BOULDER, Colo. -- Nothing says good-bye quite like a visit to Colorado.
Four years ago, we watched former Nebraska Coach Frank Solich bid farewell on a high note, collecting the season's ninth win in a blowout victory at Colorado.
Colorado fans walked through the biting Boulder cold towards Folsom Field on Friday expecting to see yet another Nebraska coach's swan song and wondering how the final act would play out.
"We tried like hell to save Solich," joked one fan.
The ending wasn't so kind to Bill Callahan. Neither were many fans from both sides. Colorado must have had a ticket discount special for any Husker fan carrying a scathing sign playing off the ABC acronym.
Really, it was too easy. "Adios Bill Callahan" was seen on more than one sign. But even where creativity was lacking, the reality stuck hard.
Only now do we know what was going on in Tom Osborne's mind. He remained cryptic and quiet until Saturday's press conference, where he explained his criteria for choosing between Callahan's firing or retention.
Ultimately, it came down to winning. It usually does at Nebraska. After the home loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 20, Osborne sat down with the coaching staff and wiped the slate clean. Four games remained, and every game would weight heavily in his decision.
Win out, he said, and you're safe without question. Lose once, and the coaching staff could likely figure to be back. Lose twice, and it becomes questionable.
Three losses later, Callahan is out. His firing isn't likely to surprise many people, but Osborne's reasoning in coming to that conclusion might.
Was Callahan coaching for his job in Colorado? Would a win, even a convincing one, have mattered?
"As I sat there and watched (the Colorado game) I thought they were playing pretty well," Osborne said. "I think probably it wouldn't have, but I had not made up my mind for sure."
Those are pretty big words. While many people started volunteering to dig Callahan's grave in mid-October, Osborne abstained from making a final judgment until the exact date he had set from day one.
What's more, Osborne put Callahan's future in the coach's hands. The men are polar opposites, lacking any chemistry or relationship with one another, but the legendary coach took no personal pleasure in canning the embattled one.
In fact, Osborne spoke of Callahan sympathetically, which can be expected from a coach who played to keep his job several times before he played to win championships.
The time granted to Callahan was reasonable. It was enough to see what he was made of, and generous given the NU fan base's lack of patience. Two losing seasons and numerous embarrassing moments was what it took for Callahan to be given the ouster.
Osborne, who never won fewer than nine games but was constantly charged with inadequacy, knew enough to know this fit wasn't right.
The program's goals now are the same as they were in 2003 when Solich was fired. The goal of winning a national championship remains the same, and discontent with recent performance is still rampant.
The difference is the man pulling the trigger. In 2003, then Athletic Director Steve Pederson rose to the podium and crowned his goofy head for rescuing Nebraska football from mediocrity and promising that, come hell or high water, the Big 12 Conference would not be conceded to South Division powers.
Pederson was acting in his own best interest. He wanted a legacy. Osborne, on the other hand, is acting in the best interest of the football program. He already has his legacy well in place. Somberly, he announced Callahan's firing, saying it was in the best interest of the program.
Now his job is to anoint a replacement, one capable of producing results suitable for the program. Interestingly enough, the two hottest names for the job are the two men who enthusiastically sat right in front of Pederson as the goofball searched all over the country. The former AD gave them only a consolatory glance when the pressure rose.
And the winner of Pederson's best-friend prize was Callahan, a coach with guts enough to take on a job and expectations that even Urban Meyer scoffed at. Callahan didn't get the job done, but he tried.
So let's not forget who the real wrecking ball of Nebraska football is. And don't forget who its savior is, either.
JONATHAN CROWL IS A SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR. REACH HIM AT JONATHANCROWL@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
