Bo Pelini can return Big Red to its old glory

Who knows what's on the mind of Steve Pederson? Who knows whether he has made promises about the head coaching job at Nebraska, and, if he has, who he has made the promises to?

Because, you see, when it comes to choosing Nebraska's new football coach, the Huskers' first year athletic director has absolute power. Pederson, and Pederson alone, will make the pick.

Up to now, no one seems to know what Pederson is thinking. The only two exceptions may be Harvey Perlman, the UN-L chancellor, and the assistant athletic director that Pederson brought with him from Pittsburg. Still -- despite his silence -- we hope Pederson is listening because the Nebraska players and the people of Nebraska have a message for him:

"WE WANT BO!"

Although there are strong suspicions Pederson has been thinking about bringing in a coach from the National Football League, a growing number of Nebraska fans believe the best man for the job is already on board.

Bo Pelini's only been in Nebraska one year, but he's already one of us. He cares. He's passionate. And he is giving his all to see that Nebraska becomes a winner.

That's what we, the fans, want. That's what we have always wanted. We want an absolute, all-out commitment to excellence. We came to expect that during the coaching years of Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne. And, although Pederson and many others doubted his leadership ability, Frank Solich was also committed to the Husker program, although in a less dynamic way than his predecessors.

But, Monday night in San Antonio, Bo Pelini showed he has the fire ... the never-ending desire ... to win and make the Husker program the absolute best it can possibly be.

As a national audience watched on ESPN, Pelini provided the kind of game day leadership which Nebraska has been craving. He stood up for his team. He questioned every questionable call by the officials, even though his intensity once led to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

But the Huskers needed that ... the state needed that. We needed to know that someone cared as much as we do about Nebraska's Number One obsession: Big Red Football.

Yes, Bo's young for a football coach at 36. And, yes, until Monday night he had no head coaching experience. But, in order to move the Husker football program forward while still maintaining Big Red passion and tradition, Bo's the best man to lead the Huskers into the future.

Just look at Bob Stoops. Before becoming the head coach at Oklahoma, Stoops was an assistant, just like Pelini was this past season. But, immediately, Stoops turned the Oklahoma program around, rising to the top ranks of college football, including a spot in this year's Bowl Championship Series. Like Stoops, Pelini is from Youngstown, Ohio. And, like Stoops did at Oklahoma, Pelini can return Nebraska to national football prominence.

Listen, Mr. Pederson, and listen closely "WE WANT BO!"