Bo Pelini: Is There Any Merit To the Miami Hurricanes Rumor?

Less than 24 hours ago Nebraska Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini was being talked about as a possible replacement for Randy Shannon as coach of the Miami Hurricanes.

By the time Thursday morning rolled around, Pelini and athletic director Tom Osborne had already refuted the rumor.

"Bo's never talked to me about anything like that. If he got permission (to talk to Miami), he didn't get it from me," Osborne told the Lincoln Journal Star.

So the question must be asked: Was Pelini ever considering taking the job?

My gut says no, absolutely not.

What does Miami have to offer?

Miami is a program in decline. Their fans rarely fill Sun Life Stadium. They haven't been good since the 2003 season. They play in the ACC.

Compare that to Nebraska.

Pelini is held in high regard for quickly turning the program around following the awful Bill Callahan era. In just three seasons Pelini has taken a Huskers defense that was ranked near the bottom of the league and made it one of the best.

Additionally, the Huskers are about to make the switch to the Big Ten, where they will get to play Pelini's alma mater.

It's hard to find a school that has more loyal fans than the Huskers; keep in mind they have sold out over 300 consecutive games at Memorial Stadium. 

Really, there is no competition between the two schools. Nebraska wins by a landslide in the pros versus cons debate.

The one pro I could think of for Miami? The weather. That was it.

So how did Pelini's name get mentioned?

Well, the best theory is that Miami is panicking. 

Remember how they prematurely told everyone Jon Gruden was a strong possibility?

It seems like Miami is trying to create a fake atmosphere of coaches dying to have the coveted job. Right now, they look like fools.

First Gruden publicly embarrassed them, and now Pelini.

What's even worse is that the word came straight from Miami's athletic director according to The Miami Herald, not some anonymous source.

Miami needs to cut its losses already and hire Mike Leach. He is the only coach who has shown mutual interest in coaching for them. Now with the Florida job open, the Hurricanes are going to lose interest from the coaches they were targeting, specifically Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.

For Huskers fans, there is no reason to worry. Pelini is staying put.

If you're a Canes fan, panic button time.