Stillwater was a fine city, no problems there. But it struck me as a very mid-sized and unremarkable stadium (horseshoe bowl with a single, wide, level) that focused more on high-dollar amenities than noise or proximity to the field. Tailgating and pre-game was a lot closer to what I saw at SMU or Iowa State than anything in the SEC.
The SEC is entirely different, at least in my experience; typically meaner fans, much larger stadiums, noisier crowds, and stadiums that are noisier by design (more vertical, with noise directed down and/or in).