TULSA WORLD HOMEPAGE | Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | WIRELESS
CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBER SERVICES | SIGN IN SIGN OUT | MY PROFILE PAGE | MY ACCOUNT

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Sports Extra!
Follow us on ...
OU | OSU | TU | ORU | HIGH SCHOOLS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NFL | FANTASY | OUTDOORS | GOLF | PROS | ALL




SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS
    Sports Editor
Mike Strain
Sports Columnist
Dave Sittler
The Picker
Entertaining & Infuriating

LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

TULSA WORLD

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA



Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

What a long, strange trip for the Pokes

 
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
Published: 11/8/2008  2:11 AM
Last Modified: 11/8/2008  2:31 AM

 The Grateful Dead rock band undoubtedly would appreciate the two-game road test dead ahead for Oklahoma State's football team.

Any time a journey starts off at the home of a masked man and ends up where one of the hosts is a female buffalo named Ralphie, the itinerary fits the band's famous lyric, "what a long, strange trip it's been."

The Cowboys could feel that way at the end of a trail that starts Saturday on the plains of northwestern Texas, and forges on a week later to a Colorado destination at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

What transpires in those games in Lubbock, Texas, and Boulder, Colo., will help define the chances of No. 8 OSU (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) transforming an already special season into one for the ages.

No. 2 Texas Tech (9-0, 5-0) and Colorado (4-5, 1-4) stand between OSU and what could be a high-stakes contest on Nov. 29 against No. 6 Oklahoma (8-1, 4-1). Big 12 and national title ramifications could be on the line in that Bedlam Series showdown.

OSU's next two opponents are worthy. But it is the venues and the home-field advantage they create that could make these business trips seem as long and strange as any the Pokes take this season.

You won't find Jones Stadium in Lubbock or Folsom Field in Boulder on any Top 10 list of the toughest stadiums for visitors to play the college game. But that's only because those making up the lists get blinded by the glitzy, big-name facilities that seat anywhere from 85,000 to more than 100,000, and they fail to see how the cozy confines at places like Tech and CU can turn into snake pits for the opponent.

If you watched thousands of crazed fans flood the Jones Stadium field after the Red Raiders' last-second victory last Saturday over then-No. 1 Texas, you have some idea of what awaits OSU at 7 p.m., inside a 52,882-seat stadium that will have a standing-room only crowd of 56,333.

The Masked Rider, Tech's mascot, rides a horse as he leads the Red Raiders on the field. They're cheered on by the fanatics who get primed for night games by consuming adult beverages at daylong tailgate parties and like to throw tortillas and vulgar comments at the opponent.

The proximity of the seats to the field can have an intimidating effect on the visitors.

"When there is a night game, it's absolutely nuts," Tech radio play-by-play announcer Brian Jensen told the Houston Chronicle. "The aura of a night game is different. It feels like (the crowd) is right on top of you."

Those rabid Tech supporters apparently also have the power to influence officials. OU coaches and players can attest that not even instant replay can always persuade skittish game officials to overturn some of the most obviously blown calls.

"It's a very hostile environment," Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller told the Chronicle. "And the crowd is a big factor."

A week later, OSU will enter a CU stadium that is configured much like the one at Tech. The horseshoe-shaped facility also was built with the idea of placing the spectators as close to the action as possible.

CU officials also like to work on the minds of their opponents by reminding them of the thin-air factor created because Folsom Field and its 53,750 seats are situated at an elevation of 5,360 feet, the third highest in major college football.

But it is that chick named Ralphie who can scare the bejesus out of opposing players before the game even starts. The 1,500 pound female buffalo, who runs 25 mph as it leads the team onto the field before both halves, has been known to get away from its handlers and charge at anyone within range of its massive head and horns.

CU may have hit a rough patch, losing five of its past six, but its claustrophobic stadium, thousands of intoxicated fans and a ferocious mascot give the home team an emotional advantage that's equal to almost any stadium in the country.

"You never know what's going to happen in (road) games," OSU coach Mike Gundy said this week. "Nobody does."

Anyone who has been to Jones Stadium or Folsom Field has a pretty good idea of some things that will happen. And if OSU finds a way to return home 2-0 from this long, strange road trip, the Cowboys will have good reason to feel grateful their title hopes aren't dead.
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark


COMMENTS 
      Add your comment Show: Most Recent Comment First

2 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
Report Comment Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/8/2008 7:20:46 AM)
T Tech is truly the craziest place I have ever seen a football game. Every home game is like Halloween.
Report Comment
colin1497, Shawnee (11/8/2008 1:36:04 PM)
I believe the quote I heard on the radio this week as that Tech wasn't the loudest place to play but it was the most obnoxious, with constant strings of F bombs coming from the fans right behind the bench. Apparently it was particularly ugly with racial slurs when Simmons was our coach.
 

 
Add Your Comment 
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.

 
Post Your Comment
 



Home | About Tulsa World | Advertise With Us | Privacy | Usage Agreement | FAQ and Help | Contact Us | Today's Headlines
Copyright © 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.