Stoops taking on Saban and SEC again

[swardboy]

Bob Stoops takes issue with Nick Saban calling the Sugar Bowl a 'consolation game'

By Graham Watson (http://sports.yahoo.com/author/graham-watson/)23 hours agoDr. Saturda (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/)yC: (http://screen.yahoo.com/ncaaf-videotron-index/scoophd-alt-unis-scheduling-000400339.html)
Bob Stoops hasn’t been shy about taking on the SEC in the media, so when he heard Alabama coach Nick Saban tried to downgrade the Sooners' 45-31 win against the Tide in the Sugar Bowl last season, Stoops fired back.

During an appearance on ESPN on Tuesday, Saban said it was difficult "getting [his team] to try to play a consolation game."

Alabama was No. 1 in the national rankings before it was upset by Auburn during the final week of the regular season. The loss bumped the Tide from the SEC title game and ultimately the national championship game.

When asked about Saban’s comments during Big 12 media days on Tuesday, Stoops made it clear he wasn’t buying the excuse.

“We’ve played for quite a few national championships and when we don’t play for one it never seems to be the mantra but anyway you can make all the excuses you want or not,” he said. "The bottom line is, it is what it is.

“And they sure looked good that first series, I’ll tell you that.”

Stoops didn’t stop there. He continued to rail against Saban during his interviews with ESPN on Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time Alabama has played the "consolation game" card. It was the same excuse the Tide used when it lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl in 2009.
Stoops also took aim at the rest of the SEC and the perception that it’s the toughest conference in the country.

Maybe no one should mention that Texas A&M’s strength of schedule is No. 5, according to the NCAA (http://www.fbschedules.com/2014/04/2014-college-football-strength-of-schedule-ncaa-method/), and Oklahoma’s is 93.
Still, it’s good to see Stoops’ SEC troll game is on point this early in the season.

[soonergirlNeugene]

I love how ESPN tagged their article with the headline "Stoops bashes Saban 'consolation' remark". Keep on sensationalizing.. Everything Stoops said was spot-on.

[SoonerPride]

Good.

Someone needs to point out that the SEC isn't head and shoulders above anyone else.

And Saban is king of the whiners.

I'm glad Stoops said this. I hope he says more.

[TAFBSooner]

"Texcuses" just fits. The words fit, the entitlement mentality fits.

Somehow "Alabama" and "excuses" don't go together. But Saban is sure trying to change all that.

[Wishboned]

I think it says a lot about the players and the coaches if they can't get fired up to play a bowl game. That they're so spoiled if it's not the title game then they just don't have the pride to go out and play hard.

And last time Stoops talked smack on the SEC he backed it up.

[Wishboned]

This was on the Bleacher Report..

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2139757-why-bob-stoops-nick-saban-rivalry-is-what-the-college-football-playoff-needs


Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops is angry, and he's not going to take it anymore.

On the heels of the 14 SEC head coaches going through ESPN's "Car Wash" at its corporate headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, Stoops and the rest of the Big 12's head coaches made the rounds at the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

In the process, Stoops took several shots at Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

When asked what he thought of Saban saying he felt his team treated the 2014 Sugar Bowl between the two schools as a "consolation game," Stoops fired back.

"They didn't look like it was a consolation game on that first drive when they scored a touchdown and everyone thought they were going to rout us," Stoops told ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy. "I've been in plenty of those [non-national title games]. We've played in a bunch of national championship games, right? ... That's a good one.

"So that means I've got a built-in excuse the next time we don't play for a national championship?"

Good for Stoops for calling Saban out on his excuse, because that's exactly what it is.

What did you expect Stoops to do? Sit around and let one of his peers diminish the accomplishment of his team? Of course not. He fought back after one took shots at the Sooners.

Make no mistake, that's exactly what they were—shots.

By calling it a consolation game and talking about complacency—which is a narrative Saban has been selling all offseason, according to Mike Herndon of AL.com—Saban is essentially saying that Oklahoma didn't beat Alabama. Alabama beat Alabama.

That's simply wrong. Oklahoma whipped Alabama, thoroughly and decisively.

Stoops mentioned that he didn't detect any drop-off in effort from Alabama during the first drive of the game—a four-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run.

That was the case for the entire game, even early. After quarterback AJ McCarron threw a pick on the second drive, the Tide marched 65 yards for a field goal and then 80 for a touchdown to close out the first quarter. They racked up a whopping 516 total yards and averaged 7.94 yards per play.

Complacency didn't seem to be an issue for the offense, did it?

The Tide's defense was out-schemed by the Sooners, as quarterback Trevor Knight broke out and led his team to 31 first-half points. He's a young player who got better during bowl practice, which has nothing to do with Alabama's complacency or the Crimson Tide at all.

Alabama fought, and lost. That happens, even to talented teams like Alabama.

Now the stage is set for what could become a budding rivalry in the age of the College Football Playoff.

Alabama is going to be a popular pick to make the inaugural four-team postseason tournament, and Bleacher Report colleague Michael Felder and I both picked Oklahoma to make the field in our midsummer playoff video:


Stoops never has an issue stating his mind.

He notoriously called out the SEC last offseason and then backed it up when he got the chance in New Orleans. In a day and age of increased coachspeak and a dwindling number of characters like LSU's Les Miles and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, we need to embrace the ones who are willing to step forward.

Stoops didn't back down at ESPN. In fact, he seemed eager to speak his mind.

A nice way to break in the new postseason format would be to welcome this rivalry and its war of words between coaches.

Can you imagine the tension leading up to an Alabama vs. Oklahoma national semifinal in, just for tradition's sake, the Sugar Bowl? That'd be tremendous for the event and the sport.

The age of big money and conference realignment has erased some of the traditions and rivalries that made college football great. While Texas vs. Texas A&M and other big-time rivalry games remain off the schedule for now, let's embrace the potential for new rivalries when they present themselves.

Saban and Stoops just put the Alabama vs. Oklahoma rivalry on a tee for the college football world, and if it materializes in the inaugural College Football Playoff, it'd be a home run for the sport.

[swardboy]

^ Whoo Hoo...I like your article's spin better!

[Mac94]

Stoops is carrying the banner for the conference and more importantly Oklahoma ... good for him. And considering the Sugar Bowl and how OU finished ... he has room to talk.

[tnraider1]

Unfortunately I've spent the past 2 days explaining to "SEC fans" why Bob's comments are true. A total waste of time. Same discussion over and over.

Them: "But it was a consolation game. Alabama didn't care cause they weren't playing for the title.
Me: "So you are saying they have no heart?"
Them: "No, that's not it. The just didn't want it.
Me: (Shakes head)

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, "Never argue with an idiot. The will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."

[picasso]

This is such a weak argument. They came out jacked up. No denying it.
And if this holds water then get off our jock about that silly Boise State game.

[SoonerPride]

This is such a weak argument. They came out jacked up. No denying it.
And if this holds water then get off our jock about that silly Boise State game.

Exactly.

If Stoops had called the Fiesta Bowl a 'consolation game' after we lost to Boise St the media and our fans would have gone ballistic.

That Saban hasn't been excoriated for his comments to me shows a terrible media bias. They should laugh in his face at those comments.

Stoops is 100% right.

Saban is a whiner and excuse machine.

[Wishboned]

Maybe no one should mention that Texas A&M’s strength of schedule is No. 5, , and Oklahoma’s is 93.
Still, it’s good to see Stoops’ SEC troll game is on point this early in the season.


Nice to see that scheduling such OOC juggernauts like Lamar, Rice, SMU and ULM will get you the 5th toughest strength of schedule.

[Mac94]

Nice to see that scheduling such OOC juggernauts like Lamar, Rice, SMU and ULM will get you the 5th toughest strength of schedule.

While out OOC sucks this year it should be noted that Rice did beat La Tech (badly) and Tulsa (OUs first two opponents) as well as Kansas last year. ;)

[BoulderSooner79]

Exactly.

If Stoops had called the Fiesta Bowl a 'consolation game' after we lost to Boise St the media and our fans would have gone ballistic.



Maybe, but I remember some of our fans pulling out the 'ol "we didn't want to be there" excuse.

[SoonerPride]

Exactly.

If Stoops had called the Fiesta Bowl a 'consolation game' after we lost to Boise St the media and our fans would have gone ballistic.



Maybe, but I remember some of our fans pulling out the 'ol "we didn't want to be there" excuse.

Some fans maybe.

But that's a far cry from the head coach trying that line.

[picasso]

Maybe, but I remember some of our fans pulling out the 'ol "we didn't want to be there" excuse.

Fans or coach? We're talking about what the coach said. Fans are crazy.

[BoulderSooner79]

Fans or coach? We're talking about what the coach said. Fans are crazy.

The statement was that our fans would not accept Stoops saying what Saban said. I was just wondering if that is true if the fans were already thinking the same thing. Of course, I have no idea what percentage of fans were making such an excuse, but some did post here. Or it could also be our fans would support Stoops regardless just as Bama fans support Saban :black_eyed:

[picasso]

Ah good point. I just didn't hear Stoops mention that excuse when we played Oregon in the Tom Holiday Bowl.

[TAFBSooner]

I hope we meet Alabama in the playoffs - preferably in New Orleans. It will be a "no consolation" bowl for them.

[swardboy]

^ This. Would be epic.

[Sabanball]

I'll defend your coach a little on this one. Nick is usually a little more guarded in the words he uses, but when he used the term 'consolation game' in describing the Sugar Bowl on the radio that day(I was listening to it)I knew right then that he had stepped in it. Bob has caught some flack for his response to it that I really don't understand.

Up until now, Bob has had our number and it is what it is. The good thing about the four team playoff format is we should get some opportunities to hopefully work toward evening up that 1-3-1 record that we have against you guys.:wink:

[swardboy]

Sumlin mouths off....

Kevin Sumlin issues challenge to Bob Stoops

Posted by Brent Sobleski on July 26, 2014, 6:21 PM EDT
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops recentlytook a shot at a former rival, the Texas A&M Aggies, and their soft non-conference schedule (http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/23/did-oklahomas-bob-stoops-criticize-texas-ams-scheduling-yessir/)during an interview with ESPN. Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin didn’t back down from the challenge when asked about Stoops’ comments.

“Coach Stoops has the right to say whatever he wants, but if he wants to play us again we’ll take him up on that,” Sumlin told aggiesports.com (https://twitter.com/Aggie_Sports/statuses/492855747412127744).

It was the perfect response from Sumlin. Not only does he avoid going tit-for-tat with Stoops, but it’s a potential opportunity to strengthen the Aggies’ schedule in the future and rekindle a playing relationship against Texas A&M’s former conference, the Big 12.

The reality is Stoops was correct in his assessment. Texas A&M doesn’t play a bunch of “toughies.”

Since Sumlin took over the program, the Aggies’ non-conference schedule has included the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, SMU Mustangs, South Carolina State Bulldogs, Sam Houston State BearKats, Rice Owls, UTEP Miners, Lamar Cardinal and ULM Warhawks.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, has scheduled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (twice) and the Tennessee Volunteers over the same period.

The blame can’t be laid at Sumlin’s feet. Schedules are made years in advance. Even so, the programs Texas A&M scheduled were never among the country’s best. But that’s set to change in the coming years when Texas A&M plays the Arizona State Sun Devils (2015) and the UCLA Bruins (2016).

And there is still room to add the Sooners to those schedules.

[Mac94]

As I said in another thread ... the OOC mess is a result of our transition into the SEC and Arkansas (10 yr OOC contract) becoming a conference game. Next year we play Arizona St. in Houston, we also have a home and home lined up with Oregon and UCLA coming up. Same thing happened to us in the mid 90's when the Big-12 formed ... we had OOC contracts with Colorado (95 and 96) followed by Nebraska (97 and 98) as well as a contract with LSU thru 97. LSU broke contract following 1995 and the others became conference games which killed our OOC for most of the decade ... really didn't get back on track until 2000 with the start of the Notre Dame home and home. We have generally followed the same OOC template as most schools ... one marquee OOC with the rest being more "buy" home gates. Our "marquee" game, though, got messed up in the change of conferences.

[KantoSooner]

So, just to make things clear, TAMU's scheduling of the little sisters of the poor was an accident of fate and not a congenital wussiness related in an unknown way to the Corps of Cadets' love of beastiality with herding dogs?

[Mac94]

I figure Bob's comments about our schedule have to do with recruiting as much as anything else (as does Sumlin's reply). It could be taken as an SEC / playoff thing but let's be honest ... I don't think the playoff committee is going to have to worry about A&M this year. The SEC contender with the weakest OOC this year would be Bama .. but Bob won't call them out because to do that would be to insult W. Virginia and the Big-12 by extension. If the playoff committee is going to have to wrestle with a potential conference champ with a weak OOC ... there's a much better example sitting right there for Bob to use ... but he won't because OU has to face them November 8th. Baylor could be a real test case for the committee with their OOC of SMU, Northwestern St., and Buffalo.

[SoonerForLife92]

I wish every team regularly scheduled other powerhouses and non cupcakes, we would be able to tell a lot more from the regular season. Of course I completely agree with Stoop's comments, any coach or fan outside of the SEC or not a media sheep would see the truth in them.

On a side note.. Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is the difference between a home and home series and a home and away series?

[badger]

Get yourself a sports wife, fellas. We know our football (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/blog/ou-sports-ever-hear-about-the-time-bob-stoops-learned/article_f5e709f5-a5fe-511c-b67b-d495b4d77e99.html):


“My wife woke up about seven. I was getting ready to go in the office. She said, ‘What did you find out?’ I said, ‘Well, the good news is we’re going to the Sugar Bowl, it looks like. The bad news is it looks like Alabama.’

“She says, right back, ‘They’re probably saying the same thing. They’ve gotta play Oklahoma.’

“That put a smile on my face and I went to work.”

[swardboy]

On a side note.. Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is the difference between a home and home series and a home and away series?

Home and home: Both games will be played at the same location. Usually cupcakes do this for the money.

[BoulderSooner79]

Get yourself a sports wife, fellas. We know our football (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/blog/ou-sports-ever-hear-about-the-time-bob-stoops-learned/article_f5e709f5-a5fe-511c-b67b-d495b4d77e99.html):

Okay, but my current wife always gets mad when I do that. I'll probably have to clean out the garage or something.

[SoonerForLife92]

Home and home: Both games will be played at the same location. Usually cupcakes do this for the money.

Sooo in Mac's post is A&M the cupcake team to Oregon and UCLA ha