While Oklahoma State's 45-14 win over Nebraska should be celebrated in central Oklahoma for the big win it was, it will forever be known by most around the country as the loss that spelled the end for coach Bill Callahan.

UNL athletic director Steve Pederson was fired on Monday, and Bill Callahan can't be far behind. In four years, Callahan has improved the Huskers a dab each season, record-wise, but two terrible losses this season supplemented by talk of bad chemistry and a realization that this guy is taking this program nowhere have all but sealed his doom.

Most Oklahoma Sooners fans can empathize with Nebraska.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, OU was so bad that my Nebraska friends -- mostly North Texas Nebraskans in Dallas -- actually had some sympathy for us, saying that it's important for both Big Reds to be good. Of course, Nebraska had so much sympathy that they beat us 69-7 and 73-21, and I recall Cornhuskers fans running through Memorial Stadium in Norman taunting us.

So, you'll understand if I have mixed feelings about Nebraska's demise, and make no mistake: This is a demise. The Cornhuskers are truly a bad football team, and what's worse is that they have quit on their coach, their school and their fans.

On the other hand, I can't blame them.

Bill Callahan came into the Nebraska gig thinking that because he had worked in the NFL that he would be able to apply the culture of his "organization" to a college team with a century of history, from their time as the Bugeaters to the national titles in the 1990s.

He was also a blowhard, calling Sooners' fans "hillbillies" after one of his players assaulted a member of our Ruf/Neks. However, from an insider's perspective, Callahan was hard to like because he failed to embrace or understand a lot of Nebraska's tradition. He failed to win the hearts and souls of high school programs across the state. He failed to comprehend that in college, the goal is to go undefeated because there are no playoffs.

After a 41-40 win over Ball State, Callahan wondered what the big whoop was. Really!? Seriously!?

However, this turkey is old news, and I would like to return the favor to my Nebraska friends, most of whom I haven't seen in ages but a couple of whom I work with right here in Oklahoma City. Here are the five people (plus one bonus) I would recommend to UNL in their quest to find a new coach.

1. Turner Gill. This is a no-brainer given that Gill was a Husker legend in the 1980s. He's done a good job with the Buffalo Bulls, winning three of his first seven this season, an improvement over the first couple of years there.

His big upside is understanding the program. His big downside is that he is unproven as a head coach, and I fear he could be like John Blake in Oklahoma, and that would be a shame. Honestly, I suspect that Gill will be the next head coach in Lincoln, but I don't think I'd go there just yet if I were the guy making the decisions.

2. Jim Leavitt. This guy is the national coach of the year. His South Florida Bulls team is a legitimate contender for a national title, and he is putting himself in position to be one of the great football coaches in college history, literally giving birth to a modern-day giant.

Make no mistake. South Florida is here to stay. They are the new Miami, and I think they're poised for several national title runs over the next 15-20 years and probably a spot in the ACC soon enough. If one looks at successful modern college programs, the best opportunities are in warm weather locations, and Leavitt would be a fool to leave Tampa.

On the other hand, everybody and their dog has been courting him, including Alabama. Including Tennessee. Leavitt's experience at Kansas State -- the miracle in Manhattan -- and with South Florida makes him a candidate I wouldn't even have to interview. I'd send him a contract and a plane.

3. Paul Johnson. This guy has turned around the Naval Academy and done it old style, with a running attack that would give the Husker Nation a giant football woody. This coach is a sleeper, and he'd definitely make the move.

See, I think it's important to have a coach committed to the run in a state that produces big corn-fed linemen. Win enough games, and a decent recruiter will be able to get some big name skill guys.

4. David Cutcliffe. Think about the guys he brought to Mississippi while he was there. Eli Manning. Deuce McAllister. Cutcliffe knows talent when he sees it, and he's widely considered to be one of the very best coordinators in college football. Plus, many thought he got a raw deal at Ole Miss, getting fired for refusing to fire his coordinators.

5. Mike Leach. OK, go ahead and think I'm crazy. However, Leach is a brilliant tactician, a good motivator, and he gets the most out of his talent. Heck, with a win against Missouri this week, he's got his Red Raiders in a decent position to win the Big 12 South.

If Stoops were to ever leave Oklahoma -- heaven forbid -- I would be highly in favor of bringing this pirate to Norman. If nothing else, your Huskers would be able to match OSU's 45 with 48, 49 of their own.

As for my sleeper pick, I'll give you two. Jason Garrett, of the Dallas Cowboys, and Major Applewhite, of the Alabama Crimson Tide -- I think -- are two guys who are poised to become big-time coaches. While I know Major is a Longhorn and that he is young, he's a winner. He's enthusiastic. And, guess what; he actually kind of looks like a young Tom Osborne.

Garrett will more than likely be a pro coach sometime in the next three seasons, but he would be a great out-of-the-box pick for UNL. On the other hand, I wouldn't blame Nebraska if they never ever looked to the NFL for a coach again.

However, I would strongly recommend that the new AD not look to the so-called roster of big names that perennially gets trotted out for college openings. Go find an up-and-coming gem.

The safe pick might be Gill.

The slam-dunk pick is Leavitt.

However, the most interesting pick is Johnson. He runs the ball consistently, and with their crop of corn-fed linemen, Nebraska's the one school that can run the ball and win at a national level. Johnson's turned an academy into a winner, and if nothing else, he seems like he would be a good counter to Callahan.

However, I would agree with my NTN friends from back in the day. It is important for both Big Reds to be good. I don't know why, really. Perhaps, it's the shared history. The mutual respect. So, while I don't mind seeing Nebraska get a whipping now and then, I don't want them to turn into a perennial also-ran either.