Bo Pelini fired by Nebraska

[12/1/14] LINCOLN, Neb. -- Bo Pelini was fired on Sunday, ending the seven-year run of the polarizing figure as Nebraska's football coach.

Pelini is owed $7.65 million by Nebraska on his contract, extended after last season through February 2019. Nebraska's assistants are under contract through January 2016.

The former defensive coordinator at LSU and Oklahoma, Pelini, in his first head-coaching job, produced notable consistency but little evidence that Nebraska was set to take the next step as a program. It lost 59-24 at Wisconsin on Nov. 15, surrendering a then-FBS record 408 rushing yards to Melvin Gordon in the latest embarrassing defeat for the program.

Pelini improved to 67-27 [9-3 this season] as Nebraska's coach on Friday with a 37-34 overtime win at Iowa. The victory pushed Pelini's win total past Tom Osborne for the most ever at the school in a coach's first seven years.

In fact, no coach in the history of a Power 5 program had been fired for on-field performance after winning as many games in his first seven years. Only Alabama and Oregon -- first and second this week in the College Football Playoff rankings -- can match the Huskers in winning nine games each year since 2008.

[12/4/14] Nebraska hires Mike Riley away from Oregon State as their new head coach.  Interesting because Oregon State was 5-7 this season and 2-7 in conference.