Tom Osborne stared at the notes he’d scribbled on a small piece of paper just minutes before.

He sat at a round table with six others but seemed lost in his thoughts. In minutes, he would address about 300 donors and dignitaries gathered Saturday morning for Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman’s pregame event at the Nebraska Union on city campus. It marked Osborne’s first game day as interim athletic director.

This week’s game will come down to effort and intensity, Osborne said in his short speech. He didn’t think either team — Texas A&M or Nebraska — would have a significant edge talent-wise.

“Effort’s going to be a big deal this week,” he told the crowd.

Minutes before Osborne’s speech, a talented and lively group of young men sang a cappella:

“Almighty men, we’re going to triumph again … ”

Of course, Nebraska lost again, its third straight defeat, this time 36-14. So much for the energy Osborne’s dramatic return last week injected into the athletic department, university and state. Oh, the team responded Saturday with a strong and energetic first half. It played with more zeal than it had in recent games, before wilting in the second half.

Make no mistake, however; there existed improved energy and a general feeling of optimism in the stadium. It was palpable. Huskerville simply felt like a much friendlier and welcoming place all of a sudden, and we don’t need a consultant from the East Coast to tell us why.

“It’s going to be a matter of attitude and intensity and these type of things,” Osborne told a sideline radio reporter shortly before kickoff. As he left the field, he paused to pose for a gaggle of camera-wielding fans. The glorious sun made him squint that one-eyed squint we’ve seen a million times. Good to have that squint back.

This whole thing must be killing Bill Callahan. The fourth-year Nebraska head coach hungered to create his own tradition here. He wanted to leave his mark and revitalize his career. At this stage, it’s clear beyond a shadow of a doubt his methods are failing. His team has little-to-no chemistry, painfully few back-alley brawlers and only a couple of big-time playmakers, if that many.

And now Callahan has a legendary former coach roaming the halls. Great for the fans, difficult for Bill.

But this game seemed eminently winnable. This was a chance for Nebraska to show it still had life, still had hope. Still had a chance for an OK season, maybe even a bad bowl game. But Osborne’s good karma wasn’t nearly enough.

Now, you have to fully expect the Huskers to lose out and finish with a 4-8 record. OK, maybe 5-7. Whatever. The inevitability of the end of the Callahan era felt as powerful and imminent late Saturday afternoon as Jorvorskie Lane thundering upfield through arm-tackles.

Now what? Well, you have to wonder if influential Nebraska boosters and administrators will put pressure on Callahan to resign this week, effective at the end of the season. Maybe there’s already such a movement behind the scenes. The idea is for the interim athletic director to get a jump on hiring the next coach.

After all, Bo Pelini figures to get at least a few head coaching offers.

“It’s not just the final score, it’s how you play,” Osborne told those boosters and dignitaries Saturday morning.

Remember that hard edge Nebraska displayed in the 2003 Alamo Bowl when Pelini was interim head coach? Remember the defense’s chemistry that season? Clearly, players respond to Pelini, now the defensive coordinator at Louisiana State. I bring up Pelini not out of the blue. Influential former Huskers already are backing Pelini. Cell phones are buzzing between here and the Bayou as we speak.

Will Osborne listen to his former players? Exactly who’s on the wizard’s coaching radar?

“I’m very supportive of this coaching staff,” Osborne said during the chancellor’s pregame bash. “I’m trying to stay in touch with them every step of the way.”

Indeed, Osborne visited with Callahan in the somber locker room after the game.

Osborne will be fair in his evaluation of Callahan and Company. Osborne said last week the coaching staff is safe until season’s end. Callahan said last week he wouldn’t consider resigning. But maybe somebody will come up with an incentive to resign that he can’t refuse. Trust me, the money’s there.

“I feel sorry for the ballplayers,” said former Nebraska linebacker Steve Damkroger (1979-82), among about 25 ex-Huskers on hand Saturday. “It’s just no fun to get beat. You can kind of hear the crowd’s voices in the background.”

Without the hubbub surrounding Osborne’s presence, Saturday’s game would have felt awfully mundane. This game basically was mediocrity defined. TV stayed away, which explains all those ex-Huskers in the TV area of the press box. Osborne walked into the TV booth at halftime. Hugs and handshakes all around.

“We’re kind of energized by the whole thing,” said Osborne’s wife, Nancy.

Osborne arrived at the city campus union at 10:50 a.m. Saturday in a university police car. He wore a dark-red blazer and outdated 1970s-style sunglasses. He walked past a young couple, and the woman covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

“I’m not coaching anymore, so standing ovations aren’t needed,” he told the boosters and dignitaries at Perlman’s function.

Osborne urged everyone to pull together.

“That would make everybody’s life easier,” he said.

Uniting is probably the least fans could do for the old coach, for his return somehow makes us all feel better.

And his Big Red reclamation project might be harder than he thought.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.