College Football Week 11: An ode to Boone Pickens Stadium

I introduced you a couple of weeks ago to Carl Pagnia, who is traveling America in an RV, going to college football games. Here’s the latest dispatch from Carl.

“An update from the State College (Penn State) game vs. Ohio State. Tailgating was the best yet in the RV. Both Ohio State and PSU fans invited me pre- and post-game.

I mentioned that PSU did not have the same enthusiasm as the Iowa game. Well, was I right. It just was not there. Coaches, players, students and fans. Pep rally was great again with JoePa — he kept asking “What is a Buckeye? What is a Buckeye?”

At the game, only the student section stood. The rest of the sections sat. I had great seats on the 50-yard-line for $236 eBay tickets (that’s when both were undefeated). Well, the game was really no contest. Ohio State was clearly the better team. Terrelle Pryor lea his team to victory. He kept within the game plan and did what he can do well  —  run.

All week, Joe and the captains said no mistakes, no turnovers, win this game. Well, they were too conservative and never opened it up. Fans booed Galen Hall’s very conservative play-calling. Overall, very disappointing. Students called a whiteout, and no one else wore white in the crowd.

Many generations attend Penn State; you see many parents and some grandparents attending together. A real family affair. It was especially touching to see just fathers attend with their daughters. Don’t remember seeing that at any other game. Also, there was no booing between schools like OU vs. UT.

Boone Pickens Stadium glows in the night before the college football game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Texas Tech University (TT) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

Now, on to Stillwater by way of Dayton, Ohio, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright Brothers history. Awesome. Then the Truman Library in Independence, Mo. It was great, but I spent too much time there and got to Lawrence, Kan., and KU after 5 p.m. and had to stay overnight to catch their Hall of Fame. Well, it was worth it. Awesome! Best yet for all sports, especially obviously basketball but also track and field and seeing KU football players of my era. Gale Sayers, David Jaynes, John Riggins, Nolan Cromwell. The basketball with Wilt, those teams I remember from the 60′s and 70′s (no championships but many All-Americans). Then those forgotten track stars, Jim Ryun and Billy Mills, etc. This was before Oregon became big track school. The best part was it was free!

Another observation that hit me was the facilities. All the schools I visited had GREAT training, practice, offices facilities, etc! That is why they were and are all top football schools. Now I cannot really say which were the best or greatest. What differentiates these school are the recruiting. That’s it. Penn State and OU and KU and Texas Tech and Ohio State and Michigan really stick out, but it is the recruiting by these coaches that makes the difference since training facilities and venues are all so great.

I got to Stillwater last Thursday. And Oklahoma State is no different. Tailgating is free with RV. I was able to get in on Thursday and leave Sunday and will return Wednesday night and depart Friday night. Awesome. Again, Tech and OSU fans were great, especially Tech was loud because I was sitting right by them.

Now I must say I must have saved the best venue  for last, because, Boone Pickens Stadium is the absolute best stadium attended. It was by no means the largest. But the box seats go all around the upper deck, plus the athletic offices overlook the east end like no other. Penn State and OU have breaks in upper stadium seats and Michigan will have  nowhere the box and suite seats like the others. Oklahoma State had tradition and a whole day of  festivities planned. The students were probably the nicest, most laidback and polite I have come across, but all have been great.

Stillwater itself is better than expected  —  great people, many restaurants, most only so-so, etc. I don’t think the student population and city itself will be enough to have many sellouts.

The game was everything as expected except less scoring. Zac Robinson was very good in second half and let’s hope he is well enough to play vs. Colorado. It was undecided until the very end. OSU’s defense has come a long way over the years. Many credit Bill Young.

So far have checked out the Wrestling Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe House in Yale and Pawnee. Very tired. I am a BIG college wrestling fan since the ‘60s and Dan Gable. The Hall of Fame was indescribable. Lee Roy Smith has done an incredible job! The memorabilia they have! I’m over-staying my plans because OSU has a match Friday night vs. Arizona. To attend a match at Iba-Gallagher, next to Iowa the temple of college wrestling, I’m awestruck. Can’t wait to go thru the Cowboys Hall of Fame (Heritage Hall).

So, best overall venue and excitement – surprise, the OSU Cowboys. The mascots were the best. Pistol Pete and Bullet with the Spirit Rider and the girls Spirit Squad were the best!”

TEN BIGGEST LOSERS OF THE WEEK

10. Texas A&M: Six years ago, the Aggies lost 77-0 at OU and didn’t even put up a fight. But Saturday, A&M lost almost as badly (65-10) to a Sooner team with four losses. The rebuilding is going slowly in College Station.

9. South Dakota State: In 2007, North Dakota State went to Minnesota and stunned the Gophers 27-21. Another I-AA Dakota team had the same chance Saturday. But South Dakota State’s Peter Reifenrath missed a 25-yard field goal that would have broken a third-quarter tie, then Minnesota’s Eric Ellestad kicked one from the same distance to give the Gophers a 16-13 victory.

8. Zac Robinson: The Oklahoma State quarterback played a whale of a game against Texas Tech, then led with his head on what could have been a game-sealing scramble in the final two minutes. OSU won 24-17, but Robinson suffered what surely is a concussion and might be out for Senior Night against Colorado on Thursday.

7. Dick Tomey: The San Jose State coach has had a great career; with 182 wins at Hawaii, Arizona and San Jose State. But the Spartans lost 24-9 at Utah State to fall to 1-8, and Tomey announced this would be his final season.

6. Tulsa: On Oct. 14, the Golden Hurricane was 4-1, with only a loss to Oklahoma, and was playing the pants off Boise State. TU lost that night 28-21 and hasn’t won since. Three straight home defeats, the last a 44-17 setback to East Carolina, has TU 4-6 and virtually out of the bowl picture.

5. Saturday football: The Mid-American Conference staged six league games last week. Only one was on Saturday. Ohio-Buffalo was on Tuesday, Toledo-Central Michigan on Wednesday, Bowling Green-Miami and Ball State-Northern Illinois on Thursday and Temple-Akron on Friday. Only the Western Michigan-Eastern Michigan game was played on Saturday. I love off-Saturday football as much as the next guy, but this seems a little ridiculous. Oh well. At least students can go home for the weekend without missing the ballgame.

4. Mark Mangino: The Kansas coach is on the hot seat not for results but for a variety of crimes that generally come down to his athletic director, Lew Perkins, preferring someone else. Now even the results are going south. KU lost 31-17 to Nebraska, despite a 17-16 fourth-quarter lead, and has lost five in a row to fall to 5-5. With games at Texas and against Missouri in Arrowhead Stadium, the Jayhawks might not become bowl eligible, and soon Mangino might not have a job.

3. Nick Foles: The Arizona quarterback drove his team into position to beat California, after the Bears took an 18-16 lead. Arizona faced 3rd-and-3 on the Cal 25-yard line when Foles’ pass was batted by Cal lineman Tyson Alualu. Foles caught his own pass, instead of letting to fall to the ground, and then tried to throw again. A penalty was called for illegal forward pass, putting ‘Zona back at the Cal 39, out of field goal range. A fourth-down fell incomplete, and Cal took over with less than two minutes left. The Bears won 24-16.

2. Mike Sanford: UNLV lost 45-17 at Air Force, then the school fired its coach. Sanford is 15-43 in five years at UNLV, a school where a guy ought to be able to win on occasion. But the Rebels have only three winning seasons in the last 23 years.

1. Big East replay: Cincinnati’s Isaih Pead fumbled while trying to dive over the pile for a second-quarter touchdown against West Virginia. Officials ruled it West Virginia’s ball. Replays overturned the call and gave Cincinnati the touchdown, shocking ESPN announcers, who correctly pointed out Pead seemed to be losing the ball before he crossed the goal line. Replay is not suppose to take guesses. It’s suppose to reverse obviously incorrect calls. That didn’t happen here. Cincinnati won 24-21.

STOOPS: BOWLS NOT IMPORTANT?

An Oklahoma-Arizona bowl game, matching the Brothers Stoops, is not out of the question. If both teams finish strong, they could meet in the Holiday Bowl. If both stumble, they could meet in the Sun Bowl.

Bob Stoops was saying the other day that he preferred not to play Mike’s Wildcats but it wouldn’t be a big deal.

“Wouldn’t matter,” Stoops said. “We’d go play Arizona. What’s to hate about it?”

Well, in the past, Stoops has said he doesn’t want to play friends. Has no interest, for example, in a non-conference game with Iowa (Kirk Ferentz) or South Carolina (Steve Spurrier) or anyone coached by a good friend.

But Stoops said, “Once the season’s over, in a bowl game, someone’s got to win.”

Stoops said he always used to win in their Youngstown backyard  —  “older brother always wins”  —  but once Mike “matured and got to Iowa, he was too big for me. I quit messin’ with him.”

To make the Holiday Bowl, OU probably has to win out, which could happen, then not get selected for the Cotton Bowl, which probably would happen. If Arizona wins out, the Wildcats are going to the Rose Bowl. But they finish with Oregon, Arizona State and Southern Cal. Frankly, the Pac-10 is too muddled to adequately describe.

Safe to say this. A 6-6 OU could play a 7-5 Arizona (the ‘Cats are 6-3 right now) in El Paso’s Sun Bowl.

“In the end, both of us would prefer not to,” Bob Stoops said. “That’s fair to say. But it would make it easy on my mom to see both of us.”

But let’s look a little closer at what Stoops really said. In the regular season, he wants no part of a game against someone he really cares about. But a bowl game, no big deal.

Doesn’t that indicate that a bowl game is less important? Doesn’t that indicate that a bowl game  —  which you would think should carry at least the weight of a regular-season, if not more  — is almost exhibition-like?

I don’t believe that about bowls. I think they’re important. I think in a sport where many teams run from real competition, bowls are one of the few elements we have to find out the real power of teams.

But Bob Stoops apparently thinks otherwise.

BOWL PROJECTIONS

New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 19, Albuquerque, N.M.

Air Force vs. Nevada

St. Pete Bowl, Dec. 19, St. Petersburg, Fla.

South Florida vs. Central Florida

New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 20, New Orleans

UAB vs. Troy

Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22, Las Vegas

Utah vs. California

Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 23, San Diego

BYU vs. Arizona

Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24, Honolulu

SMU vs. Fresno State

Emerald Bowl, Dec. 26, San Francisco

Florida State vs. Oregon State

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26, Detroit

Middle Tennessee vs. Ohio

Meineke Bowl, Dec. 26, Charlotte, N.C.

Boston College vs. Pittsburgh

Music City Bowl, Dec. 27, Nashville, Tenn.

North Carolina vs. Kentucky

Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La.

Iowa State vs. Auburn

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29, Orlando, Fla.

Clemson vs. Minnesota

EagleBank Bowl, Dec. 30, Washington, D.C.

Duke vs. East Carolina

Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30, San Diego

Nebraska vs. Southern Cal

Humanitarian Bowl, Dec. 30, Boise, Idaho

Bowling Green vs. Idaho

Texas Bowl, Dec. 30, Houston

Texas A&M vs. Navy

Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 30, Fort Worth, Texas

Wyoming vs. Southern Miss

Sun Bowl, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas

Texas Tech vs. Oregon

Insight Bowl, Dec. 31, Tempe, Ariz.

Northwestern vs. Missouri

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta

Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, Tampa, Fla.

Wisconsin vs. Georgia

Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, Orlando, Fla.

Iowa vs. Ole Miss

Gator Bowl, Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Fla.

Miami vs. Notre Dame

Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.

Stanford vs. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, New Orleans

Florida vs. Boise State

Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas

LSU vs. Oklahoma State

Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn.

Houston vs. Arkansas

International Bowl, Jan. 2, Toronto

West Virginia vs. Temple

PapaJohns.com Bowl, Jan. 2, Birmingham, Ala.

Rutgers vs. Tennessee

Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, San Antonio

Michigan State vs. Oklahoma

Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 4, Glendale, Ariz.

TCU vs. Cincinnati

Orange Bowl, Jan. 5, Miami Gardens, Fla.

Georgia Tech vs. Penn State

GMAC Bowl, Jan. 6, Mobile, Ala.

Louisiana-Monroe vs. Central Michigan

Big Bowl, Jan. 7, Pasadena, Calif.

Texas vs. Alabama

TEN BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE WEEK

10. Missouri: Two-time defending Big 12 North champs, the Tigers looked in the toilet after a 40-32 home loss to Baylor on Nov. 7. But Mizzou routed Kansas State 38-12 in Manhattan, and with games against Iowa State and Kansas remaining, Missouri can finish 8-4 and claim one of the Big 12’s decent bowl slots.

9. Butch Davis: After blowing a big lead against Florida State on Oct. 22, the Tar Heels were 0-3 in the ACC. But after a 33-24 victory over Miami, UNC has won three straight and stands 7-3 overall, and Davis’ rebuilding job in Chapel Hill seems on course.

8. Paul Rhoads: Iowa State’s first-year coach has proven to be a big improvement over Gene Chizik, who bolted for the Auburn job. The Cyclones beat Colorado 17-10 to become bowl eligible at 6-5, and here’s the kicker. Iowa State came perilously close to two more wins, losing tight games to Kansas State and Kansas.

7. Dave Wannstedt: The Pitt coach never had been warmly received by his hometown team, but that has to be changing after a 27-22 victory over Notre Dame. Wannstedt was 25-23 in his first four years at Pitt, but the Panthers now are 9-1 for the first time since 1982, Dan Marino’s senior season. Pitt plays Cincinnati on Dec. 5 for the Big East title.

6. Rice: Coming off their second bowl trip in three years, the Owls have gone splat this season, losing their first nine games. But Rice will avoid its first winless season since 1988, after a 28-20 victory over Tulane.

5. Colt McCoy: The Texas quarterback isn’t having the season he had in 2008, when he was the Heisman runnerup, but McCoy remains in Heisman contention, for good reason. Texas beat Baylor 47-14 to give McCoy his 42nd victory as a starting quarterback, tying the NCAA record held by Georgia’s David Greene. McCoy is 42-7 and can break the record Saturday against Kansas.

4. Dexter McCluster: The Ole Miss tailback won’t win the Heisman and might not make all-American. But McCluster removed all doubt that he’s the funnest player in college football. Flying and diving and twisting and turning all over the field, the 170-pound dervish set Ole Miss records of 282 rushing yards and 324 all-purpose yards in a 42-17 rout of Tennessee.

3. Jim Harbaugh: The Stanford coach is 16-18 overall, but two of those victories have come in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Stanford shocked USC there two years ago and did the same Saturday, 55-21, handing the Trojans the most points ever scored against them. Harbaugh, who came into the Pac-10 three years ago talking big, backed up the talk. Leading 48-21 in the fourth quarter, he went for a 2-point conversion to reach 50. Stanford was stopped but scored another touchdown anyway and remains in the hunt for the Rose Bowl. Barring a miracle, USC does not.

2. Big Ten bowls: Ohio State is going to the Rose Bowl, and that’s a big deal for the Buckeyes and for Pasadena. Believe it or not, Ohio State hasn’t played in the Rose Bowl since the 1996 season. The Buckeyes have been in three of the last seven national-title games but none of them in the Rose Bowl. And the Big Ten’s lesser bowls are looking better. The Capital One and Outback are assured of quality teams, almost surely Iowa and Wisconsin, since Penn State is likely to get an Orange Bowl berth. But Saturday, Northwestern beat Illinois to at least get to seven wins and Michigan State rallied to beat Purdue and get to six, giving bowls like the Alamo and the Insight a little more options.

1. SMU: The Mustangs haven’t been to a bowl since the 1984 Aloha, three years before the death penalty sent the SMU campus void of football for the 1987-88 seasons. The Mustangs have had just one winning season in their 20 years back in business, a 6-5 record under Mike Cavan in 1997. But Saturday at SMU’s Ford Stadium, Emmanuel Sanders caught a 37-yard TD pass from Kyle Padron with 4:34 left to give the Mustangs 35-31 victory over UTEP. Coupled with Central Florida’s 37-32 upset of Houston, SMU now leads Conference USA’s Western Division. If SMU, 6-4, can beat Marshall and Tulane, the Mustangs are headed for the Liberty Bowl in June Jones’ second season as coach.

REALITY RANKINGS

Ranking based not on what we think teams will do, but what they have done:

1. Florida

2. Alabama

3. Georgia Tech

4. Cincinnati

5. Texas

6. TCU

7. Boise State

8. Iowa

9. Stanford

10. Pittsburgh

-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Powered by Wordpress | WP Premium theme by WP Remix
Copyright 2007. Berry Tramel's Blog. All rights reserved

• Home
• RSS Feed
• Berry Tramel’s Website | NewsOK
• Contact Berry
• Berry on Facebook
• Berry’s Bio
• Sports | NewsOK