No, but the environment would have become exceedingly toxic. Losing to Nebraska after possessing such a large lead would have decimated team morale.
If they beat FSU last year, it would have helped springboard Golden's tenure and he knows that. I think that one of the reasons why he did not run the ball earlier in the 4th quarter was because of the FSU loss last year. He wants the team to know that he trusts them. He is changing and trying to improve. Also, he now wants this job (badly).
I think that he is a mediocre coach, but he is assiduously trying to keep his job. I think that when Penn State passed on him, it alerted him to the fact that his next stop is a permanent position at the "Temples" of the world.