Our Old Friend Bo Pellini

Great article on our old friend former Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pellini, now at LSU. Oh, what might have been, had a certain athletic director been a little wiser. Pellini is on many school's short list for a likely head coach, possibly as soon as next year. Former NU linebacker great Barrett Ruud, now with Tampa in the NFL, said he was actually surprised it hadn't happened already. Speculation is that Texas A & M might be a school that could be interested in him given the current issue surrounding current head man Dennis Franchione. Pellini was the NU head man for the Alamo Bowl game against Michigan St. after the ouster of Frank Solich, with NU winning 17-3.

"Pelini said Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson "stopped talking" to him in the days leading up to the bowl game and, following the victory, Pederson didn't fly back to Lincoln with the team.

Pederson eventually spoke with Pelini about the opening, but Pelini said it was clear he had no chance of landing the job.

"It was just a token interview," Pelini said. " (Pederson) brought me in because he had to bring me in. He told me I was being considered, but I don't think I ever was. He wanted to hire a name guy. He would've hired anybody that had a big name." "

Pellini's Tiger D have the third rated pass defense in the country, are number four in rush defense and are allowing a scant 9.3 points per game for the top rated team in the nation. Tiger HC Les Miles first noticed Pellini when Miles was the head man at Oklahoma St and faced NU's Pellini, who came out with a completely different defensive scheme than Miles had expected and threw the Cowboys for a loop. Miles hired Pellini away from Oklahoma after the 2004 season.