EudoraNews.com

The last few weeks have been glorious for those college football fans raised under the oppressive thumb of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and their perpetual gridiron dominance.

The Huskers are in full meltdown mode, their athletic administration in shambles, their football program seemingly mired in the Big 12 North's basement and its coach, Bill Callahan, roasting in lame duck status.

Nebraska nose-dived to a new low Saturday in losing to Oklahoma State 45-14 after trailing 38-0 at halftime. The loss wasn't the most embarrassing of the awkward Callahan era -- his 2004 team was slaughtered 70-10 at Texas Tech. This fall's string of disasters is pretty hard to top, however.

The Huskers were lucky to edge Ball State despite playing at home, and barely competed in games against Southern California, Missouri and Oklahoma State.

But Big Red hasn't just begun to imitate its punching bags of yesteryear on the field.

This week's firing of athletic director Steve Pederson was the ceremonial pushing of the panic button. As so many bad teams have learned in the past, panic rarely breeds results in either the short or long term.

Nebraska doesn't even have to go outside of its own history to look at that lesson. It only need scour its current debacle.

Part of what makes the firing of Pederson and the eventual sacking of Callahan such a train wreck is that these were the guys that were supposed to fix everything. This was Nebraska's answer to those "ugly" nine-win seasons.

It's been pointed out countless times since the decision was made, but firing Frank Solich in 2003 was a mistake. That isn't true just for the obvious reasons -- Nebraska would cede half its territory to be 9-3 this season -- but because it begot more poor, panic-induced decisions.

Nebraska is still 4-3, ranked just two weeks ago. They're stocked with Rivals.com approved four- and five-star talent. Sure, they're coached by a buffoon. Perhaps they were all directed by an imbecile in Pederson. It can get a lot worse, however, and the quickest way to that reality is by firing coaches and administrators with spur of the moment decisions.

I never though much of Callahan or Pederson -- I am in no way surprised the coach is failing and don't write to defend either of Nebraska's higher ups, but the Cornhuskers will only make things worse.

In the press conference announcing the school's decision, Chancellor Harvey Perlman made it clear the decision wasn't based on the Oklahoma State game, rather on comments and concerns that had been rattling around since July.

Likely story. Pederson received an extension in July, a funny move given all the "concern" which supposedly existed.

Nebraska needs to cool down. When everything's done, then make the decisions about firing coaches and administrators.

A major change in Husker football was probably inevitable regardless of when the firings happen.

Rushing only cuts down options and makes it harder to be calm, cool and most importantly for the state of Nebraska, correct.