Oh, the dreaded alarm clock. It sounded early.

Got to get up early if you want to be a part of this year’s Husker circus.

Saturday morning was certainly that around the Husker football camp.

It went sort of like this:

6:20: Randy York, associate athletic director for communications, sends out an an e-mail to media outlets: “Nebraska Interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne has scheduled a news conference for Saturday, Nov. 24, at 9:30 a.m.”

Cheerios start to spill on shirts across the state. After months of speculation and rumor-spreading, it’s actually going down.

7:04: A guard is spotted watching the gate to a restricted parking area on the east side of the Osborne Complex. The guard tells the Journal Star: “Out of respect for the coaches, we want to have privacy.”

7:20: That same guard opens the gate for Husker coach Bill Callahan, driving a black Lexus sports-utility vehicle. Upon entering the lot, Callahan honks. The guard runs and opens a garage for him to park his vehicle inside.

7:24: Now we see a white Chevy Tahoe, Tom Osborne’s ride. The gate opens. The Tahoe enters. A meeting begins.

7:35: Well, that was quick. Here comes Callahan in his Lexus again, exiting the premises, no longer Nebraska’s head coach. Still, he offers a wave to reporters as he leaves.

7:45: For whom the bell tolls. “There Is No Place Like Nebraska” rings from the Mueller Tower.

7:50: Vehicles roll up to the gate  driven by Kevin Cosgrove, Randy Jordan and Dennis Wagner.

Cosgrove’s has “Go Hawks” written across a backseat window, a salute to his son’s Lincoln Southwest team.

8:05: Reached by phone, Callahan declines comment.

9:00: As assistant coach Bill Busch drives away from his meeting with Osborne, he gives the peace sign.

9:30: We’re to the announced time of the press conference, but no Osborne yet. About 50 media members wait. No worries. The Memorial Stadium elevators can be a bit slow.

9:34: Osborne takes the podium.

“As a former coach this is a role I really don’t like,” Osborne says. “I hate to sit in judgment of other people.”

9:59: Osborne finishes speaking. The circus is over. Or maybe it’s just begun.

—Brian Christopherson