In case you haven't heard already, Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne is out looking for a new head coach for the Nebraska football team. Rumors have been flying around all season about exactly who the next coach for Nebraska is going to be. Some say the coach has even already been hired, and still others say that Nebraska had a coach locked up months ago. The fact is, nobody knows for sure what's going on except for Tom Osborne, and he says no one's been hired. And I believe him to be a man of his word, so that leaves everyone to keep speculating on who Tom's going to pick.

During this entire season people have been talking about this subject, but recently it's really picked up steam because the search is now out in the open. Before now, no one was really talking with me about it, but now it seems like everyone is talking with me about it. So, I thought that I would put up the the most popular candidates, and what I see as their pros and cons. Now, keep in my mind, I have no better information than anyone else as to who TO is actually going to pick, and in fact his pick could actually be someone I don't even mention, but since speculating on a new head coach seems to have become the people of Nebraska's new favorite pastime, I'm going to give it a go anyway.

First up is LSU's defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. I'm going to start with him for a couple of reasons. The first is that by far and away he is the current fan favorite pick (astoundingly getting over 60% of the votes in a recent poll conducted by Action 3 News) and is the pick most sports writers and "insiders" seem to think is going to get the job.

Positives:
First off, he was the defensive coordinator for Nebraska and during his one year on the job he took a defensive unit ranked 55th the previous year and turned them into an 11th ranked one. Former Huskers who played with him speak very highly of him, saying that they'd "run through a brick wall for him." Obviously, he's a player's coach, and one that can bring some fire back into Nebraska's defense. Also, having actually coached at Nebraska before, he knows what Nebraska football is all about. Second, Osborne says that he reminds him of a young Bob Devaney. That's pretty high praise coming from TO. Third, he coached Nebraska in it's victory over Michigan State in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. I liked the intensity he showed during that game and in addition that game lead to his being the all-time winningest coach at Nebraska... percentage wise that is, as he is currently 1-0 and therefore has 100% winning percentage as "Head Coach" at Nebraska. Finally, it sounds like he really liked Lincoln and would like to return to the Midwest. If that's true, he would probably stick around at Nebraska for a while.

Negatives:
First, he seems to jump around a lot. Since entering the coaching ranks, the longest he's stayed at any one job is three years. Combine this with the fact that he played for Ohio State and was a team captain there, and the fact that he's still only in his 30s, and it makes me think that he might not view Nebraska as a place where he would finish his career. Also, supposedly he hates recruiting, which is something that is very important for school stuck in the middle of the country where it can get really, really cold. Cold weather is definitely something those kids from recruiting hotbeds like Florida, California, and Texas don't like too much. Third, he's pretty rough around the edges and can come off as egocentric and abrasive. Fans, boosters, and players may like his intensity on the sidelines, but very few people have good things to say about him outside the football field. Fourth, he's a defense-minded guy. I know that this ultimately could work in Nebraska's favor, but the Cornhuskers just got rid of a coach that apparently only focused on one side of the game. I guess that would make Pelini sort of the anti-Callahan, but it still makes me a little leery of a coach with a possible one-track mind Finally, and most importantly, he has yet to truly be a head coach. Yes, I just said he coached Nebraska in one game as an interim head coach, but he's never been hired into that position.

Verdict:
I like Pelini, I really do. I would have taken him as Nebraska's head coach in a heartbeat after Frank Solich was fired. But right now, as far as the candidates that are out there being talked about, he's the one I like the least. I just don't see Nebraska being a job for a first time head coach. I know that it worked for Nebraska before with Tom Osborne and that Oklahoma struck gold with Bob Stoops, but for where Nebraska is right now, it seems like too big of a gamble.

Next up is the head football coach of the Buffalo Bulls, Turner Gill. Like Pelini, he's another fan favorite and one with even stronger Nebraska ties.

Positives:
First off, unlike Bo Pelini, he's a head coach. He's actually put on a headset and called the plays. It also means that you can take a look at what he's done so far and see what he's capable of. Second, he's actually winning games at Buffalo. Buffalo. Some may look at the Bulls' 5-7 record and wonder what the big deal is, but as Lee Corso recently said, if you can win at Buffalo, you can win at Ethiopia. If you think he's joking, consider the fact that prior to this season, the Bull's won just 8 games in the previous 8 years. And those 5 wins? Well, they were enough to claim a share of the regular season MAC title Third, aside from being the head coach, Gill also served as the Bulls' offensive coordinator and directed an offense that scored 291 points. That total is the most in Buffalo's I-A history and just 28 points short of their all-time school record. Also, Buffalo had eight players selected to the All-MAC team after having just seven total in their first eight years of conference play. Fourth, Turner Gill was named the MAC Coach of the Year. Not only was he able to accomplish that in just his second year as a head coach, but take a look at the names of some of the award's previous winners: Frank Solich, Gary Pinkle, Jim Grobe, and Urban Meyer. Pretty impressive company. Finally, and most importantly, Gill bleeds Husker Red. As a former player and someone who is very close to Tom Osborne, the job of head coach of Nebraska would be a dream come true for him. If Nebraska would let him, he would stay on the sidelines until he died or retired, whichever comes first.

Negatives:
In a word: inexperience. I know that it may seem like I'm contradicting myself here, but while he may be a head coach, he is at Buffalo and it's only his second year. Again, I know that Nebraska feels burned by going outside of the family for the last coach, but strong consideration should really be given to coaches with longer track records. Yes, he's been able to win at Buffalo, but he's only been on the job for 2 years and, ultimately, he still has a losing record.

Verdict:
While I actually like him better than Pelini as the choice for next head coach, it's not by much. If it was a couple more years down the road and Gill was still winning at Buffalo, I'd probably be ecstatic about the prospect of him being Nebraska's next head coach. But, as it stands right now, I'm just not sure that Turner is ready to take that next step and coach one of the elite programs in college football.

Third on the list is Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe. His name is also one that most media "experts" have linked to Nebraska's current coaching search, along with Gill and Pelini.

Positives:
He's a head coach with a proven track record. Not only has been working as a head coach since the 1995 season, but he's been such a good one he was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 2006. Second, he build teams and then wins where people aren't supposed to win. He began his head coaching career at Ohio University, who was 0-11 the year before he took the reigns and he turned them into a team that for his six years there had a .500 record. Again, that might not sound impressive, but when you consider that in the 10 years before Grobe arrived, Ohio won a total of 17 games, that should put his record of 33-33-1 into perspective. Grobe left Ohio after the 2000 season to jump-start another program at Wake Forest. Last year, Wake finished with an 11-3 record and were ACC champs. Aside from the fact that nobody wins as head coach of Wake Forest's football team, the most impressive thing about their 2006 record was that they lost their starting quarterback for the year in their season-opener and as a result had to totally retool their offense from an option-rushing attack to a more downfield passing offense better suited for their backup QB. Did I mention that Wake Forest has mere 5000 students? In other words this guy can win with the talent available and is able to coach to their strengths. Third, he has continuity with his staff. Not only has he kept pretty much all of his same assistants since his days at Ohio, but in his seven seasons at Wake Forest, only two assistants have left the program. Finally, at 55, it's possible to see Nebraska as a place where he finishes out his career.

Negatives:
While he's won games at place you aren't supposed to, his overall record is still 77-71-1, not something most fans and boosters are going to get too excited about. Another strike against him would be money. In February, Grobe signed a 10-year extension with Wake Forest. This would mean that should Nebraska decide to hire him, they would have to put up about $2 million buy him out of his contract, and that's before they even decide on his actually salary. One final negative might actually be the continuity I praised earlier. Since he takes such pride in the cohesion of his staff, it seem unlikely that there would be any room for keeping Shawn Watson or more importantly for getting back Marvin Sanders.

Verdict:
After just buying out Pederson, Callahan, and his staff coupled with the fact that Tom Osborne might be a little stingy when it comes to how much he thinks a head coach at Nebraska should be paid, I think his price tag is probably too high. Would I like to see him as Nebraska's next head football coach? Hell, yes. Of the top 3 candidates the media is talking about for the job, I like him the best. I just don't think he'll get the nod.

Finally, we come to a guy that's flying under the radar a little bit and that's Navy's Paul Johnson. I say flying under the radar, because while his name has been listed as a possible candidate, it's not one that anyone has reported that has actually been contacted by Nebraska.

Positives:
He's a coach that knows how to win, and not just win but win national championships. Granted, he's won his championships at the Division I-AA level, but they're still national championships, and he was able to win two in a row in 1999 and 2000. Second, he's winning at Navy. The 2 seasons previous to his taking over as head coach, Navy had gone 1-20, since his arrival the Midshipmen have reached their highest level of success in the modern era. They've had 5 straight winning seasons, 5 consecutive bowl berths and 10 straight victories against the other with five straight winning seasons, five consecutive bowl berths, and 10 straight victories against the other service academies, Army and Navy. But Johnson's success at Navy has been historic as well. He coached his 2004 squad to 10 wins, the most ever in a season at Navy since 1905 and Navy's win against Army on December 1, marks the first time ever either team has beaten the other 6 times in a row. That 10 win season, by the way, lead to his being named NCAA Coach of the Year. His success at Navy is made all the more impressive when you consider it's nearly impossible to recruit at a school where after graduation, you go straight into the service for 5 years. Third, the guy adjusts his offense to match his talent. As offensive coordinator at Hawaii he called the plays that set all the school's passing records until June Jones took over and the Rainbows' offense broke or equaled more than 160 school records overall during his tenure. At Navy, Johnson runs the triple option, which is an almost exclusively run-oriented offense. Finally, there's his record. The guy is 106-39 as a head coach.

Negatives:
I'm almost at a loss here, because I think that Paul Johnson would be a great pick. I guess that you could say that he's never coached at a school on the same level as Nebraska, but honestly, to that I say think about what he could do with the talent at a school like Nebraska. His age at 50, might be a cause for some concern, as he's young enough to possibly leave to coach elsewhere. The counter to that is that he's also old enough to finish his career at Nebraska, Also, there's his offense, and the possibility that he may try to run the triple option at Nebraska, which again, would probably depend on which offense the players would be best suited for. Honestly, the biggest strike against him in my mind is that no coach is guaranteed to be a success at Nebraska.

Verdict:
Paul Johnson is definitely my top choice for next head coach at Nebraska.

All right, there you have it.. I've definitely let this go on for way too long, but before I go, I want to say one thing: Tom Osborne knows way more than me. Whatever decision he makes, I feel will be the right one. Whoever he picks, I will get behind them 100%.

So, if it's Bo Pelini, as both ESPN and The Sporting News are reporting, expect to see me rocking a "Bo Knows Football" t-shirt some time soon.