52-50 thriller against the Sooners in the Big 12 championship, then so be it.

"All we do is sit in bed (and hear), 'Chase Daniel is a great quarterback and the Missouri defense sucks,'" Missouri linebacker Brock Christopher said. "That's what we here. It kind of puts a chip on our shoulder."

That from a guy who returned an interception for a touchdown. But this is still a team with an offense that has a license to kill. Everyone else has a fake I.D.

If it wants to chase something more than Big 12 North titles, Missouri is going to have to button up things on the unit that came into the game 79th nationally in total defense and last in the Big 12. The worst defense of any BCS champion this decade has been Ohio State (No. 23 in 2002).

It was about this time last season when the defense was hemorrhaging yards. Then the unit went on to lead the Big 12 in total defense in conference games. Right now, no Tiger cares either way. About the rankings, that is, not the final score.

"We've got some work to do, obviously, before we get there," Christopher said, "but I think we've got enough talent to get things done."

Huskers coach Bo Pelini got Missouri's attention during the week when he said his team would "try to shut them out."

"That ended within a minute of the game," said Daniel, who hit Jeremy Maclin with a 58-yard scoring pass 59 seconds into the first quarter.

If Nebraska wasn't dirty, it was sloppy, tying a school-record with 14 penalties. A late hit on Daniel by defensive end Zach Potter kept the second drive alive. The 52 points were the most scored on Nebraska at home since 1945.

The result also cleared a physical and psychological block that had been lodged in Tiger craniums for those past 30 years. Mizzou hadn't won here since 1978, enduring every sort of scoreboard indignity.

"Most of these kids weren't born in 1978," coach Gary Pinkel said.

Wait a minute ... most?

The three-decade shame was cleared away in less than a half. The most points Missouri had scored in Lincoln since 1978 was 24 in 2000. It had 31 with three minutes left in the first half.

"It's not too dirty," Christopher of the cheap shots, "when you're smoking them."

Missouri did finally find the limit of its offensive range -- 59-yard field goal attempts.

Those don't work too well if you're looking for a weakness in this unconventional national championship contender. After helping his team score on its first four possessions, Mizzou kicker Jeff Wolfert saw a streak of 95 consecutive converted kicks in Big 12 play (field goals and extra points) end when he lined up for a what-the-heck 59-yarder with the wind at his back with three seconds left in the first half at Nebraska.

Not seeing fit to sit on a 31-10 lead, Chase Daniel and crew went for more starting at their own 40 with 16 seconds left. That might be kneel-down time everywhere else. At Mizzou, it's a chance to burn out more scoreboard light bulbs. After Maclin caught a 6-yard pass with those three seconds left, Wolfert attempted the long kick.

"We're trying to put as many points on the board as we can," Wolfert said. "We're always in scoring position. I'm always ready."

It was short and left, leading to the only possible conclusion about the Tigers six weeks into the season. The only carbon-based life form that can stop the Tigers this season is wearing black and gold. The miss is all that separated the first-team offense from scoring on every one of its possessions.

"I said it since Day 1," Maclin said. "I think the only team that can stop Mizzou offensively is Mizzou."