As of 2:15 today, Steve Pederson is no longer the AD at NU. Details to come at a press conference today at 4:00.

--bmohr
 

I bet now that Steve Pederson is gone Bill C will call better plays, the team will make better adjustments at halftime, Cosgrove will have a better defensive scheme, our defense will learn to tackle, Keller won't throw anymore INTs, our running backs will find more holes, our linebackers will quit being pussies and the huskers will win the rest of their games this season.
 

It's not entirely about Pederson...basically the consensus is that there was no way Pederson would admit failure and fire Callahan.

So, in order to fix the football program, you had to start at the top. Hence, this is great news.

Not to mention that now it is being widely reported that Coach Osborne is taking over starting today, this brings instant credibility back to this University. When T.O. calls these potential coaches, they're picking up the phone. If Pederson would call, they would have the call sent to voicemail.

It's not going to fix anything this season, but it is long-term. At the very least, it's going to get better. I mean, the players Saturday were laughing WITH the guy behind their bench with the "Bag Callahan" paper bag on his head. That is fucking embarrassing.
 

Tom Osborne is the two year interim AD, according to KPTM42. (How did KPTM get this scoop? I didn't realize they still had news.)

Also seen on The Drudge Report.
 

So what happens if the Husker's don't get any better? Will Nebraska call for Osbourne's firing also?

I just think firing Pederson is an interesting move. It is not like the athletic department as a whole is going down the tubes, in fact in many cases it is the opposite. From the facility improvements to Doc Sadler. The guy did some okay things. Besides, if I recall there was a whole state excited that he could bring in an NFL coach a few years ago. Hell, even before this year people were excited because the same coach that everyone now wants fired was able to bring in an at-the-time Heisman caliber quarterback. I just think it is interesting how the "business" of Husker football works lately.

Nebraska was supposed to turn a corner this year and they weren't supposed to lose the way they've been losing. However, look at the season so far; lots of things were and were not supposed to happen. South Florida is number 2 for christ's sakes. Nearly every top ten team has lost. Kansas is 6-0. Miami, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame all suck. Ketucky is in the top ten. Teams that started in the top 10 have 3 loses. As pairity, due to scholarship limits, becomes more of a reality in college football it unrealistic to think that there will continue to be perenial powerhouses that there once were.

I am sure you will all light me up for this and I am sure you think that none of my points make any sense, but I enjoy playing devil's advocate when it comes to Nebraska football these days. I think Husker fans lose touch with reality sometimes. And that is not a direct shot at any of you. Though I do find it interesting that as soon as the season took a downturn there were no more "Tunnel Walk" postings.

As a Nebraskan at heart, I hope T.O. does make a difference and the Huskers do return to dominance.
 

At about 10 am today a guy posted on a husker board that he had a source who said that Pederson is out, TO is the new interim AD, and that Billy will be getting fired very soon, most likely after the Texas game and that they are going after Pelini. I hate to spread rumors but he has been dead right so far.

Maybe I'm alone here, but I don't think TO is a good choice for AD. Last time he picked our head coach we ended up with Solich. I don't think being a legendary coach qualifies you as being a great AD.
 

OK, a few things:

1. Tunnel Walk hasn't been up because we have been too busy at work to get it done, and Pete has been spending more time in Des Moines than when we first started. It honestly has nothing to do with the losses; on the contrary, there has been a TON of material that we have missed out on, and we're not happy about it.

2. You're right about parity in college football. The ridiculous scholarship rule the NCAA put in a few years back is certainly working. However, there is literally no excuse for this team to lose like this. They have--by seemingly ALL accounts--among the absolute top facilities in America, including several pro teams. They have tradition. They have a unrelenting fan base that shows up everywhere they go. And they supposedly have a top 20 recruiting class for each of the past 3 years. It's not about parity. It's about getting our asses thoroughly kicked by AVERAGE teams. Nebraska is the 10th best team in the Big XII. 10th. And they are in that position because our team does not even begin to approach playing hard or caring. And I think that my examples above illustrate that to the nth degree.

Nebraska people and fans do not expect a championship every year. They expect to be competitive every year. We could have the exact same amount of wins and losses right now, but if the games were close and/or had the appearance that the team was playing as hard as they can and were still out there hitting people in the mouth every play, there would be nowhere NEAR the outrage you're seeing. Disappointment, sure, but nothing like this.

And the other reason people are pissed off is because of the total arrogance of Callahan and Pederson. Like when Callahan said during his first season when asked about the bowl streak being snapped saying "it's one game, one season." People are still pissed about that, because there was clearly enough talent on that team to make it to a bowl and continue the bowl streak that may never be matched again. But we didn't go because he stubbornly forced his "system" down the players' throats, although we CLEARLY did not have the personnel to play it.

And that illustrates the problem of this coaching staff NEVER making adjustments. Hell, Cosgrove has said that he doesn't see a reason for adjustments! And that is why this team is a stunning and embarrassing 0-17 when trailing at halftime under Callahan.

There are about a million examples I could continue to throw out there, but the main thing is that this guy has lost his team and has lost the fans. The players don't want to play for these guys, and the fans are so depressed about the total loss of tradition and the way these guys treat people that they don't even care anymore. There is no joy left in Lincoln at this point, all because we brought in an NFL guy who certainly has made it a NFL atmosphere down there. People were excited--and I include myself in this--because Pederson did a hell of a sell job on Nebraska fans with this guy. Looking back, however--and hindsight is better than 20/20--all the signs pointed to disaster. There were national columnists that said as much right after we hired him. But Nebraska people wanted to care, wanted to BELIEVE that this was going to be our guy. Because, by God, Nebraska people get behind their guy.

Well, we were wrong. We were sold a bill of goods. And Nebraska people HATE when they have been duped. THAT is where all this frustration and anger is coming from. Not the win and loss record.

3. I think T.O. is crucial just in a figurehead sense. He is the kind of guy that is going to go out and get a lot of input to hire the right person to right the ship. I don't think that trying to rebuild Camelot would be intelligent by any stretch. But to have someone who will be able to immediately unify the fan base and bring instant credibility to the Athletic Department is what is sorely needed right now. Even if Pederson stayed around and fired Callahan--which would not have happened--he wouldn't have been able to hire anybody, because he has a national reputation as a guy that is hard to work for (not to mention the black eye that hasn't gone away from firing a 9-3 coach--it doesn't matter that Solich was fired for the right reasons, all people from the outside look at is the record).

And to hang T.O. for pushing Solich to take his place is a bit much; I mean Charlie McBride was on the radio the other day saying that Solich was indeed the right guy then. He just didn't see the thing through, particularly in recruiting.
 

Charlie McBride is also a coach and not an AD which is kind of my point. I don't want a coach to be our AD, I want someone with experience and a proven record as an athletic director. Has there ever been a coach turned AD that worked good for any team in the past? Keep TO around as an advisor but don't give him the final say. Plus, the AD doesn't just handle football. Does TO know how to keep the mens/womens basketball team moving in the right direction as well as keeping the volleyball team on top?

I was really enjoying the Tunnel Walk and would like to see a return. It was honestly better than any other previews I read before the games. Even a shorter version if necessary.