MADISON, Wis. — On his first day on the Wisconsin campus this summer after transferring from North Carolina State, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson called his own team meeting. He delivered a short and simple message to his new teammates: he had come to work hard and compete. But just the simple act of introducing himself to his teammates and acknowledging that nothing would be handed to him spoke to his savvy and maturity.

A few months later, Wilson led a much larger gathering at Camp Randall Stadium. With Wilson’s nearly flawless performance in No. 7 Wisconsin’s 48-17 blowout of No. 8 Nebraska, the nation got a chance to see his poise and polish. Fans around the country will be seeing plenty more of Wilson the rest of the season, both in the Heisman Trophy race and in the national championship race.

On a night dedicated to Nebraska’s historic Big Ten debut, Wilson completed 14 of 20 passes for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for another in a dominant Badgers performance that certified them as a national title contender. Wilson chose Wisconsin over Auburn when he transferred because he saw it as a year of graduate school in a pro-style offense to prepare himself for the N.F.L. It is safe to say that Wilson has emerged as the university’s football valedictorian.

“To me, if there’s a better player in college football right now, I’d like to see it,” Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema said.