For want of a nail .......

[ThankGODforWVB]

The comparison of American football and warfare, is a common concept. There are so many attributes of football that are akin to those of medieval style warfare; though in the modern iteration of American football, it now contains the attributes also of logistics in modern warfare.

Here in this poem, written anonymously in 1629, lies a story that Nebraska football fans might recognize ....

For Want of a Nail​

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.​

In too many recent seasons, Nebraska has been foredoomed by series of missed pieces, sometimes multiple but often just singular, but intrinsic points. The failures of 2024 largely loomed because we hadn't a good long snapper, in 2025, because we hadn't a singular real nose tackle to control opponents running game. There were of course other points last year; including a complete miss in our passing attack design against tight zone coverage in short yardage situations.

These misses haven't always been consistent in what arena of the game we failed, in the last 12 years; that has varied.

One could say they were almost systemic.

Like as if were just too careless as a cogent and coherent body, within our athletic department, to acknowledge these faultlines.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

 

[Tyneb23]

@HuskerGarrett can I just started a trash dump we put all the taters in? A cleansing of this board is needed!

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

 

[wildcat_husker]

 

[Kaladin]

It does seem as though every year there is a position group that absolutely holds us back and sinks our season. We just can’t put it all together.

 

[ThankGODforWVB]

I trying to point out something to people that they don't seem to quite realize. Nebraska has changed coaches and staffs, and offensive and defensive design concepts, players and player styles like diapers in a hospital nursery. But nothing seems to actually change in the result of all this throwing aside of everything.

Why is that?

What are we really missing here

 

[David Webb]

 

[ThankGODforWVB]

If we were a really well run company; we'd hire a forensic analysis of these problems to find out why this occurs.

It is also what the military does whenever they fight a battle; win/lose/draw.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

I trying to point out something to people that they don't seem to quite realize. Nebraska has changed coaches and staffs, and offensive and defensive design concepts, players and player styles like diapers in a hospital nursery. But nothing seems to actually change in the result of all this throwing aside of everything.

Why is that?

What are we really missing here

You believe you are finding a novel concept that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum for years & years... since the origin of this board & earlier?

For your own edification, I'd suggest going read-only mode until you're more up to speed.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

 

[Scarlet ObsessioN]

Thanks for the poem dog.

I actually do like it and hadn’t heard it before.

 

[djw004]

The comparison of American football and warfare, is a common concept. There are so many attributes of football that are akin to those of medieval style warfare; though in the modern iteration of American football, it now contains the attributes also of logistics in modern warfare.

Here in this poem, written anonymously in 1629, lies a story that Nebraska football fans might recognize ....

For Want of a Nail​

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.​

In too many recent seasons, Nebraska has been foredoomed by series of missed pieces, sometimes multiple but often just singular, but intrinsic points. The failures of 2024 largely loomed because we hadn't a good long snapper, in 2025, because we hadn't a singular real nose tackle to control opponents running game. There were of course other points last year; including a complete miss in our passing attack design against tight zone coverage in short yardage situations.

These misses haven't always been consistent in what arena of the game we failed, in the last 12 years; that has varied.

One could say they were almost systemic.

Like as if were just too careless as a cogent and coherent body, within our athletic department, to acknowledge this faultlines.​

GET ME HYPE @ThankGODforWVB

 

[HuskerPAC]

 

[djw004]

The comparison of American football and warfare, is a common concept. There are so many attributes of football that are akin to those of medieval style warfare; though in the modern iteration of American football, it now contains the attributes also of logistics in modern warfare.

Here in this poem, written anonymously in 1629, lies a story that Nebraska football fans might recognize ....

For Want of a Nail​

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.​

In too many recent seasons, Nebraska has been foredoomed by series of missed pieces, sometimes multiple but often just singular, but intrinsic points. The failures of 2024 largely loomed because we hadn't a good long snapper, in 2025, because we hadn't a singular real nose tackle to control opponents running game. There were of course other points last year; including a complete miss in our passing attack design against tight zone coverage in short yardage situations.

These misses haven't always been consistent in what arena of the game we failed, in the last 12 years; that has varied.

One could say they were almost systemic.

Like as if were just too careless as a cogent and coherent body, within our athletic department, to acknowledge this faultlines.​

I often just believe that with all of the change, all of the throw away, all of the reset, we've lost entirely an identity that we can build on. And I don't know how you build that back while struggling through 7-5 seasons at best. Because I believe we desperately need an identity and continuity, or someone who can immediately provide it - I'm always torn there.

But even mid season this past year - we lose our starting QB, and the following game our O looks entirely different. To the point where that starting QBs dad accused the staff of sabotaging his son. We don't have an identity.

I believe we haven't had someone take the reigns of the program and entirely take ownership and accountability. Rhule has said the right things - but it also came paired with having to cave to every demand in order to get a 5* QB legacy. But the problem is, our legacies use the program rather than contribute to it. Frost, heavy withdrawal from the program. Raiola, heavy withdrawal from the program. And our account is running at a negative balance.

I believe that hitting on the small pieces, ensuring that you have those nails for the shoe, will keep us from losing the kingdom.

Trading a 5* QB for a more viable OL Coach is a prudent choice (although I think the statement I just made oversimplifies the situation), ensuring we maintain a high standard of special teams is a prudent decision, going and getting starting OL to stop gap our inability to develop our own OL up to this point is a prudent decision, shifting to a conference player of the year after getting BONED by a top tier program's barely backup is a prudent decision in the face of unfortunate circumstances.

We are close - but we have to hit on all of these little things. Then, for HAVING the nail(s), the kingdom was won.

 

[cwessel76]

 

[ThankGODforWVB]

You believe you are finding a novel concept that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum for years & years... since the origin of this board & earlier?

For your own edification, I'd suggest going read-only mode until you're more up to speed.

This is one of the common errors in organizational group think. They believe they understand the nature of problems that they face, even when repeated efforts on their part have failed.

They need outside thinking from people who specialize in analysis of scenarios to evaluate real causes and identify real solutions.

 

[ThankGODforWVB]

I often just believe that with all of the change, all of the throw away, all of the reset, we've lost entirely an identity that we can build on. And I don't know how you build that back while struggling through 7-5 seasons at best. Because I believe we desperately need an identity and continuity, or someone who can immediately provide it - I'm always torn there.

But even mid season this past year - we lose our starting QB, and the following game our O looks entirely different. To the point where that starting QBs dad accused the staff of sabotaging his son. We don't have an identity.

I believe we haven't had someone take the reigns of the program and entirely take ownership and accountability. Rhule has said the right things - but it also came paired with having to cave to every demand in order to get a 5* QB legacy. But the problem is, our legacies use the program rather than contribute to it. Frost, heavy withdrawal from the program. Raiola, heavy withdrawal from the program. And our account is running at a negative balance.

I believe that hitting on the small pieces, ensuring that you have those nails for the shoe, will keep us from losing the kingdom.

Trading a 5* QB for a more viable OL Coach is a prudent choice (although I think the statement I just made oversimplifies the situation), ensuring we maintain a high standard of special teams is a prudent decision, going and getting starting OL to stop gap our inability to develop our own OL up to this point is a prudent decision, shifting to a conference player of the year after getting BONED by a top tier program's barely backup is a prudent decision in the face of unfortunate circumstances.

We are close - but we have to hit on all of these little things. Then, for HAVING the nail(s), the kingdom was won.

YOU ABSOLUTELY GET IT!!!!

 

[Frogsker30]

 

[Juro]

I trying to point out something to people that they don't seem to quite realize. Nebraska has changed coaches and staffs, and offensive and defensive design concepts, players and player styles like diapers in a hospital nursery. But nothing seems to actually change in the result of all this throwing aside of everything.

Why is that?

What are we really missing here

We definitely weren’t missing a poem, but we got it anyway, and here we are.