A great thing happened Monday, a wonderfully rare and poignantly pure college football moment that doesn’t come around often.

The heart overcame the now.

The idea of what could be in a cold, dark place superseded the championship reality of what is.

Chance overcame certainty.

And now Nebraska — after securing a commitment from Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class — has a chance to finally dig out of a 2-decade hole.

One player doesn’t change a program, but one decision can start a trend. And one elite quarterback — if Raiola develops into the player many Power 5 coaches believe he will — can carry a team beyond meaningless postseason games and directly to the new 12-team Playoff.

Or in Nebraska’s case, just to the postseason. Any postseason.

That’s how bad things have gotten in Lincoln, where a once great college football program — the very essence of the sport and its pageantry and passion — can’t get out of its own way.

The Huskers haven’t won a conference championship since 1999. Let me write that again — since 1999.

Since then, Nebraska has been humiliated in their last moment on the big stage (BCS National Championship Game vs. Miami), fired a successful coach, hired an NFL coach to run a college program, hired raging bull (no offense, Bo, but you were a little out there back then), hired a good guy playing out his last coaching days, and hired a local hero.

They all failed, and there was always an excuse at the ready. Didn’t give him enough time, didn’t understand the culture and communicate well with the fan base, offended too many people, was too nice — and the excuse of all excuses, he loved Nebraska too much and was blinded by the reality at ground zero.

Then finally, fatefully, someone at Nebraska made a smart move and hired a real program builder. A guy who knows how to acquire and develop talent.

A guy who realizes you win in football — any level, any time — with an elite quarterback.

You don’t win big with Sam Keller or Joe Ganz or the Martinezes or Heinrich Haarberg or take your pick of any Nebraska quarterback since Eric Crouch was manhandled by the Miami defense in the 2002 Rose Bowl.

That’s why Nebraska coach Matt Rhule didn’t give up on Raiola. The only way he’s changing this thing is through the quarterback.

Even though Raiola committed to Georgia, with its back-to-back national championships in tow, Rhule never stopped pursuing the Nebraska legacy.

That legacy, as much as anything, brought Raiola home — where his dad was a Huskers legend and his uncle is the offensive line coach. Where he grew up in the stands at Memorial Stadium, surrounded by the best fans in college football and the penultimate college football experience.

The very thing that drew him back to home, and led him to write a poem about it and place it on his commitment announcement. Of course, it was followed by cackling and criticism by the dead end on social media.

I get it, there’s bitterness. You know, the same bitterness of grown men — for the love of god, grown men — crying over young men whom they have no control over and nothing invested in. Except fandom.

Because if Raiola didn’t choose Georgia (or even Ohio State, where he originally committed), he must be afraid of playing in the big, bad SEC.

He doesn’t want to compete.

He wants the job given to him.

He can’t handle the bright lights of expectations.

All ridiculous, all the end result of bitterness for those who lost out. Or cry over young men. Or both.

Raiola committed to Nebraska and found his way home. The university released a video on social media or Raiola talking about his decision and pulling a scarlet No. 15 jersey over his shoulder pads.

That jersey means something to Raiola and everyone at Nebraska. It’s Tommie Frazier’s jersey.

It’s the last time Nebraska was alone on top of the college football mountain. The last time Nebraska didn’t care who was on the other side of the ball, that team was getting embarrassed.

It’s the reason the best fans in college football keep returning, year after year, selling out Memorial Stadium and hoping against hope that this iteration, this time, is the one that works.

They have the quarterback now, one that may even lead to a renaissance of sorts on the college football holy land.

Chance overcame certainty when Dylan Raiola chose Nebraska. He found his way home.

Now maybe the Nebraska program can, too.