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LINCOLN — On the day Nebraska fired Bo Pelini — Nov. 30, 2014 — Mike Riley talked to a Portland Tribune reporter about the future of Oregon State football.

“A definitive statement from me: We have to make changes,” Riley said in the Tribune story, which came right after a 47-19 loss to rival Oregon. Riley lost 10 games to the Ducks — including seven straight at the end of his OSU tenure — but the last loss might have been the least competitive. Oregon led 30-3 at halftime. The gap between the teams never seemed wider.

Four days later, Riley became Nebraska’s coach. A definitive statement, indeed.

Right after Riley took the job, he was informed: Your old nemesis is on the schedule. The coach may have been done with Oregon, but Oregon wasn’t quite done with him.

Riley’s rivalry week is now here.

Oregon visits Nebraska on Saturday, and while the game is big for the Huskers — who have played just three ranked nonconference foes at home since 2000 — it’s even bigger for Riley and most of his coaching staff, which followed him to Lincoln.