But it was the most ironic.
Exactly what Osborne warned could happen did, and to his own team, no less.
The Big 12 is certainly richer now after selling out the Trans World Dome and collecting on a high-dollar television deal. But the conference also has no chance of winning a national championship.
When Big 12 organizers first raised the possibility of staging a money-making conference championship game between North and South division winners, Osborne's opposition was firm. He talked about added stress and demands on players, whose season in many cases already stretches from August's heat to January's snows.
He also predicted a conference title game could cost the league the national championship because a contender for national honors could get knocked out by a lesser-ranked foe.
Fate picked Osborne's Nebraska to prove his own point. Now, the Huskers won't face No. 1 Florida State in the Sugar Bowl with a shot at a third straight national championship.
Nevertheless, in a somber postgame news conference while jubilant Texas players waited out in the hall for their turn at the microphones, Osborne passed up the opportunity to say "I told you so." He addressed the subject only when asked.
"I think at some point we have to ask a little bit about what's fair for the players," he said. "But in view of the fact that we lost the game and Texas won, I don't think it would be very appropriate for us to complain.
"They outplayed us and deserved to win. And I'm sure (the game) is here to stay."
So are the memories of one of the most exciting afternoons any conference ever experienced. Underdogs by about three touchdowns, the Longhorns rolled up more than 503 yards of offense against Nebraska's proud defense, hitting one big play after another and stopping Nebraska every time they had to.
Texas quarterback James Brown, ridiculed for predicting a three-touchdown victory for the Longhorns, hit 19 of 28 passes for 353 yards in the game of his life.
There could be no more drama than the fourth-and-inches gamble Texas made from its own 28 with 2:38 left. Nebraska coaches didn't think the Longhorns - who were protecting a three-point lead - would even snap the ball. A Longhorn failure would give the Huskers the ball well within field goal range.
Not only did the Longhorns snap the ball, they had Brown roll out to his left and heave a pass to a wide-open Derek Lewis, who went 61 yards to the 11, setting up the game-clinching touchdown on the very next play.
Texas coach John Mackovic said he and his assistants, while studying film, had noticed that Nebraska tended to have everybody rush in to plug gaps in extreme short-yardage plays.
"I told the quarterbacks all week that if we went for it on third or fourth we'd make that call and to not be surprised if (the play) came in," Mackovic said.
But what if it hadn't worked, he was asked?
"There were no consequences," he said. "So we don't have to talk about those."
AP PHOTO
Texas players rejoice after upsetting the mighty Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first-ever Big 12 championship game in St. Louis. The Longhorns will play Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.