I would like to first of all offer thanks to Oklahoma State’s football team, on behalf of anyone who is now, or has ever been, an OSU football fan.

For Cowboy fans who suffered through 1991’s 0-10-1 debacle, not to mention the long list of losing campaigns the Pokes have stumbled through, 2011 was a dream-come-true season.

OSU’s 44-10 victory over Oklahoma helped make up for many years of frustration suffered at the hands of the Sooners.

It was a season in which the OSU football program, and its fans, seemed to turn a corner. Over the decades, Cowboy fans have been through too many disappointments and too many Poke chokes.

Even the most optimistic OSU fans were plagued by memories of the Pokes taking a 35-14 halftime lead at Texas in 2004, only to lose 56-35. Or of O-State taking a 17-0 halftime lead at Texas A&M in 2007, only to fall behind 24-23. A key defensive stop with just under two minutes left forced a punt that would have given OSU the ball at its own 24, with the Pokes needing just a field goal to win. But a roughing the kicker penalty gave the ball, and the win, to the Aggies.

The Cowboys of yester-season always seemed to find a way to lose — whether it was an onside kick going off Chris Rockins’ face mask, giving OU a chance to boot the game-winning field goal in 1983; Brent Parker dropping a pass in the end zone that would have beaten OU in 1988, or Jerry Cramer trying to run an interception out of the end zone against Colorado in 1976, only to fumble it away and cost OSU a shot at its first outright Big Eight title.

But this season, Cowboy fans began not hoping to win but secretly expecting to lose, but expecting to win and hoping to win big.

It started when OSU fell behind Texas A&M 20-3 at halftime. Fans started making their reservations for the Independence Bowl. But the Cowboys rallied to win 30-29.

The Pokes went on to their first-ever BCS game, and a 41-38 overtime win over Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. OSU also was mentioned in the same breath with the words “national championship” in a sport other than wrestling or golf.

If not for a stunning late-season loss at Iowa State, OSU would have been facing LSU in the BCS national championship game.

But that is history. The question now is, what’s next? OSU has to replace some key players next season, most notably quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon, but has enough talent returning to put it in the Big 12 race next fall.

The school recently locked head coach Mike Gundy up through the 2019 season, with a pay raise that puts him in the realm with other successful coaches,.

Now it is time for Cowboy fans to respond. How about 30,000 to 40,000 of you trooping to Still-water for the spring game? Sure, it’s just a glorified scrimmage, but it’s a chance to get a sneak peak at next fall’s team, and to make a statement about OSU fan support. Only about 7,000 fans showed up last year. In contrast, Alabama drew 91,312, Nebraska 77,396 and Ohio State 65,223.

And how about packing Boone Pickens Stadium for every game next fall? The football team took a step this season among the nation’s elite. Well, the nation’s elite programs sell out their stadiums week after week, year after year. Drawing 58,141 against OU this year isn’t bad, but it is not 60,218, the stadium’s listed capacity. Making OSU tickets as scarce as a Congressman’s conscience would not only help build the program, but perhaps an expanded stadium.

OSU fans expect their Cow-boys to win, and the Cowboys expect their fans to show up and support them.



Mullin is senior writer of the News & Eagle. Email him at jmullin@enidnews.com.