Despite another solid season under coach Bo Pelini, the Nebraska Cornhuskers find themselves playing in a non-New-Year's bowl game against the USC Trojans (24).

Seemingly unable to win a Bit Ten title or make it to any major bowl games, Nebraska fired Pelini and quickly hired Oregon State's Mike Riley. After losing two of their last three games, the Cornhuskers find themselves in the National University Holiday Bowl.

CLICK HERE to listen to the game live via TuneIn. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET in San Diego, Calif.

"We just, for whatever reason, weren't good enough in the games that mattered against championship-caliber opponents," Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst told reporters, according to ESPN. "And I didn't see that changing. It wasn't a lack of effort by him or his staff or our wonderful players, but I think new leadership is in order."

Riley will not take over the football team until after the bowl game, so Barney Cotton will coach the Cornhuskers on a brief interim basis.

"I really have a very simple job," Cotton said. "That's to help our players finish out the best way and help this coaching staff stay cohesive and united and keep loving each other."

Like Nebraksa, USC did not finish strong, but went 6-3 in the Pac-12 and managed to beat teams like Stanford, Arizona and Notre Dame. Wrapping up his first season coaching the Trojans, Steve Sarkisian is highly optimistic about what is in store for his squad.

"Our future is ridiculously bright," he told reporters, according to ESPN. "We're going to be really good, and we're not going anywhere."

The National University Holiday Bowl is tied in with the Pac-12 and Big Ten and has gone by several different names, with several different sponsors in his history. This year's game will be played in Qualcomm Stadium, the home of the San Diego Chargers.