Home field advantage

By John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

November 18, 2008 01:33 am

— Saturday’s game against No. 2 Texas Tech will be the biggest game at Owen Field in nearly a decade. It will be nationally televised by ABC and tickets for the sold out game are being coveted like Super Bowl tickets. Scalpers are asking for over $1,000 for some seats.
The fact the game is at home should be a good sign as OU tries keeping its Big 12 and national title hopes alive. The Sooners are 59-2 at home since 1999.
The reasons for the success are varied. Most teams that have been dominant at home credit a raucous intimidating atmosphere. Sooner coach Bob Stoops doesn’t believe that has anything to do with his teams’ success. In fact, he gave a plea to Sooner fans to become more of a factor Saturday night.
“Hopefully our fans will be more active,” Stoops said after Monday’s practice. “I don’t think it’s because of how loud and raucous our fans are. I think that’s fair to say. Hopefully they’ll take a little bigger part in the game this week. Maybe it’s been our focus, but it’s hard to pinpoint why.”
The most obvious is the team wearing crimson has been pretty good over the last 10 years. Opposing conference players certainly believe Owen Field is a tough place to play. The Sooners haven’t lost a Big 12 game at home since 2001. OU’s current group of seniors were barely in high school the last time it happened.
But Texas Tech coach Mike Leach doesn’t put much into the belief that Owen Field is any tougher than any venue in the conference.
“Most of the conference is kind of (tough to play at),” he said Monday. “Everybody is more comfortable at home. I also think noise is always more of a distraction to the other guy.”
Noise is what Stoops is hoping will play a bigger part in the game Saturday. It typically hasn’t in the past.
“Hopefully they’ll chime up,” Stoops added. “ I’ve seen a lot teams come here and not even use silent counts.”