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Nebraska Football: 5 reasons Mike Riley is squarely on the hot seat

By Brett Renner

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Riley of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks to the stadium before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Riley of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks to the stadium before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Riley of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks to the stadium before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Riley of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks to the stadium before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

3. Failing in the big games that matter the most

One of the main reasons athletic director Shawn Eichorst gave for the firing of Bo Pelini was that he did not have what it took to win the big games. If the AD wants to stay consistent with the same idea, what has Riley done differently other than lose more games?

Nebraska is 16-13 under Riley as their head coach and 9-8 in Big Ten games. Along with those sad numbers, he is 3-6 in his last nine games dating back to last season. Throughout these three seasons, he has had the opportunity to compete and beat big name schools and he has done everything but succeed in them.

Since the beginning of his tenure at Nebraska, Riley is 2-4 against teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25. This includes the 62-3 rout Nebraska was given by Ohio State last season late in the year when Nebraska was 7-1. He has lost to Wisconsin twice, Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, Oregon, BYU, Miami and hasn’t beaten the rival Iowa in his short career.

If Mike Riley wants to keep his job at the University of Nebraska, he is going to have to figure out a way to win the big games, or to at least compete in them.

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