This game we all know is like physical chess that just happens to involve a few intense man-to-man body slams here and there. And when a coach like Matt Rhule shakes up his offense midseason, it feels more like flipping a Monopoly board during a family game night. Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach made headlines this week with a bold decision mid-campaign, a move that has fans buzzing and analysts scratching their heads. The twist? His newly hired old man, with little more than road trip memories from Nebraska to Colorado, jumped in to play his part. Talk about learning on the fly! The question is, will this risky shakeup pay off or backfire big time?

On the Big Ten Network, Dave Revsine and his co-hosts, Garry DiNardo and Dave Wannstedt, broke down what’s BIG today. “We’ve got Wisconsin and Nebraska—both teams that envisioned themselves in better spots this season,” Revsine said, highlighting the shake-ups on both sidelines. Well, he’s referring to Nebraska flipping offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield for Rhule’s 53-year-old Big 12 friend Dana Holgorsen. DiNardo chimed in with skepticism, calling out the gamble: “I don’t get the strategy. It feels counterproductive. Relationships with players are critical, and midseason changes can unsettle things.” For Matt Rhule, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Nebraska’s season has been a rollercoaster of inconsistent offense, driven by a freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who’s left in misery by his ex-OC Satterfield.

Enter Dana Holgorsen, Nebraska’s new play-caller (at least for the next few days now), as Dave joked, “Who would have thought that Dana Holgorsen would be the longest tenure offensive coordinator in this game. He’s been on the job for what 11 days.” DiNardo wasn’t alone in questioning the move. “Are you saying you made two bad hires in a row?” he asked, pointing out the optics of replacing offensive coordinators midstream. Holgorsen’s task becomes Herculean by default. To adapt the offense to fit the players’ abilities, particularly when protection for the young quarterback is paramount.

Although it’s a great move for Dylan Raiola, this guy has a sensation of taking it all on his shoulders. As dude legit rang his Heisman candidate/friend Dillon Gabriel to ask for a few tips on how they beat Wisconsin 16-13. He concluded, “They play really physical, sound, and together,” Raiola said of Wisconsin. And, well, after facing a 28-20 loss to USC, Nebraska’s offensive mistakes got unwrapped in front of the whole world.

Wisconsin, the Cornhuskers’ next opponent, faces similar woes, making this matchup a pivotal moment for both programs. Wannstedt noted that these changes might reflect external pressures rather than a calculated plan. Matt Rhule, however, seems to be banking on former West Virginia and Houston coach Holgorsen.

Matt Rhule’s quick fix!

The swift transition to the new OC happened over the phone when coach Rhule cried for help. “He was like, ‘Just hurry up and get here,” said Holgorsen. And like a true friend, he arrived in Lincoln on the morning that followed. The Nebraska Huskers, sitting at 5-5, find themselves in a rough patch, dropping four straight games, including a narrow 28-20 defeat to USC in his OC debut. It’s been a tale of two halves—starting the season 5-1 only to face a brutal losing skid that puts their bowl eligibility in jeopardy. The Huskers haven’t sniffed postseason action in seven long years, the longest drought among Power 4 programs.

“It’s on everybody’s mind,” Holgorsen admitted. “Honestly, it’s shocking for a program of this caliber. A bowl drought this long? Doesn’t add up. But here we are,” he added. Now, the weight of expectations looms large as Nebraska fights to reclaim relevance. And the change of positions might be seen as desperate and doesn’t make sense to many. But it can if they achieve what they built for.