A reader wrote and explained to me this week that Mike Riley, as a football coach, is like a guy in a coma on life support. Except that the minute you declare him dead and reach to pull the plug, he sits up in the bed, wide awake.

You can't argue with that after Nebraska's 37-29 victory over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl. Riley's Huskers ran the ball all over the stadium, and looked a lot like a team that very much wanted America to know it was alive.

Still, Nebraska finished 6-7 in Riley's first season, and there are big questions on the horizon. Riley joined me on the radio show (12-3p on 750-AM and 102.9-FM) for a lengthy interview where he talked about his first season in Lincoln, and the decisions at Oregon State that led him to ditch a cushy lifetime job in Corvallis for a big challenge.

Riley pointed, particularly, to a meeting after last season with then-athletic director Bob De Carolis. Riley said De Carolis took away the multi-year contracts that had typically been afforded to the assistant coaches.

Said Riley: "It was direct and clear... it was very, very clear to me."

What was clear exactly?

Riley could stay forever under his long-term deal, but he'd be stranded on that island alone. He'd passed on job offers at USC and Alabama in prior years, and once told me that he had his forever job in Corvallis. Riley also said that he was aware of the growing frustration amid Beavers' fans, which is only to say that he was listening.

"(That frustration) was a real thing," Riley said.

So much so that when Nebraska called, Riley not only had a serious conversation about the job, but brought the potential move to his wife. Per Riley, his wife said, "This is something we should look at," and once they'd decided to go, all that was left was to call De Carolis and OSU president Edward Ray and tell them he was out.

Riley said Tuesday that the phone call lasted 30 seconds. Riley told De Carolis he was leaving for Nebraska. Per Riley, De Carolis said, "Wow."

That was it.

The only other conversation was a brief professional disagreement about who should call the university president. Riley said he wanted to call Ray himself. De Carolis wanted to make the call to his boss. That was that. De Carolis made the call.

You know where I stand on the Riley move. Appreciate him as a coach, but I think it was time. I think it's a move that works not only for Riley, who needed a new adventure and some fresh pressure, but for Oregon State, which felt stale.

The Beavers feel better off with Gary Andersen. Riley feels better off without Oregon State. Everyone wins. Except when they don't, of course. Because Oregon State went 2-10 and Riley got "Hail Mary'ed" into submission early on.

Still, I like the move for all sides. Sounds to me in listening Riley that he made the right move in ditching Oregon State. Sounds, too, like it was the right move for the Beavers.

Riley is going to win at Nebraska. He nearly did in year one, and I won't be surprised when he turns the ship totally in season No. 2.

Andersen will win at Oregon State, too. Buy that stock. He's tough. He's energized. His players will play for him, and I'd use the Civil War as an example. I think he's further away from success given the roster he inherited, but Andersen is going to win in seasons No. 3 and 4.

Listen to the full interview here:

-- @JohnCanzanoBFT