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Every aspect of life—especially sports—comes back to one simple phrase: “What have you done for me lately?” And that my friends is why Bob Stoops should be in a seat as hot as Norman in the middle of the summer. Take the following comparisons…
Mack Brown caught heat year after year, consistently winning ten games, but never getting over the hump and winning the big game at Texas. Then Vince Young came around and saved him the headaches of hearing that broken record over and over again. In a New York minute, Coach Brown went from the hot seat to a leather recliner.
Mack may still be kickin’, but coaches like John Cooper are not. Cooper couldn’t win the big game at Ohio State, failing to knock off Michigan on a number of occasions, plus being unable to vault the Buckeyes into the winner’s circle. Nope, John Cooper was only a pro at running up the score. Ohio State moved on, and brought on Jim Tressel, who has one title under his belt—but even Tressel could start to take heat if Ohio State can’t return to its old form of winning big-time bowl games.
Then there is Stoops, who is floating in a similar boat, and he better grab a life raft, because one more BCS clunker and his Oklahoma ship could be sunk for good.
At least, it should be—and for anyone to say the end isn’t a possibility is just being naive.
Why? Plain and simple, Oklahoma is a big time program that expects to win—and win titles. Heck, maybe it’s the seven National Titles that have spoiled them rotten. Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer each won three, and while Stoops won one in 2000, Oklahoma hasn’t even managed a New Year’s Day (or later) bowl victory since 2003 (when the Sooners defeated Washington State in the Rose Bowl), let alone smell a National Title.
Either way, it’s a tease to have a title shot dangled in your face, only to have it swiped away without a fight. All season, Oklahoma is a ferocious beast desperately trying to escape from its cage, but come big game time, the Sooners are nothing but a paper tiger, ready to fold.
It comes down to this one game—national stage, national audience, big stage—so big that fans are paying top dollar to watch it in the theaters—in 3-D nonetheless. How many dimensions of the Sooners will we see this time around? Will it be the one-dimensional offense-only Sooners led by Heisman winner Sam Bradford? Or will it be the multi-dimensional Oklahoma team that blew Texas Tech off the field?
Will it be Coach Stoops’ tail being kicked three-dimensionally into the crowd of viewers one last time, or tears of joy from his eyes raining down on each fan in the audience? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure, it’s time for Coach Stoops to put up or shut up.
Put on those 3-D glasses, but not until you’re told to. This is about to get interesting.
71 comments Last one added 4 months ago — Leave a Comment
J. Robert Byrom 6 months ago
This Article shows everything that is wrong with Sooner fans and why they are one of the most disrespected fan bases in the country. OU fans are just plain spoiled by the three B's Wilkinson, Switzer and yes even Stoops.
The Oklahoma Football Monster is definitely still hungry and would not be satisfied with anything less than a Championship tommorrow, but Stoops needs to stay, he gets the into the confernce championship game and wins almost every year and into the national championship game 40% of the time and into the BCS 70%. All of those things are amazing and every program in America would accept that kind of production and revenue generation.
What has he done for you lately? Three straight conference titles in the Big 12 is nothing to scoff about. If we fired Stoops after what he has accomplished, who is going to want to come here knowing that anything less than Stoops record and they will be labled a failure, Even the Big Egos coaches would shy away from a school that winning six conference championships, getting into seven BCS games, going to Four NC games and winning one in ten years wasnt enough for.
The OU fanbase definitely has the highest expectations of any fans in the country, which actually is their strongpoint, they accept nothing less than the best but it is why they are so hated and usually not all that loud at home games, they expect the team to win every game and get first downs every play no matter who they are playing. They just dont get that excited about anything short of a National Championship.
OU was horrendous in the 90s and in this day and age, one bad coaching hire could put even a top program to the cellar, Just look at Callahan at Nebraska, he took a 10 win team with a ton of history and put the program in a huge hole. OU, USC, Florida, Ohio State, LSU, Texas and every other top program in the country is one bad coaching hire from being in Nebraska's shoes.
Sooner fans need to be grateful, Stoops is no where near perfect and is not the best coach there is in the NCAA, but OU is where they are today because of Stoops.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
I don't know if I would single it out at OU alone. It's about winning and winning titles... everywhere. Look at Ohio State. You don't think there is some unrest there? Tressel is a class act and a great coach, but back-to-back title game blowouts, plus a loss to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl... and I'm thinking some doubters are emerging.
It will be interesting to see what some OU fans have to say. I'm willing to bet there's a hefty mix that are frustrated with all the big game losses, while there are some that are grateful, as you mentioned.
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C.W. O'Brien 6 months ago
OU had a bad coaching hire and it sent them into mediocrity in the 90's. USC couldn't produce for a decade until Pete Carroll came to town. Florida had the Ron Zook years...their only saving grace was that regardless of record he could still recruit. Ohio State was down before Jim Tressell. Texas didn't do much for quite a while until Mack Brown got there. Same story at LSU before Nick Saban.
A few other programs that have fallen on hard times with bad hires...Notre Dame (2 that were aweful in a row and one that may prove to be worse than the other two), K-State (while the long history wasn't there, Bill Snyder built that program from the ground up only to see it fall straight back to the cellar under Ron Prince). The list goes on and on.
Tom Osborne coached at Nebraska for nearly 20 years before he won his first National Title at Nebraska. There were people that were calling for his head for a long time.
Regardless of outcome, I think that OU sticks with Bob Stoops. They would be stupid NOT to. It is the law of large numbers. Stoops will get more chances at the NC because he can recruit and he can coach. He is bound to win another one given enough chances.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Since you seem to have a pretty good wealth of knowledge on this one, I'll toss another question at you C.W. Since you mention Notre Dame having a bad hire, then what would you predict happens with them over the course of the next year or so? I know a number of opinions there and have some of my own, just always enjoy getting the takes of others...
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JoeGator Gator 6 months ago
Should Another BCS Loss Show Stoops the Door in Norman?
No, Stoops is a top-notch coach... but hopefully it will put an end to the absurd media hype about the "invincible" Big-12 offenses.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey Joe,
I think some of the bowl performances by the Big 12 have proven that their offenses are not at all "invincible".
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Tim Bond 6 months ago
I agree 1000% with J. Robert.
Some questions for the author:
1. Being he has won 6 Big 12 Championships, has a 109-23 record, and is on pace to become the winningest coach in OU history, why should OU show Stoops the door if they lose?
2. Who will OU get that will be able to come in and replace Stoops with the success that he has produced?
3. Have you forgotten the 1990s?
4. Do you really know the history between OU and Texas? The series has always gone in spurts between the two teams. In fact, with more than 10 games played in a series, that is only series OU trails.
Please answer those for me. I want to know your thoughts and why you are so negative.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey Tim,
When you're a program with seven national titles under your belt, you don't strive to win conference championships. You don't strive to be the winningest coach in history. All those would be traded in for National Titles.
I mentioned the '90's in the piece, and the sub-par record through the stretch between Switzer and Stoops.
Yes, OU and Texas is in spurts, and for a while, OU was dominating Texas, and guess what? Mack Brown was the guy on the hot seat every year. It was all over the place... how Mack was almost done, yet he won nine or ten games a year. That's the nature of the sport.
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J. Robert Byrom 6 months ago
In the Big 12 or SEC confernece Titles mean a lot more than most conference becuase winning it almost guarantees you a NC birth, Not always but most of the time. No other two confernces can say that fair or not.
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Greg Lester 6 months ago
Tim
Do you know the history of our couching staff turn-over during the time frame of the BCS losses?
I know that a lot of Stoops assistants have taken H.C. spots around the country; how many have left at the end of seasons before the bowl games we lost?
Just a thought.
BOOMER - SOONER
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Matt Burris 6 months ago
The bigger question is if Oklahoma loses tonight, and Bob Stoops is still around, does that possibly mean the university is content with just great regular seasons but not spectacular bowl wins?
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Well yeah, that's a fair point Matt. You could definitely look at it that way.
With that being said, how do you think this game is going to go tonight?
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Tony F 6 months ago
Matt,
I don't think that is a fair assesment, because Stoops has resurrected their program and brought them to prominence once again. Every year they are in the discussion as one of the best programs, and will only continue to be so for the foreseeable future under Stoops.
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Matt Burris 6 months ago
Kevin: I'm a huge Gators fan, and since I've only seen Oklahoma play against Missouri, a woefully inferior opponent, I can't predict what the score will be. I just would like for the Gators to win. With all the championships the Gators have won in both basketball and football in the past few years, it never gets old the excitement winning one brings.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Matt,
I missed this response, but I should congratulate you... just on delay, as your team did win. I will say this... personally I was surprised by how long scoring the game turned out to be, but I'm sure you would agree with me there.
It actually turned out to be a pretty good game.
Certainly, you're right, it doesn't get old... just don't get spoiled by it, because if somehow, some way the Gators happen to ever get into a funk, you're going to be miserable!
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Tony F 6 months ago
I find it crazy to think that a team that has just set a record for scoring that their coach would lose his job because of losing a BCS Championship game. Stoops is a very good coach, and I have to believe he will stay at Oklahoma until he is ready to move on.
We sports fan's are so spoiled it is crazy, I myself am guilty of this. Last year after enduring 4 losses, especially that total defensive collapse to Michigan in the Capital One bowl, I though Urban meyer might have been on the hot seat. See GATOR nation is a fickle group by and large, and many of our fans feel we need to be champions year in and out, and anything less calls for a total house cleaning.
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JoeGator Gator 6 months ago
Don't know of any buzz about Meyer being on the hot-seat after the '07 season... particularly only one season after winning all the marbles in '06.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
I didn't hear about Meyer on the hot seat after that bowl loss either. I have heard how the media has spread around his interest and passion for Notre Dame though.
Still, I agree with you Tony. We as sports fans are spoiled, especially for those that follow programs that have a great recruiting class year in and year out... plus high expectations coupled with that. There's only so many times that a team can perform great and then tank it... it happens throughout sports, not just in college.
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Tony F 6 months ago
Joe,
I was not saying he was on the hot seat, I was just saying some of us in GATOR nation feel that no matter how many players we lose to the draft from yer to hear, we should always at the very least make it to the SEC Championship game. Rational fans would know that if you lose 10 out of 11 starters on defense you are going to experience growing pains, like we did last year and in the Ole Miss game this year
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JoeGator Gator 6 months ago
Kevin, any serious Gator fan knows that Meyer chose Florida so his young family could finally have roots until all the children are grown... that would be about 2018.
And all Gator fans know Meyer has Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan on his "dream job" list... If Meyer stays 'til '18, he'd have the longest run as head coach in the history of Gator football.
Some pathetic hack dredges that story up about once a year.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Ha ha Joe... honestly, it's more than once a year! I've heard it three times in the last two months.
We'll see, you could be right. Heck, look at Billy Donovan - he couldn't leave Gainesville. I know plenty of people that love that area.
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Matt Burris 6 months ago
I never got impatient or annoyed that the Gators lost 4 games last year. The offense was spectacular and most of the games we lost were attributed to a young defense. I did expect the defense to be much better this year and would've been annoyed at Urban and the coaching staff if it wasn't. However, I had faith that they would make that young defense into a great group of guys this year, and I'm happy to see that turned out to be true.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this year as a Gators fan, and am incredibly grateful that there is so much (young!) talent on the team!
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
And there's a ton more young talent coming to the Gators, too Matt. I tell you what, getting Jelani Jenkins was a big recruiting addition by UF. I honestly thought he was going to go to Penn State, especially after I heard that one of his high school teammates had committed to PSU just a day or two prior to Signing Day.
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Isaac Luber 6 months ago
Good article KP. However, I don't think he's on the hot-seat. Well, if it was us Joe Pa wouldn't be on the hot seat because we aren't spoiled like those other fans. We will fill 100,000 seats in our stadium every year cheering for PSU, whether we're 0-12 or 12-0. Still, think about it, if you get your team to a NC, win or lose you shouldn't be out of there. If Joe Pa lost next year's bowl and then lost a NC the following year, we wouldn't be calling for his head.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Well that's true Isaac, but JoePa's story is a much different situation.
And if you'll recall, a few years back, when Penn State was struggling, all those loyal blue and white fans were calling for Paterno to retire as well. It's a fickle world out there in the land of college football, my friend.
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Matt Burris 6 months ago
Kevin: FWIW, I was one of the early detractors calling for Ron Zook being fired. He's too by the book and the complete opposite of Spurrier's style of coaching and calling plays. All those losses during his tenure just made me even more irate and disappointed as a Gators fan. I was very happy he got fired, and even more happy that Jeremy Foley managed to get Urban Meyer.
Although I do keep up with Ron Zook and happy that he's been somewhat successful in Illionois. I hope he does great wherever he goes. He's a great recruiter and loves the game.
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Isaac Luber 6 months ago
Yes, but OU isn't struggling. They have consistent winning seasons and NC appearances. The Lions were having 4-8 seasons and such, losing to bad teams. I see what you're saying, but Stoops has had too good of a record to be fired.
And plus, no one likes or considers defense in college football anymore, so he would never be fired as long as he keeps running up that score...leaving starters in the whole game when you're up by 40! WOOHOO! That's real football there my friends! The great class and sportsmanship of football right there! (Sarcasm, in case you didn't get it).
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Hey Isaac,
I don't know if I would go as far to say that no one in CFB considers defense anymore... in fact, I would say that's far the truth. Fans may think that scoring is more fun and more sexy if you will... but defense is always big... and even bigger yet and always overlooked... special teams! It's all about field position my friend!!
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Bernie 6 months ago
yeh. Bud and Barry coached in a different era than Bob. Oklahoma is one of the elite programs in college football. OU fans should shake his hand and thank him.
Things ain't the way they used to be. And they ain't going back...
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey Bernie,
I will admit, it is tough to compare eras in college football because it is a very different time. But that doesn't mean that the expectations aren't there, especially when a program starts to get on a roll.
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Patrick Glover 6 months ago
I live in Tulsa, OK and 99% of Sooner fans including myself would be very upset if Stoops left. This opinion piece is pure speculation and worthless speculation at that. We are more than grateful for him returning us to being an elite team.
Are we hungry for more titles? Of course, what fans wouldn't be...
Should he be shown the door? Bob Stoops will only leave OU when he chooses. He will not ever be shown the door at OU. He is one of the top 5 coaches in the nation and we are lucky to have him.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey Patrick,
I appreciate you stopping by and tossing in your two cents.
This is an opinion piece, you're right. But most blogs are... but anyway, I appreciate your passion for Sooner football and I'll be very curious to see if anyone stops by with the exact opposite opinion, because what I have heard out there, there are a fair share that feel differently.
Take care!
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Kreskin Annihilation 6 months ago
Firing Stoops, win or lose, would be a mistake.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Straight to the point Kreskin, I like your style.
We'll see what happens going forward... I'm personally just excited to watch the game tonight.
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Kreskin Annihilation 6 months ago
Thanks, Kevin.
I am also excited about the game, but somewhat sad that this is it for the season. Thank goodness for the NHL.
[EDIT: Your no-name article is fantastic!]
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Oh, thanks very much. I'm glad you liked it. Did you leave feedback? I can go and check in a little bit. Take care buddy...
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Edmon 6 months ago
In our Attention Deficit Disorder college football world, he should go. In a world where there is reasonable judgment, he'd have a statue on every street corner in Norman. College football today has more of a "championship or bust" mentality. The internet has made fan expectations unreasonable.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
All great points Edmon. You're right. The internet has really added to it... and one main reason how is through the big time recruiting sites. College football fans out there have a ton of access to recruiting information now, and entering a season, people know exactly how good the new players are "supposed to be", as well as how many players have graduated and so on. It's much easier to formulate opinions and gain expectations of your team's program. With high expectations, come a much bigger and more painful letdown...
So with that being said, what are your thoughts on tonight's game? I know you have interest.
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Edmon 6 months ago
First, Happy New Year!
Second, "With high expectations, come a much bigger and more painful letdown...". That is the story of college football today. I thought you were going to quote Spiderman for a second.
Third, I see a tight game. Lots of early lead changes. Florida 41 - Oklahoma 31. Florida tacks on a late touchdown to make it look a little less closer than it was. Of course, who knows once the "toe touches leather". Florida's offense doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Their special teams I feel is the difference. Chas Henry doens't get a lot of love, but he's a heck of a punter. Brandon James usually sets Florida up with great field advantage. Oklahoma's great, but I see Florida being just a little better.
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Greg Lester 6 months ago
Hey Edmon, some schools would have solved this problem a long time ago, he would have been fired and put to public shame. I kind of think we will have a more realistic approach, something on the line of how Penn State has respected and loved Joe Pa. Bob Stoops is a good man - period. He has done a tremendous work of restoration at the University of Oklahoma. There are still many who cast dirt and shame on our past, and rightly so, there were many things happen at the program that were shameful. My hope and prayer is that the Sooner Nation realizes that National championships should not be the ultimate goal, (MAN ARE THEY GREAT!) but not the most important thing.
BOOMER - SOONER
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Roberto Arevalo 6 months ago
sounds like the OU faithful are being kinder to you than I thought. I agree with you 100%. good job. I think for most fans on the outside its easy to see whats going on. losses in the BCS and to TX aren't too good for the old resume. to Tressels defense, he has beaten MI lately but only to blow it when it counts. bottom line, OU loses- he should be in hot seat. but then again don't rule out Denver and the NFL.
check out what I had to say about Tressel and OSU- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/107776-ohio-state-football-proving-an-exercise-in-futility
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey Roberto,
Thanks for dropping by...
Yes, so far, I have taken minimal beatings. I'm sure more will come... but there will also be others like yourself that agree. I think there will be a fair share on each side for this argument to be honest.
Denver is an interesting thought. I hadn't seen anything out there on that. Was that something you heard about, or just bringing it up because you think it would be an interesting fit?
Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check it out. Take care
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Roberto Arevalo 6 months ago
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls08/news/story?id=3807860
He never actually says "I will be the Oklahoma coach next season." I think theres a decent shot he goes b/c he's speculated in the past, like Urban Meyer, he wants to take his game to the next level.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Thanks for sending this link over Roberto. Sorry I got to it so late... had to take a break for a little bit shortly after writing this piece and missed a few of the comments that came in later on...
Still, all in all, I thought the National Championship was a pretty entertaining game.
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Jeff Prutsman 6 months ago
I don't know who the Sooners would replace Stoops with. I still remember how impressed I was with him when he was Spurrier's DC and how much I hated to see him leave Florida.
Sometimes you simply run into teams that are better than yours. It's a different matter if you are losing to your biggest rival every year, like Ohio State under John Cooper a few years back.
But if you are getting to the NC game, it's tough to fault a coach for losing unless there are clear signs that the team was not prepared to play. Frankly, Tressel had Ohio State ready to play in 2007 and 2008 (last season vs. LSU). They just ran into better teams.
And if the Gators happen to beat the Sooners tonight, it may just mean they are a better team.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Interesting thoughts there Jeff. So with that being said, would you call West Virginia better than OU last year? And Boise State better than OU two years back? And maybe USC was better, but 36 points better?
So what I'm getting at is that I can see your point to some degree, but I question how amped up those teams were in those games.
As for replacing him, I'm sure there are options out there... one may not be slapping us in the face, but there are plenty of diamonds in the rough, coordinators, and what not... heck, even some NFL coaches have recently become unemployed.
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Lisa Horne 6 months ago
If the Sooners get blown out, which they shouldn't, there will be serious questions as to whether or not he can coach up on Big Game day. It will mean the Sooners shouldn't have been playing in that game. If it's close, then a lot of questions will have been answered.
Excellent article! POTD.
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John Cate 6 months ago
Hey Lisa,
You have a point there, but I think the blowout loss to USC had more to do with the character of some of the guys on those teams, and the fact that Jason White was terribly overrated. Bob Stoops can teach football with the best of them, but he can't teach heart any more than the Wizard of Oz could give one to the Tin Man.
In that 55-19 loss, not to take anything away from USC, but Oklahoma spit the bit that night as soon as the going got rough. And it wasn't the first time they had done that. The loss to Kansas State in the Big XII championship game the year before? Same thing. Oklahoma faced adversity for the first time, and Oklahoma quit.
If that were a pattern, it would be an indictment of Stoops' coaching. But I haven't seen the Sooners do that in other seasons. They got killed last year by West Virginia, but given the emotional state that team was in, I don't think any team in America could have beaten the Mountaineers that night. And Boise State...well, Oklahoma came back from a 28-10 deficit and took the lead before Boise made some great plays at the end of regulation and OT. The Sooners dug themselves a hole, but they didn't quit.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Thanks Lisa and John for stopping by and pitching in to this discussion... sorry I missed these responses earlier... but hopefully we can talk some more college football in the near future.
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Irish Mike 6 months ago
With all due respect(which allows me to say whatever I please, according to Ricky Bobby), this article is just ridiculous.
The most important of the many things you don't take into consideration here is that Oklahoma has arguably one of the finest Athletic Directors in the country in Joe Castiglione. Castiglione is the guy who brought Stoops in from Florida to resurrect the Sooner football program. He has done a great job of turning around the Oklahoma sports program across the board.
As long as Stoops continues to run a clean program, win games, build fan base, and generate the kind of money that Oklahoma football generates, he will be welcome to stay as long as he likes. He will continue to see compensation packages that make him one of the highest paid college football coaches in the country. Add to that the NFL's(which for head coaches has come to mean Not For Long) propensity to get rid of coaches like they were dropping 3rd period Physics, and I think Stoops will have a job at Oklahoma as long as he likes.
Being a ND grad and fan, stuck in Sooner country for the last dozen years, has led me to appreciate and envy the leadership that Castiglione has provided. If only my Golden Domers were so lucky. =(
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Ha ha, well if you can quote Ricky Bobby, then it's OK with me. Though I thought that Bobby only just screamed the whole time... "Woooo! Wooooo!"
Well, you've opened a whole new can for discussion... what do you think about Notre Dame's decision to keep Weis to this point?
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Irish Mike 6 months ago
It's really an entirely different situation at ND, unfortunately. Swarbrick, and White before him, are/were mere puppets to the administration. White was an asset, but got the rug pulled out from underneath him after the O'Leary to Willingham chapter. Castiglione on the other hand, has been given absolute control and has flourished.
Weis(as should have Willingham) should be given more time. Willingham's lack of productivity at UDub makes his ouster at ND more palateable, but if given the opportunity, might he have done at ND what he did for Stanford....who knows? Weis will need to have a big 2009 to have enough backers to keep him in place past then.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
I agree Irish. 2009 is it for Weis... get it done or he could be done. He also was able to get another solid recruiting class so there are going to be some more expectations coming into next season... to be honest, I'm somewhat surprised that they kept him.
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Jeff Prutsman 6 months ago
Kevin, in answering your reply to my comment above, I really don't know. Before the Alabama-Utah game I might have chalked up the Boise State loss a couple years ago to the Sooners taking Boise too lightly. Now I'm not so sure.
West Virginia during the Pat White era has been a team that can play with anybody because of their team speed and their experience running a spread offense. They were one step from the NC game before they mailed it in against Pitt (You want to talk about a coaching failure?)
Was USC really 36 points better than the Sooners in that game? I'm not prepared to say yes, but an awful lot of the USC guys who played in that game (I think something like 10-11 guys) are in the NFL now. How many Sooners are?
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John Cate 6 months ago
Just one comment. If Oklahoma loses tonight, and the Sooners decide they don't want Bob Stoops anymore, I'd say there are probably about 120 teams between college and the NFL who will gladly take him off your hands.
And when it comes to replacing Stoops, that won't be a problem, either. Gary Gibbs and John Blake are both available.
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Kevin Paul 6 months ago
Hey John,
I agree... I'm confident that Stoops would have absolutely no problem finding a job somewhere else if something does happen. And if the story ever took that kind of turn, you know the line that the sports world will put out there... "a change of scenery was needed" or "a change was needed".
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James Ringo 6 months ago
Does anyone actually feel that way.... cause if they do, they should probably go take a desert eagle and do us all a favor. I mean how many championships does Mack Brown have (1)? OK im rambling now. Point: you feel like guy in the article your an idiot.
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Sean Lavery 6 months ago
This argument sounds a lot like the one that led to Lloyd Carr being outed in Michigan last year. I know Rich Rod doesn't have "his players" yet, but you can see how well that worked.
On the other hand we can look at coaches, like Mack Brown or Frank Beamer, who struggled for a while then turned their programs into national powers.
The bottom line is you often don't appreciate what you have until you lose it. Until you can name be a better coach to replace Stoops with a system that can have long-term success, I will call you crazy.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
"you often don't appreciate what you have until you lose it"... Yes, I couldn't agree more. As the phrase goes, "the grass is always greener on the other side".
But anyway, Mack Brown is an example I used to many people out there... that for the longest time he would have solid year after solid year, yet everyone was calling for his job... until he was able to get it done against USC with Vince Young and Co. It bought him some more time... that's basically what Coach Stoops has to do. I think he had a respectable performance against UF in the NC game... they had every chance to get it done, but at least it wasn't a blowout.
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Jordan Tippitt 6 months ago
When i saw this title i thought, "Woah this guy is insane!" I had to read it. I read it and still felt the same way. Then a similar situation popped in my head. Didn't the New York Yankees fire their GM after taking them to the playoffs like 10 years in a row or something like that? You see it everywhere. Arkansas fans did it to Houston Nutt. I don't think it will happen but it is very possible. It would be interesting to see where he would go.
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Irish Mike 6 months ago
Not to say that I'm right, but read my comment on Castiglione. Compare Castiglione to Broyles or Steinbrenner(unfair, because the words "Steinbrenner" and "rational" have never been mentioned in the same sentence) and then factor in the concept that it's all about the contribution to the bottom line. When the coach fails to bring in the money, win or lose, they better update the resume.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Ha ha, I guess I can chalk it up as being a really great title then... man, not bad for an insane guy, huh? =)
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Jon Altena 6 months ago
If he would get fired and Ferentz leaves Iowa for KC, Stoops would be the next Hawkeye coach. (If he didnt go to the NFL as well)
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Well ,by now, we know that Ferentz stuck around and Iowa gave him a big-time extension.
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A to the H 6 months ago
Seems like the popular thing to now, but bringing in a new coach can be risky...
Michigan - How long will the fans give Dick Rod to turn it around?
Syracuse - Fired Pasqualoni, brought in G-Rob... where the Orangemen's performance has been dismal.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
"Dick Rod"? Oh my.... ha ha. How is it possible that you're the first one that I have heard call him that?
Yeah, honestly... it is the popular thing. Heck, who knows, maybe people will start calling for Tressel some day soon too.. but quite honestly, I think he's a great coach... and a class act, so in my mind, that's unlikely... unless maybe, he starts to really go on a cold streak against Michigan.
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A to the H 4 months ago
One of the local radio stations in Columbus dubbed that name for him... Midday Show on http://www.1460thefan.com/live/content/index.html, kind of hard to listen to at first, but during CFB season, absolutely hilarious.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
OK, fair enough... thanks for the tip. I'll have to check that one out later this year... I personally enjoy listening to all kinds of different sports radio, so I always welcome in something new to check out.
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Edmon 6 months ago
Kev, what an awesome game last night. Definitely a chess match, not a game of checkers. Reminded me a lot of an NFL game (well, a NFL game with passion). Both defensive coordinators deserve a lot of credit.
Bob Stoops should get a raise. He's a great coach. Remember, he's lost BCS National Championships to Pete Carroll, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. Urguable three of the top five coaches in college football.
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Kevin Paul 4 months ago
Hey Edmon...
True, but winning one, he could put himself there. But anyway, it was really a great game... I'm sure a nailbiter for you.
You know, I'm just getting to some of these comments now... not sure why even responding, I imagine most people won't come check to check them out, ha ha. I didn't realize how many I had missed because I had to break away for a few days after this one was written and wasn't able to check in and see what everyone was pitching in to the discussion. Oh well, next time.
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Melanie Mosier 6 months ago
Florida beat Oklahoma because they are the better team. That's how its supposed to happen. Sure, sometimes it doesn't work that way, & the 2nd best team pulls off some unexpected plays and wins. But not usually. Second-guessing a coach of Stoops' caliber is akin to telling your doctor how to treat your illness--you criticize your doc for not curing you, because despite his education, expertise, & experience, you think you're smarter. If fans or sports writers can coach better than Bob Stoops then I say we hire them FAST, because he's one of the best the sport has seen, hands down. I hope the University of Oklahoma pays Coach Stoops whatever it takes to keep him until he's too old to walk onto the field.
BOOMER SOONER!
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Melanie Mosier 6 months ago
Yes, I think Bob Stoops should be shown the door TO HIS NEW CASTLE!
Thanx, Coach Stoops for leading us back to national prominence. We may not have won every big game, but we've won a lot of them. And every team in the country worries when they play us, including USC. Congratulations to every team that has beaten us in the past decade because you were better than one of the best teams in the country.
BOOMER SOONER!
STOOPS FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS!
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