OKLAHOMA

[yoteforever]

Sept 8, 2019 10:17:46 GMT -6 tigger1 said:

Sooner Fan here. We hope the fans from South Dakota had a good time in Norman. I'm sure the outcome was not fun, but we hope that you were treated well by our fans and townies. We enjoy showing people our beautiful campus and always try to treat visitors with respect (well except for OSU and Texas of course) :-). I always feel these games are so unfair to the teams who come to play our Sooners, it is an uneven playing field for sure. I graduated from Illinois State, a school much like South Dakota, I can't imagine us playing a team like OU. We have been in Norman almost 20 years now, we love it, we especially love game days, so much energy!

Once again, thank you for coming to Norman we hope the rest of your season is a success!

PS We loved your band too!!!!

Tigger,

Congrats on the win. Just overall team speed is the difference. OU is extremely talented. We tailgated 2 blocks north east of the stadium at Boyd and Jenkins. Shared a lot with Sooner fans. The BIG RED BUS made its appearance and shined in all its glory. Many Sooner fans said that we brought the best setup they’ve seen. Had a lot of fun. The fans were respectful and obviously proud of OU.

Great people. Look forward someday to a repeat performance. Good luck

[yotefbfan]

Does anyone know if there is a way to re-watch this game? It is great to see it live, but considering our seats, it was difficult to view everything. I always enjoy re-watching games just to getter a better idea of how we played.

[yoteforever]

Sept 9, 2019 5:50:15 GMT -6 yotefbfan said:

Does anyone know if there is a way to re-watch this game? It is great to see it live, but considering our seats, it was difficult to view everything. I always enjoy re-watching games just to getter a better idea of how we played.

So I have a question for everyone at the game and it was yotefbfan’s post that triggered it. My wife and I had this discussion on the way home. Actually 2 questions.

1.) Would you prefer to be a part of a big time program like Oklahoma and sit in a stadium where you’re a fair distance from the action, but pay hundreds if not thousands more for a season ticket OR back USD and sit in the Dome and have a controlled climate?

2.) Would it be more satisfying to you to cheer on a Power 5 school and be part of thousands or hundreds of thousands fan base, or a school like USD where you know a ton of people and can tailgate before the games in a far more intimate scene?

We sat in a club section in south end zone and really couldn’t see squat. Hard to follow the game.

The tailgate outside was fun but dang near 100 degrees.

I’m curious to everyone’s thoughts.

[coffeedrinker]

We answered that a long time ago with the Huskers. Gave up going to Husker games. Better to watch them on TV have our own watch-party if we want. Going to the Dome you have friends and family as well as easier to get to from distance, parking, etc. It will be nice to have the other side open up though.

[Yote 53]

A few years after I graduated USD I went to a game at Iowa where my brother was going to school and sat in the student section with him for a game against Michigan. It was an absolute blast and a great experience. At that time USD had zero gameday atmosphere and nobody tailgated, so going to Iowa City and participating in one of the best gameday atmospheres in the country was quite the change. This was back in the peak heydays of the tailgate scene at Iowa with the Magic Bus, Olive Court, and Melrose just being absolutely crazy. I used to go to 1 or 2 Iowa games a year but haven't been back since the Bo Pelini game on Black Friday a few years ago. The funny thing is, you mention intimacy and knowing people, when I first started going to Iowa games back then, just because the Iowa scene was big it didn't mean you didn't know anybody. I could walk Melrose and run into multiple groups tailgating of people I knew from Sioux City or NW Iowa that I didn't even know were going to be there. This was back in the days pre-social media and smart phones, so people weren't as connected, so it wasn't like it was planned out.

Nowadays, with the gameday scene at USD and the level of competition that the Coyotes compete at, I think you get the best of both worlds. A fun, festive day in an intimate setting to watch some really, really good college football with some players on the field that will probably be playing in the NFL someday. It's also much more affordable and a lot less hassle to get in and out of Vermillion and not dealing with crowds of 70,000 to 100,00. Interesting topic as I just got off the phone with my brother and he plans on coming up to the Dome this weekend to check it out. I think the last time he was at a game was when he was in grade school almost 25 years ago. A lot has changed in that time.

Most USD fans I know are dual fans that are USD fans and then they also follow a P5 school, mostly Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, or Notre Dame. So to answer your question, I think most Coyote fans do both.

Here is an example of something that separates USD and other FCS schools our size from the big time P5 schools as far as fan experience goes. Back when I would take my oldest to USD games, he and his friends would chase Charlie around the concourse and try to pull his tail. They could go down on the field after the game and have their own pick up game, play with Charlie, and meet the players. The first Iowa game I took him to (about age 5) he could not understand why he couldn't go down on the field after the game, why he couldn't go meet Herky, and why he couldn't go meet the players. USD offers a much more accessible and intimate atmosphere than the big time P5 schools.

[gorabbits]

I graduated from Missouri, a Big 8 school, which transitioned to Big 12 and now is in the SEC. I'm obviously a Jacks fan now, but still follow Mizzou at some level and went back to Columbia a few years back when SDSU played there. In answer to your question as to which type of environment I prefer. I feel closer to the team/school and less of a member of the hurd in an SDSU environment than in a Mizzou type environment. Also i personally prefer college sports to pro-sports where the business model and the egos can overshadow the athletic competition. The big schools approach that the same big dollar/ego characteristcs that the pros have. About 3/4 of the time I prefer the back to nature/natural environment of the outdoor stadium over the controlled climate setting. But most of all I want the program that has a legitimate shot at a .500 season every year and a league or national championship run every two to three years. (I'm not a fair weather fan, I attended every SDSU men's home basketball game back in the first few years of the transition when they struggled to win a fourth of their games.) So over all I would pick SDSU over Mizzou or Minnesota or Iowa or Nebraska. I would have to think again however when comparing to Oklahoma where they are perennially national championship competitive.

PS: There has been a recent poll of Summit league coaches on the best coaching position in the Summit League that kind of relates to this topic. I will post a link in the men's basketball forum. Neither of our schools came out on top.

[elcoyote]

I've always been a fan of Nebraska, but before moving there I had never been to a game in Lincoln. The first time was unreal...so many people, huge tailgates, basically sensory overload and I loved every minute of it. After that first time I always looked forward to going, but dealing with the crowds, parking and so on really got to be somewhat of a chore after the initial thrill wore off. Always tailgated there too, but it was always the same spot with people from my town who I saw all the time anyway. Seemed like every town in Nebraska had their turf staked out. I never turned down tickets, but I came to realize that it was just as much fun at home in our small town sport's bar with all your friends, a themed buffet to chow down on, and a big screen TV, not to mention the hundreds of dollars I still had in my pocket. I could only attend late season games and there were a few times where I froze my ass off. Not a fan of that at all and especially not now at my age. Weather would keep me from attending a game these days, especially if it was on TV, and I'm probably as hard core a fan as you'll find. I'll take USD and the like where everything is much more intimate and personal. Games are almost like family reunions, everything isn't so corporate and a fan and donor, no matter how big or small, can feel like they matter. I imagine it's a preference same as a person choosing to live in Los Angeles, New York, or even Minneapolis or Denver, or in South Dakota. Given the recent article in the Argus about the "brain drain" in our state, it seems many of our younger people are voting with their feet. Am I wrong in thinking that fans of USD, SDSU and the rest are in the minority?

[easmus]

Sept 9, 2019 5:50:15 GMT -6 yotefbfan said:

Does anyone know if there is a way to re-watch this game? It is great to see it live, but considering our seats, it was difficult to view everything. I always enjoy re-watching games just to getter a better idea of how we played.

I think it might be on YouTube.

[yotefbfan]

Sept 9, 2019 14:53:58 GMT -6 easmus said:

Sept 9, 2019 5:50:15 GMT -6 yotefbfan said:

Does anyone know if there is a way to re-watch this game? It is great to see it live, but considering our seats, it was difficult to view everything. I always enjoy re-watching games just to getter a better idea of how we played.

I think it might be on YouTube.

Thanks I found it there: Oklahoma vs USD

[Yotes]

There was a time when I lived and died with Nebraska, but that fell by the wayside at the end of my college career as USD transitioned to the MVFC and I found myself having way more fun at the Dome. It's affordable, intimate, convenient, and still excellent football. My gameday experience in Norman was very similar to the ones I had in Lincoln. Fun, but damned expensive and you can't dream of doing anything else that day.

Still, I think you would have to be in a unique spot to ever adopt FCS football like those on this board have. If you are in places like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, most of Missouri, etc. there aren't even FCS options. You would have to go to D2 for your intimate experience and it's likely going to have a high school feel to it. No tailgating, no TV, no crowd.

Then if fans do find themselves in a market with an FCS school, it's unlikely for a casual fan to ever adopt them. All they see or hear about is the big pond. I feel like it would be a very hard sell to get someone from Des Moines to Cedar Falls when all they ever see/hear about is Big 10/12 football. A casual fan would likely scoff at the idea of going to the UNI Dome, even if what the fans on this board have come to love is waiting for them because that stadium is a fraction of the size of Iowa/Iowa State. That's a big deal in some people's minds. Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd, and there are bigger ones nearby.

And one more factor to consider is that Oklahoma is viewed as the pro team in a state that doesn't have one. Dallas isn't far, but they don't wear Oklahoma on their jerseys. Rooting your state on is a big point of pride and these fans wouldn't get that if they went up the road and cheered for Tulsa.

[sdyotefan]

Everyone knows Oklahoma is very good and last week they beat UCLA 55-16 and today beat Texas Tech 48-14. I believe they'll continue to climb from #6 in the polls as the season progresses.

[yoteforever]

Now we can assess the damages. Here’s how I see our start. Not what we hoped for but in all candor a 2-2 start was more likely than 3-1. Although we all feel we should’ve beat Houston Baptist it’s now not so inconceivable that they beat us. Yesterday they put up 68 points and had 498 yards passing. Montana pi$$ pounded Cal-Davis at their home and I think they were ranked 6th in the country. My guess is we are seeing the evolution of the Montana of old, and they will win the Big Sky. Them or Weber State ( who pounded UNI last night ). Oklahoma is destroying power 5 teams like they did us. In fact we looked better than Texas Tech did yesterday. Even Northern Colorado beat idaho yesterday.

Here’s my take. If we have the talent on the field that can compete, our schedule is super set up for us to succeed. We start by hosting a good Indiana State team for Dakota Days. Then we travel to a MVFC weak Missouri State team. Then we go on the road to what I have always said is an average at best UNI team. Then home to a below average Southern Illinois team then on the road to a down Western Illinois team. All 5 of those games are winnable. I’m not saying we will, but they are. Then we come home to a much improved Youngstown State team but it’s at home. Then NDSU on the road with the last game against SDSU.

Anyway you cut and dry it, it’s a favorable schedule. Now it’s up to this team to begin with the ONE GAME AT A TIME.....OGAAT. If we have the guys to compete we are alive. If we don’t, then mediocrity is what and who we are. Personally I think we’re better than that. I see us making a run.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. OGAAT