There was a time when Nebraska football felt like destiny was on its side. In 2017, the Omaha World-Herald even published a book titled "Frost: A Husker's Journey Home"—a chronicle of Scott Frost's path from high school to Stanford, his playing days at Nebraska, his undefeated rise at UCF, and the triumphant return to Lincoln as head coach. It was a story written with the confidence of a sure thing.

Fast forward to today, and no one is writing a similar book about Matt Rhule. And that silence speaks volumes about the current state of Husker football.

Let's rewind to 2017. Scott Frost was the hottest name in college football. His UCF team went undefeated, took down No. 7 Auburn in a bowl game, and even claimed a "national championship" of their own. He had a vision: blend Nebraska's classic power run game with Oregon's blistering tempo. In his own blog, Frost called it "impossible to stop."

We all know how that played out. Frost finished with a 16-31 record in Lincoln. Perhaps his most memorable season was a 3-9 campaign—one where Husker fans sarcastically dubbed themselves "the greatest 3-9 team in college football history." They might have been right, but that only highlights how far the program had fallen.

For those who need a refresher: In 2021, Frost's Huskers lost six games to ranked opponents by one score (except for Ohio State). The list reads like a heartbreak reel—No. 3 Oklahoma (23-16), No. 20 Michigan State (23-20), No. 9 Michigan (32-29), No. 5 Ohio State (26-17), No. 15 Wisconsin (35-28), and No. 16 Iowa (28-21). Looking back, you almost want to watch those games again just to feel the tension.

But the magic didn't last. Frost was fired the following season after a loss to Georgia Southern.

Hindsight is 20/20, and there were certainly warning signs. Still, you can't blame Nebraska for chasing the hottest coach in the game—especially one who was also a national championship-winning quarterback for the Huskers in 1997. It was a no-brainer hire at the time.

But it didn't work. And now, with that "sure thing" gone, the frustration among Husker fans is only growing. The lesson? Even the most promising plays don't always break the right way.