Two coaches near finish line

They’ll be playing the Hot Seat Bowl today in Lincoln, Neb., where Texas A&M; meets Nebraska in a matchup of teams with coaches who are clinging to their jobs.

Nebraska’s Bill Callahan is under fire because his team has lost consecutive games, has lost at least four games in his first three seasons, and this year has given up 40 or more points four times.

Texas A&M;’s Dennis Franchione is under investigation for possible NCAA violations stemming from a secret newsletter he wrote and sent to VIPs who paid $1,200 for an annual subscription. He’s also 1-4 against rival Texas Tech, and the Aggies have not finished higher than third in the Big 12 Conference in his five seasons.

So, while the Cornhuskers (4-3, 1-2 in Big 12 play) and Aggies (5-2, 2-1) are still fighting for a possible berth in the conference championship game and a Bowl Championship Series appearance, this week may be more about the coaches trying to save their jobs.

“It’s not very comfortable,” Callahan said. “If your job is in the position where people were talking about you every day, it’s not a real good feeling.”

Callahan’s ice got a lot thinner this week when the school fired athletic director Steve Pederson, the man who hired Callahan and gave him a five-year contract extension six weeks ago.

Not only that, but Tom Osborne, the Nebraska coaching legend, was brought in to replace Pederson.

Osborne has said he won’t make a decision on Callahan until after the season and firing him after he just signed a new deal would cost the school a pretty penny, but it’s surely not out of the question.

Franchione could be saved by a reported $8.5-million buyout clause, but if the school discovers NCAA violations stemming from the contents of the secret newsletter, which contained inside information including detailed injury reports and updates on the recruiting process, the buyout could be forfeited.

Price of success

Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart excused Wildcats football fans who cost the school $50,000 last week when they violated a Southeastern Conference rule by storming the field in celebration of Kentucky’s triple-overtime upset of then-No. 1 Louisiana State.

“It’s a very difficult rule when you have pent-up passion . . . waiting so long for those kind of things,” Barnhart said Wednesday at the Wildcat Tip-Off Luncheon. “It’s difficult to tell fans they can’t be part of that.”

The Southeastern Conference implemented a sportsmanship rule in 2004 designed to protect the safety of players, coaches and on-field personnel.

The fine is $5,000 for the first violation, $25,000 for the next and $50,000 for each subsequent violation.

Kentucky is the first school with three violations, having been hit after a victory over Georgia last season and again after defeating Louisville earlier this season.

Two’s company

When No. 2 South Florida lost Thursday night to Rutgers, it marked the 11th time a top-10 team had lost to an unranked opponent this season, and the first time in the history of the Associated Press poll that the No. 2 team has lost in three consecutive weeks.

California lost last week and USC the week before.

It’s a hoot

Temple isn’t ready to shake up the BCS standings quite yet, but after nearly two decades of some of the most futile football ever played, Owls fans finally have something to cheer about.

Temple has two consecutive victories for the first time since 2002 and has consecutive conference victories for the first time since 1967. This is the first time since 2002 that they have more than one victory in a season.

The Owls were 20-82 from 1998 to 2006 but are going for their first three-game win streak since 1990 today against Miami of Ohio.

“Two wins is not why I wanted to take this job,” second-year Coach Al Golden said. “This is just two wins right now.”

Beware of the Valley

No. 18 Auburn will travel to No. 4 Louisiana State tonight for a game at Tiger Stadium, a.k.a. “Death Valley.”

Louisiana State has a 17-game home win streak -- the longest in team history and the country -- but that’s not the biggest concern.

“People are mooning you, people are throwing water at you, throwing bottles at you, beating on the buses,” Auburn defensive tackle Josh Thompson said of driving into the stadium parking lot.

“And then you get in the stadium, and they’re trying to spit at you and yell at you.”

But Auburn has won at Arkansas and Florida this season and is 19-5 in road games since the start of 2003, which is probably why Thompson added that Louisiana State is “just a great place to play.”

-- Compiled by Peter Yoon