Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops: 'I always look at opportunities as kind of exciting'

Posted In: SportingNews.com NCAA Football
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2010

Dave Curtis

A rash of injuries, especially on offense, made 2009 one of Oklahoma's Bob Stoops' toughest seasons as coach. But his 2010 team has drawn national championship hype thanks to perhaps the country's most complete defense.
 

Stoops: "You've got to beat them all to have a chance to be champs."
Stoops addressed a host of issues, including the Texas rivalry, Big 12 realignment, nonconference scheduling and the spread offense, in a chat with reporters, including Sporting News' Dave Curtis, during Big 12 Media Days this week.
 
Question: It seems like a 10-team conference, with no championship game, gives Texas and Oklahoma a much better chance to win the league. What are your thoughts?
Bob Stoops: I wouldn't be one to say that. In the end, I don't take it for granted like the media does. We have to play. So, we've got nine teams to beat. Just beating (Texas) doesn't do it. You've got to beat them all to have a chance to be champs. We've done that a fair amount of times. It's not just that game, and it's not just on us two.
 
Q: What was your thought process during all the negotiations about conference expansion?
BS: Initially, disappointment, and then it ended up, when it seemed inevitable, kind of excited. You know, different venues, different opportunities, playing some games out west, it was exciting. Who knows? Having a possible championship game in the Rose Bowl might have been cool. I always look at opportunities as kind of exciting, even though it would have been different.
 
Q: There was a lot of concern at the time for the welfare of the student-athlete. Did it worry you that the changes might affect the players in a bad way?
BS: Well, what no one bothered to talk about was all the Texas schools and us make it stronger. If you're the only one going to the Pac-10, then, yeah, that's a big burden. But if we had an Eastern division with the Texas schools and us and possibly the Arizona schools, it could be very manageable. We'd only have to go west a few times, just like we have to go north a few times right now.
 
Q: It doesn't look like the Red River Rivalry is going to get moved to December. How special is that time for you?
BS: Absolutely. Playing that time of year with the state fair around it, no one wants that to change. Why would you? The way it's been, it's pretty special.
 
Q: What about keeping the game there and having a championship game in December, 1 vs. 2, at JerryWorld (Cowboys Stadium)?
BS: That doesn't make sense. It would make sense if you got rid of the BCS, but that's not happening. You're going to have the top two teams, both with a chance to play in BCS bowls, play each other. In my mind, that's not quite possible.
 
Q: Do you feel like keeping the game in October gives the loser a chance to work its way back and build a good resume?
BS: Definitely, it makes a difference. But that's not why we keep it. It's more the tradition of it is why nobody wants to change
 
Q: Are you going to miss having Nebraska in the league?
BS: Definitely. But life changes.
 
Q: Would you want to play them nonconference?
BS: If you can get rid of Florida State and going to Cincinnati, and Notre Dame and Tennessee down the road, I'd love to. See if you guys can get that done.
 
Q: A lot of people seem to run away from big nonconference games. Why do you embrace them?

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BS: I'm not so sure I embrace it anymore. In the end, (athletic director) Joe (Castiglione) and I have felt, when we put it all together, other than this past year, we're in the Top 10 every year. And there's always a marquee game or two in there. If you want to be that kind of team, you play those kinds of games. I'm not sure how much of an advantage it gives you. You lose one game by one point to one of those really good teams, and somebody plays four easy teams. And at the end of the season, you have one more loss than they do, they're going to be ranked higher at the end of the year. We talk about it this time of year, but it never happens. Nobody looks at who you played.
 
Q: Texas is talking about going to more of a running game. Would that surprise you?
BS: Not really. Everyone plays to what they feel is best. Colt McCoy, they played to his strengths pretty well the past few years. I'm not surprised.
 
Q: Have Big 12 defenses caught up to the spread offense?
BS: Some have, some haven't. It depends on the defense and personnel. A spread with a bad quarterback is pretty easy to defend. Even with a rough QB, with a bad defense, it still looks pretty good. It all depends on who it is.
 
This story appears in July 30's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only digital sports daily, sign up today.
 
Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.

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