Simulated Gameday Experience

Bob Stoops admits this has been his most trying season at Oklahoma.
Rivals.com caught up with Stoops to discuss what has been a turbulent season that has seen Oklahoma lose four starters to season-ending injuries.

[SGE:] And we’ve got what he was really thinking.

What are looking for from your team down the stretch?

We are looking for some inexperienced guys to play better and to play at a winning level. Just more consistently, regardless of our injuries. We have 11 guys out there. We need to play well. Just more consistency in how they play.

Tears. Crying. But not out loud.

Do you think your team has been snake-bitten?

I don’t like to say that, but obviously it has been an incredibly unusual situation with this many injuries. And, really, almost all of them are on offense.

No, I think they’re just bad at football. After that frightful documentary, we check our team plane to make sure there aren’t any snakes on it, so I don’t think that’s been an issue.

Have you ever been a part of something like this in all of your years?

No. Not at all.

You mean a complete implosion/trainwreck? Every January.

Have you talked to anyone about how to deal with it?

No. I don’t think anyone else has been through something like this, either. Not this many [injuries].

No. I don’t have anyone to talk to. Nobody likes me.

Has this been your most difficult year?

Oh, absolutely. With all of the different players being gone at different times, sure. No doubt about it.

Technically, it’s only been as bad as 2005. We haven’t even lost to TCU. (yet?)

What part of team has surprised you in how it has developed?

I wouldn’t say ’surprised,’ but it has been very positive in how we have played defense. Other than losing [end] Auston English, we have stayed healthy and have played really well. That has been a big positive.

How it’s done what?

How is Sam Bradford still helping the team?

Just in his presence and positive attitude and that kind of thing. He’s always around at practice and in meetings. His presence being there — he does all he can, that’s for sure.

Just by hanging out on the sidelines, he reminds our WRs that they used to have a good QB to get them the ball.

What did you say to him after his season ended?

We talked and told him that we appreciated all of his hard work and his commitment here. He was a great teammate to his buddies and a great competitor for us. ? We at least are excited that he’s on his way to healing up again and getting this behind him and moving forward, and hopefully it just continues to go well.

Yeah, you were right, you should have gone into the Draft. My bad.

What has impressed you most about redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones?

Just his overall poise and comfort level from the beginning. It wasn’t as evident and he didn’t have a very good game vs. Nebraska [on Nov. 7]. And that’s the first one he hasn’t played at a winning level. Really, up until that game, he was playing awfully well. In that game, for whatever reason, he was off a little bit on some of his inside throws and didn’t play like he had in a bunch of the other games. But, overall, I think he’s had a lot of positive plays for the most part, and hopefully he’ll learn.

A QB needs to be able to forget about his mistakes. Landry’s had a lot of practice here.

Who does he remind you of?

I don’t think guys ever remind me of someone else.

None of out other QBs have sucked this bad. Alternatively, Jason White, but only during BCS games.

What does Jones need to improve?

Just maturity on the field. He’s a young guy. He needs to improve at everything, but that’s to be expected from a freshman who only has played in a few games.

Learn to pump gas.

Does trying to feed the “Oklahoma beast” ever wear on you?

No, that’s what you want. That doesn’t bother me at all, really. When you are in a situation like that, it means you are winning an awful lot. It’s to be expected then.

It’s not that hard, really. You’d be surprised how easy it is to lose to your rival, ride your reputation to a major bowl game, then lose again.

Did you spoil fans by winning that national title in 2000 in just your second season?

Oh, I don’t know. Maybe. Whether I did or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m glad we did it. It doesn’t bother me if we did [spoil them].

The funny thing is, Mike Leach has been gone for 9 or 10 years, and they still think we can win.

Would you like to see a playoff or no playoff?

I could take either one. In the end, it’s not quite as feasible and easy as everyone thinks it would be. So in the end, I would say probably not.

Hell no. Anything where you can advance all the way to the finals on reputation alone is better for Oklahoma rather than having to win one or, god forbid, two games against talented teams just to get to the championship. And then what? You have to win ANOTHER game once you’re there? You do realize that in all these years of playing in prestigious bowls with as an overrated team, we haven’t won three games in total? How the hell are we going to pull it off in one season? In fact I’d rather they just use the BCS formula to determine the champion without the futility of a game afterwards. Big Game Bob: 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2008 Champion coach. How’s that sound to ya?

What would you change about college football?

I’m not going to get into it. I have my opinions on some things, but it wouldn’t be right to put them out there right now. This isn’t the right time to talk about it.

That stupid decision by the Big 12 conference over the summer, to count head-to-head as a tiebreaker between the top two teams. Like we can really beat the best team in the conference!

Also can we go back to the 60s when the champions were decided before bowl season? That whole “having to beat the your bowl opponent” thing hasn’t worked out for us.

How does growing up in blue-collar Youngstown, Ohio, still impact you today?

Just probably that you earn what you get and that you have to work hard for whatever it is you’re after. And it doesn’t come easy and you have to continue to have a great work ethic.

Growing up in Ohio, I don’t have a soul. Can’t you tell?

How often do you talk to your brothers and also to fellow Youngstown native Bo Pelini?

I talk to Mike [the coach at Arizona] and Mark [the defensive coordinator at Arizona] at least once or twice a week. I talk to Bo every now and then.

The last time I talked to Mike, he told me I wasn’t really Mom’s son. She said that’s okay, that doesn’t mean I’m not a part of the family now. I don’t talk to Mike much anymore.

Is this your last coaching stop?

Oh, who knows? I’m not that old, I guess. I haven’t reached 50 yet. So, who knows what’s in store, you know?

When we lose our 10th straight bowl game, they’ll probably fire me.

Tags: Chokelahoma