Although the Big 12 conference doesn’t have an official college football title game with only 10 members, the true conference champion will be determined by the winner of this Saturday’s Oklahoma versus Oklahoma State game in Stillwater. If you’re going to the big game on Saturday night, here are five things to look for during your tailgating party, in addition to all the fans dressed as cowboys and cowgirls, surrounding Boone Pickens Stadium.
This is known as the “The Bedlam Series,” this always-intense rivalry has been even better lately with the rise of OSU’s program. Although the OSU Cowboys fans haven’t been a national power before the past few seasons, their fans will put their loyalty and rowdiness up against any school that dares to challenge their love for the orange and black.
1) THE BEDLAM SERIES
Oklahoma has won eight straight meetings with Oklahoma State, but OSU is the better team this year (No. 3 in BCS Standings) with a 10-1 record and the second-most points in the land (49.8 per game).
Oklahoma is no slouch itself at 9-2, placing 10th in the BCS Standings and putting up 43.0 points per game, good for eighth-best in the country. This game features two outstanding quarterbacks, but some say OSU’s Brandon Weeden has an unfair advantage because he’s 28 years old.
2) WALK THE WALK
Oklahoma State’s “The Walk” (a three-block jaunt down Hester Street for the team to travel from the Student Union to Boone Pickens Stadium) used to have an estimated 1,500 people in attendance when it first began in 2001.
But with the recent success of the program, and fans coming out of the woodwork, this pep rally has grown tenfold. The Walk begins at 4:45 p.m. CT, exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. Check out this You Tube clip showing last year’s Walk before the Oklahoma game.
3) BAD BRAD’S
You won’t go hungry in Stillwater with myriad restaurants at affordable prices to choose from. But if it’s authentic BBQ you crave, look no further than Bad Brad’s Bar-B-Q. Located on 3317 East 6th Ave. in Stillwater, roughly seven miles east of Boone Pickens Stadium, this place is absolutely hopping the day before the OSU game and continuing all the way until kickoff.
Many patrons go for the dirty fries (covered with cheese and beef brisket) but you really can’t go wrong with any of the meat — brisket, polish sausage, hot links, bologna, pulled pork and the tenderloin trio of turkey, ham or pork. If you’re getting your food to go on game day, you should call at least two days in advance. The weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
4) COWBOY FANBULANCE
Once you are near the stadium, the coolest vehicle in all the lots is the Cowboy Fanbulance (pictured above). This is owned by a couple of families from Tulsa, and as tremendous as the outside looks, the inside of this converted ambulance (that was converted from a 1989 GMC truck) is even more impressive.
The amenities include two flat-screen TVs with a satellite dish, a home theater sound system, PA system (complete with sirens and working light) and a sweet built-in kegerator with a six-shooter handle. But the greatest feature is the “Next Level” upper deck, where people party on the roof to observe the surrounding festivities. To find the Cowboy Fanbulance, go to the Posse parking lot and look for the OSU flag on top with the skull & crossbones Jolly Roger directly below.
5) FORT SCHOTT
Immediately west of the stadium is where you’ll find “Fort Schott,” a tailgating group that feeds up to 125 people every game. Although many OSU fans are relatively new to the tailgating scene, Val Schott’s group is comprised of absolute tailgating professionals with 15+ years of practice.
Name a food, and it’s been eaten at this tailgating party. Whether it be broiled shrimp, pig-in-the-ground, tenderloins, bratwursts or just the basic burger and dog menu, Val Schott’s gang fires it all up on a world-class cooker. For entertainment, there are a couple of HDTVs mounted on the side of a trailer with seating for 30+ people inside two oversized tents. The tailgating party will begin around 11 a.m. on Saturday and Schott says they are easy to find since it’s “400 square feet of orange.”
