Orange & Black Weekend

On Saturday afternoon my wife and I sat and watched the second half of Oklahoma State's comeback win over Nebraska. Early in the game things didn't look good, it looked like another long day, but after some early mistakes the Cowboys got their stuff together and came to life. At halftime OSU trailed just 23-20. A little historical context, OSU had only beaten Nebraska 3 times since WWII (literally), the last of which was in 2002 (a cold, wet day in Stillwater that I was glad to see first hand).

Right at the end of halftime each school got to run their commercial - you know the one that seems to be part of the broadcast deal where you see shots of the campus in spring or fall (depending on what the producers are going for) and usually the university president or a group of students tell you why you should choose their school. But unlike the others that OSU has done in the past - which were as good as any others I'd seen - onto my old-school 27" JVC pops Garth Brooks sporting a black felt hat and orange OSU pullover. Garth, an OSU alumni an apparently now a parent of a current student, who got his start in the bars of Stillwater, proceeded to give his plug for OSU. This was the first time I had seen Garth publicly push OSU. I'm told that the athletic department mishandled a million dollar donation he made years ago and since he had distanced himself from the University. Garth told of his experience as a student, all the positive aspects of O-State. He even threw in one of those knowing comments, "Parents, there's no better place you can send your kids. Students, you'll never have more fun in your life (wink)."

Shortly after the Garth commercial the sideline reporter interviewed Barry Sanders (OSU and NFL great, Heisman trophy winner, etc.) who had good things to say about the direction of the OSU football program. A few minutes later the sideline reporter interviewed T. Boone Pickens. That one might be less familiar than Garth or Barry. Boone is an alumni, he's the one that last year gave $165 million (yes, you read that right) to OSU athletics. If you read about it, by the time they use it all, it will be a much higher total because of earnings during the interim. Boone gave his thoughts - specifically that OSU would soon be among the elite Big 12 programs, football and otherwise. He even threw in there that, "the others know we're coming."

Meanwhile the current OSU football squad who have had trouble closing games late - giving up leads late against K-State and A&M - had pushed ahead of Nebraska and the previously porous defense started to play like they wanted to win. As the second half wore on the Pokes kept looking better. When it was over, OSU picked up a 41-29 win over the Huskers. It was one of those wins that felt like it might be a signal of things to come. It is clear that all the stops have been pulled out to help the program turn the corner - Garth on TV, Barry in the house, and the deepest pockets in NCAA history (quit hissing, you're just jealous). OSU has 4 games remaining, one win makes them bowl eligible, 2 would signal some serious growth for a program that has struggled to break out of the pack in the brutally tough Big 12 south. Now of course only Baylor looks like a game OSU would be favored in - a trip to Austin is tough, Texas Tech always gives OSU fits, and then of course there's Bedlam.

Whatever the outcome, I'm proud of my alma mater. Whether you agree with such a large gift to the athletic department or not, you've got to admit someone at the University is determined to raise the profile of OSU. They're putting the pieces in place to recruit with the best schools in the nation and eventually to beat the best schools in the nation. I know that some of the faculty don't agree with so much money being given to athletics, but they're short sighted. What they fail to recognize is that better athletics brings more money from bowl games, TV coverage, etc. and more students all of which funnel money to academics. I would agrue that Boone might actually be doing more for OSU the University long-term than if he'd just given the $165 million to the GUF (General University Fund). Leave it to an oil tycoon to figure out a way to invest in something he cares about in a way that will likely pay big dividends for the University as a whole for years, if not decades, to come.

So if anyone is reading this, here's some advice, start learning the "waving song", the alma mater, the fight song, and the OSU version of Oklahoma (the song) because the football program is serving notice. And let's be honest, everyone should be in favor of a better OSU football program, because unlike the school down in Norman our band knows more than one song - i.e. it's a lot less annoying to watch OSU on TV because it's not the same 4 notes every 35 seconds.