First time at the State Fair of Texas? Here are our tips - ESPN

It's early October, which means Texas and Oklahoma are about to play football at the Cotton Bowl. But the rivalry matchup isn't the only big event going down in Dallas this weekend.

It's also time for the State Fair of Texas.

Of all the hallowed traditions in college football, the intrinsic mingling of Texas-Oklahoma and the 24-day-long fair ranks near the top. Tailgating is the fabric of the sport, but how often can one say they've tailgated in the company of a Ferris wheel, gondolas, an auto show and a 55-foot-tall cowboy?

Of course, football comes first for the thousands making the trek for the Red River Rivalry. But it's simply narrow-minded to not go and get a sampling of the State Fair of Texas' mélange as well.

Not familiar with the state fair bonanza and heading to Dallas for the big game? Fear not. ESPN's college football staff has multiple veterans of the event on hand, whom we polled for their best tips on making the most of one of the sport's most distinctive backdrops.

You've just arrived at the fairgrounds. What's your first stop?

If I'm working… it's a Fletcher's Original Corny Dog. If not, a light beer might never taste better than out of one of the traditional wax cups during a stroll through the fairgrounds before kickoff. There's crimson and burnt orange in every direction; anxiety, tension, anticipation and the crushing smell of fried food hovering in the air. And in your cup, there's an overpriced, questionably poured light beer that tastes like fall and hope. — Eli Lederman

We can't all answer a Corny Dog on all of them, whether it's the right answer or not. But it's also important to strategize on when to get your Big Tex selfie — or better yet, to find a friendly stranger to grab one of you and