Stoops speaks his mind

[OK2U]

Good little article
http://blogs.denverpost.com/sports/2010/08/03/stoops-is-steaming/11602/

NORMAN, Okla. — I sat in Bob Stoops’ office Tuesday morning and chatted about the state of college football. On his coffee table is a giant cigar box filled with bowl watches. It looked like a stash you see sold in Times Square except these are authentic. But on overstuffed leather couches in his stained-wood digs we talked about three things that drive him crazy.

Players leaving for the NFL early: He immediately gets up, goes to a three-ring binder and hands me a sheet. It lists the average salaries of each round in the draft (Read more in our Big 12 series starting Sunday). It reads:

$13 million 1st round
$2.1 million 2nd round
$720,400 3rd round
$460,000 4th round
$171,500 5th round
$47,000 7th round

He said linemen Trent Williams and Gerald McCoy were projected as second-round picks as juniors after the 2008 season. They returned to school and went third and fourth overall, guaranteeing about $35 million each.

“So if you’re not a first-round guy, you’re foolish,” he told me. “You’re giving up your education and you’re not going to maximize your window. It’s a known fact also in the NFL, that guys with their degrees make more money and play longer than guys who don’t.”

On rethinking how Oklahoma plays tough non-league schedules while other top 10 powers don’t: “I don’t think in today’s world you’re rewarded for it. Look at the AP poll last year. We beat Oklahoma State at the end of the year, 27-0, and beat another ranked team in Stanford. Well, Oklahoma State’s ranked ahead of us. Why? Look at how it’s ranked every year. AP as well as the coaches all look at the loss column and if one team has one less loss than you they’re ranked ahead of you.”

Asked if he’ll consider softening future schedules, he said, “It’ll be considered. It’s too early to say. I know AD Joe (Castiglione) looking at that but it’ll be considered.”

On college football’s overtime format: “Overtime isn’t right. Think about it. Defense isn’t rewarded as it should be because you’re given the ball in field goal range. This happened to me in Florida (as defensive coordinator) back in ’98. We go out and take the field, 25-yard-line, back them up 5 yards over three downs. They kick a long field goal. We move the ball down to the 10, we miss a FG. So you’re rewarding just field goals.

“You should earn a field goal. So put the ball on the 45 or the 50 and you’ve got to earn 10 yards or so to get a field goal. Or try a long one. It’ll shorten overtime and it’ll reward defense. You don’t get a yard, they have to try a long field goal and you get the ball at the 45 and move the ball 10 yards, you’ve earned it.”

[badger]

good find. thanks for posting!

[delhalew]

On his second point, I can see it from a coaching perspective. From a fan perspective, it's the polling that needs to change not the scheduling.

[Mad Dog Madsen]

Good post! I love to read anything Coach Stoops talks about.

[rawlingsHOH]

“You’re giving up your education"
Disagree. That's a ridiculous statement. Not to mention, it is very easy for the early-entry athletes to continue classes, especially at OU where they have specific programs in place.

Do they all do it? NO! But that is their choice.



It’s a known fact also in the NFL, that guys with their degrees make more money and play longer than guys who don’t.
I'll take his word on this statistic. But I have to ask, is the reason their NFL careers last longer directly because of the diploma? I find that hard to believe. Or is it because smarter players have longer careers and smarter players have a higher degree rate. If so, it becomes an immaterial statistic.



$13 million 1st round
$2.1 million 2nd round
$720,400 3rd round
$460,000 4th round
$171,500 5th round
$47,000 7th round

He said linemen Trent Williams and Gerald McCoy were projected as second-round picks as juniors after the 2008 season. They returned to school and went third and fourth overall, guaranteeing about $35 million each.

“So if you’re not a first-round guy, you’re foolish,” he told me.
First off, there is no way in hell that Gerald McCoy would have been a second-round pick in 2009. Things certainly worked in Stoops' argument's favor this year, but those things can go both ways. Accurate draft projections are nearly impossible prior to the NFL combine and such. Stoops was also upset with Malcolm Kelly's decision to leave two years ago. What would Kelly's fortunes have been had he returned to OU, but was unable to play due to degenerative knees? The $400,000 roster bonus Kelly just collected in April, may be a spit in the ocean to Stoops. But Kelly is grateful for it!

[sooneron]

Are there any end of season computer rankings out there? Post- bowl, that is...

[sooneron]

nm, but tha u has a reason to bitch being placed behind us.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt09.htm

[rawlingsHOH]

Interesting...

Oklahoma PREDICTOR 88.52 8


In ELO CHESS, only winning and losing matters; the score margin is of no consequence,
which makes it very "politically correct". However it is less accurate in its predictions for
upcoming games than is the PURE POINTS, in which the score margin is the only thing that matters.
PURE POINTS is also known as PREDICTOR, BALLANTINE, RHEINGOLD, WHITE OWL and is the best single PREDICTOR
of future games. The ELO CHESS will be utilized by the Bowl Championship Series(BCS).

[KantoSooner]

Does that mean ranked #8 due to predictor score based analysis? If so, who are ranked above us? Why doesn't SOS play a role? And how can you use last year's scoring as a guide to this season?

Or, as seems more likely, did I completely fail to understand?

[diegosooner]

I think the decision is dependent on each individual's situation.

[Mississippi Sooner]

Check out all the big name teams that finished below 1-AA Villanova in the final ratings.

[soonerborn30]

Disagree. That's a ridiculous statement. Not to mention, it is very easy for the early-entry athletes to continue classes, especially at OU where they have specific programs in place.

Do they all do it? NO! But that is their choice.

I would be willing to bet the vast majority of people that leave for the NFL before they get their degrees don't come back to OU to finish up. He's probably going off of the 11 years he's been there and probably only seen a handful actually come back.

I'll take his word on this statistic. But I have to ask, is the reason their NFL careers last longer directly because of the diploma? I find that hard to believe. Or is it because smarter players have longer careers and smarter players have a higher degree rate. If so, it becomes an immaterial statistic.



First off, there is no way in hell that Gerald McCoy would have been a second-round pick in 2009. Things certainly worked in Stoops' argument's favor this year, but those things can go both ways. Accurate draft projections are nearly impossible prior to the NFL combine and such. Stoops was also upset with Malcolm Kelly's decision to leave two years ago. What would Kelly's fortunes have been had he returned to OU, but was unable to play due to degenerative knees? The $400,000 roster bonus Kelly just collected in April, may be a spit in the ocean to Stoops. But Kelly is grateful for it!

As far as Malcolm Kelly goes, he was probably just upset with him in general. We got to see what kind of dude he was as is well documented here. I'm pretty sure Bob's plugged in to where people will go in the draft much more than the average joe. Hell, if Mel Kiper Jr. can pick a draft order with any modicum of accuracy, why wouldn't Bob have somebody on staff that could do the same?

[Leroy Lizard]

Disagree. That's a ridiculous statement. Not to mention, it is very easy for the early-entry athletes to continue classes, especially at OU where they have specific programs in place.

That is a little unrealistic. Sure, they COULD. But playing pro ball is a huge distraction and few can pull off the double career.

Some of my students often want to drop school for a year and come back. (Not because of me, btw) I advise against it. Sure, they COULD do this. But in my experience it is difficult to come back once you leave.

I agree with Stoops on this one.

[badger]

btw, another article on Stoops' time at OU here:

linky (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20100804_92_B1_Abovef711078)

very interesting read on how history dictates that Stoops might not be here much longer. I know it seems absurd right now, but that's probably what Tech was thinking about Leach after 39-33, what Rock Chalk was thinking about Mangino after 12-1 and an Orange Bowl victory, what Auburn was thinking of Tubby after an undefeated Sugar Bowl/SEC crown season.

Stoops is about to turn 50. Bud was out at 47 and Barry was out (of OU at least) at 51. Stoops is entering his 12th season. Bud quit after 17, Barry after 16, and Bernie was here the longest, at 22 years.

Stoops has been good for us, but all good things have to come to an end eventually, most unfortunately.

I personally would love to have him here a lot longer :D

[AZSOONER]

Good read, I like listening to Stoops, and I for one hope he stays another 10 years (at least)

[rawlingsHOH]

Hell, if Mel Kiper Jr. can pick a draft order with any modicum of accuracy, why wouldn't Bob have somebody on staff that could do the same?
He can't. They are ridiculously wrong until the Senior Bowl, Combine, Pro Day stuff starts coming out. About three years ago, about 1/3 of his preseason "Big Board" didn't even get drafted, let alone go first-round.

[rawlingsHOH]

Stoops is about to turn 50. Bud was out at 47 and Barry was out (of OU at least) at 51.

Wow! Doesn't seem possible.

[fwsooner22]

You gotta love these boards..........One of you takes apart what Stoops says and seems to indicate that an NFL player would continue his education while playing in the NFL and another of you has Stoops leaving.

Let me just say I loved that article. Thanks OK2U. I love Bob Stoops too.

[badger]

another of you has Stoops leaving.

:rolleyes: oh yeah, he's going to north damn. didn't you hear espn several months ago?

[Mississippi Sooner]

I was genuinely concerned about Stoops leaving after we won the MNC and there was talk of him going to Cleveland.

Ever since then, though, I barely pay attention to the talk. He'll leave when he feels the time is right. I've heard it said over and over again that it's the recruiting, not the coaching, that burns most of them out.

[AZSOONER]

I wasn't so much commenting on him leaving as much as I was about "some fans" wanting him to leave. He could break Jo Pa's record for longest tenure for all I care.

[colinreturn]

I have always thought overtime was unfair. I would always tell my friends that they should move the ball back.

I love stoops.