A year ago this week, Bo Pelini defiantly asserted that his Nebraska program was “heading in a good direction.”

Nebraska lost four games in each of Pelini’s first six seasons. Losses to Wisconsin and Minnesota the past two weeks have perfectly positioned the Huskers for another four-loss season.

Nebraska is not heading in any direction at all. It’s on a hamster wheel, and no amount of feline fun and social media snark from @FauxPelini can set it free.

Nebraska under Pelini continues to be what it has been for nearly seven seasons: It résumé-pads against bad teams and then fails, often miserably, in big games.

As ESPN.com reporter Mitch Sherman noted Saturday:

• The Huskers have lost three of their past four November home games.

• They’re 10-6 in November since joining the Big Ten in 2011, and that includes a 4-0 month in 2012.

• They’ve lost 10 games by 20-plus points since 2008.

• Here’s one more: Forgetting even the now-ancient history of the “Blackshirts,” Pelini’s background is as a defense-oriented coach. But in Nebraska’s 15 losses since the 2011 season, it has allowed an average of 42.2 points in those defeats.

Leaving Tom Osborne out of it, where is Nebraska? Where should it be, relative to what it was 15 or 20 years ago?

Here’s the question Huskers fans should be asking themselves: In the newly created Big Ten West, one of the most pedestrian divisions in college football, why is Nebraska behind Minnesota -- and why is it light years from Wisconsin?

The Gophers have now beaten the Huskers in consecutive seasons. And in three meetings since joining the league, Wisconsin has scored 48, 70 and 59 points against Nebraska, including Melvin Gordon’s 408-yard rushing day this year.

Right now, Iowa and Nebraska are on the same line in the division. If the Hawkeyes win Friday in Iowa City, that’s two straight against the Huskers, too. Nebraska would finish fourth in the Big Ten West.

No one is suggesting the Huskers should be regular playoff participants. But they should be better than fourth in one of college football’s worst divisions.

Nebraska can do better. Surely AD Shawn Eichorst thinks so, too.

EXTRA POINTS

• Florida update: 247 Sports reported over the weekend that Mike Gundy is interested in Florida. Of course the Oklahoma State coach is. He will be interested in a number of jobs this offseason. “He’s itching to go,” one coach told me recently.

The question is whether Florida and AD Jeremy Foley are interested in Gundy. My sense, from talking with those close to the search, is no.

“It just doesn’t fit to me,” one of those sources said. “I can’t picture it.”

He's an offense-minded coach, who would counter Will Muschamp.

He’s been a consistent winner at his alma mater, but the Pokes have been trending down the past couple of years, he’s becoming increasingly prickly with the public and there’s residual tension with OSU administrators. All those have to be red flags for Foley.

• Criticism is beginning to mount on first-year USC coach Steve Sarkisian, whose Trojans dropped to 7-4 after being routed Saturday by UCLA.

The loss at Boston College -- especially being outrushed by 400 yards -- is inexcusable, but that’s just one loss. The others -- a Hail Mary against Arizona State, a three-point game at Utah and UCLA -- really aren’t that bad.

I’m just wondering why Charlie Strong is being given such a pass in his first season at Texas while Sarkisian’s initial season is graded more harshly. The Trojans have talent, but they’re still thin because of NCAA-related roster issues and they play in the best or second-best division in college football.

The pressure will increase in 2015, but no need to panic just yet.

• Kansas was the team that allowed 427 yards to Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine; will that hurt interim coach Clint Bowen’s chances of being promoted?

It certainly didn’t help, but you have to look at the totality of what Bowen has done since September. The games against Oklahoma and Baylor were stinkers, undoubtedly, but that’s offset by the decided win against Iowa State and competing fiercely with playoff contender TCU.

Is it enough for Bowen? It’s likely really, really close, meaning this week’s rivalry game against Kansas State could be a difference-maker. Mind you, KU AD Sheahon Zenger got his coaching and administrative starts at K-State.