I think Nebraska is in a position where they need to offer

guaranteed money.

I don't think all schools are, but if you have a lengthy track record of failed coaches since your last successful one, if you want to attract a good candidate, I think you need to guarantee the money, or at least a good portion of it.

If your track record isn't nearly so awful, I think you could get away with instead offering a higher upside, rather than a guaranteed floor.

Nebraska's most successful coach of the last 20 years is Bo Pelini, and they fired his ass after a 9 win season, and after never winning fewer than 9 games. Is 9 or 10 wins a successful standard for a program like Nebraska that aspires to true greatness? No. But it means there's a lot more risk involved in taking the job as the standards are high, and the ability to succeed is low. Nebraska hasn't made a bowl in their last six seasons. Getting Nebraska to a place where they regularly win the West seems relatively easy, but moving beyond that would require a true legend at this point.