They haven't had that OU section opposite the tunnel for the last several years. I have no idea how they are making up the difference in the number of tickets given to UT and OU, but the red in the middle of the UT side used to be clearly noticeable but it's not there anymore.
As for the fair and Cotton Bowl experience, it's a crowded clusterfuck but if you know what you are doing you can mitigate it to some degree. The heat just makes everything worse. Gate A is an absolute shitshow, but we entered the "line" at 1:30 and got in just before 2, about thirty minutes. It obviously grew in that time so after that it's at least 45 minutes probably and you don't feel like you are moving. Yes they should get rid of the picnic tables blocking everything up but the real constraint is the ticket scanners. Also if more people realized you can enter at any of the stadium gates. I wanted to avoid Gate A, but my buddy just wanted to experience the mass of humanity so we dealt with it.
Concession sales in the stadium are shit, I got lucky with a vendor just loading up his cooler and the lined hadn't formed yet.
Coupon lines in the far end of the Midway (SE side) are much more manageable than the 75-100 deep lines on the Big Tex side of the fairgrounds. Spend time in the Auto Show and use buildings when you can to navigate around and avoid the most densely crowded areas.
Parked for free on the same block I always do, half-mile from the side entrance to fair grounds (near the Midway) no traffic driving in, minimal traffic leaving.
23rd year in a row. Wouldn't miss it.