John Rohde, sports columnist
Rohde: Could BCS National Championship loss send Bob Stoops packing?
By John Rohde
Comments
157
Published: January 9, 2009
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With Thursday night's 24-14 loss to Florida in the BCS championship game, Bob Stoops is now 4-6 in postseason play as Oklahoma's football coach.

OU coach Bob Stoops walks off the field after OU's 24-14 loss to Florida in the BCS National Championship Thursday. Photo by Bryan Terry
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He is 105-18 in all remaining games and has claimed six
Big 12 Championships.
Will Stoops' latest postseason heartache be his postmortem at OU?
Might this loss send Stoops packing?
Stoops previously said he had not been contacted by the
Denver Broncos, who are owned by OU grad
Pat Bowlen.
Now that the season is complete, it is anticipated the Broncos will seek permission to interview Stoops for their vacant coaching position.
On Jan. 1, Stoops fulfilled his 10-year stay clause requirement for a $3 million bonus, so he has a chance to take the money and run.
Following Thursday's game at
Dolphin Stadium, Stoops didn't sound like a man who was going anywhere anytime soon.
Asked about his continuing postseason woes, Stoops said, "In the end, I'll be glad to try it again next year. If that's the biggest burden I have to bear in my life, I'll be a pretty lucky guy. We're going to do our best to be back at it, try it again next year. We'll keep going after 'em, if it's all the same to everybody else."
Stoops may have zero interest in the Broncos' job.
He may have some interest.
He may have great interest.
It's impossible to know until the process begins, which could start as early as today.
Stoops has qualified for the national title game an astounding four times in his 10 seasons as the
Sooners' coach.
Some frustrated OU wackos might feel it's time for a coaching change, which is a ludicrous thought.
I'm not exactly sure what the shelf life is for winning a national title is, but eight years certainly ought to suffice, especially given what happened to the Sooners' program throughout the 1990s.
Stoops is now 1-3 in national title games, which is much better than 0-4, and a whole lot more impressive than 0-0.
Surprisingly, what prevented Stoops from upping his title game record to 2-2 was his team's inability to convert scoring opportunities inside the red zone (the opponent's 20-yard line) on Thursday night.
During the season, the Sooners scored 76 times in 80 trips inside the red zone, with 69 of those scores being touchdowns.
In the second quarter against the Gators, they were 1 for 3.
OU failed to convert on third and fourth down from the Florida 1-yard line and on its next possession threw an interception on first-and-goal from the 6 with 10 seconds remaining before intermission.
"You know, I tried to force one in there, but I probably should have thrown it in the back of the end zone and taken the three points (with a field goal)," said Sooners quarterback and 2008
Heisman Trophy winner
Sam Bradford.
Instead of OU potentially leading 21-7, the game was in a 7-7 deadlock at halftime.
"As ironic as it is, we've been so efficient the entire year in the red zone," Stoops said. "We had some opportunities to make a difference in the first half (and) came up short. Those are all opportunities for production, for points, that we didn't get. To me, that's part of the end."
Was that part of the end just for Thursday's game, or possibly the end of Stoops' tenure at OU?
John Rohde: 475-3099. John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 6-7 p.m. on The Sports Animal Network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1.
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its won, idiot! O.k. maybe you didn't make it through the 6th grade.
Hey James you are forgetting one thing--Bob Stoops has a 6-4 winning record against your whining coach Mack Brown since he came to OU. And even better OU has one the Big Twelve Championship 6 out of the 12 years and poor little mackie Brown-nose has only 2 big twelve championships. So Keep on talking trash and push OU down because you can't change the past and facts are OU and Bob have proven themselves over little Mack and the milk cows. Oh and I commend you for being honest and admitting you are from Memphis TX-Their claim to fame is a great big auto junk yard- I thought it was a big junk yard until I realized that part of that gigantic junk yard was the town of Memphis--and 1 more question the woman who gave birth to you--Do you call her mom or sis because either would be right in your case you inbred texan oh wait inbred and texan have the same meaning.
Andrew, Clinton - Jan 10, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Report as inappropriate or Ignore Andrew
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its 8:31 pm CST and OU still sucks! idiot!
Mom jokes...you must have gotten through at least 6th grade, ok Andrew.....Tell your mom to stop kicking the help when she gets milked.
P.S. Is that really the best you have Andrew? James 8 Andrew 0
Mom jokes...you must have gotten through at least 6th grade, ok Andrew.....Tell your mom to stop kicking the help when she gets milked.
P.S. Is that really the best you have Andrew? James 8 Andrew 0
I'd make Ohio State +4 1/2 favorites if Big Game Bob stays..... and the game a pick'em if Bob leaves.
At least one of these teams would finally win a bowl game.
Their fans could start wearing their next best loser gear with some limited pride (just in the company of their fellow fans).
Perhaps if Stoops leaves, we could all be so lucky if Rhode left, too.
Remember to 'ignore' my comments on this article as well. Wouldn't want to hurt your feelings and cause poor Sooner fans to stop traveling to see your team lose. We need someone to laugh at next October in Dallas.
it's 6:54 pm CST ladies and gentlemen, and OU still sucks!
in case you forgot... its now 6:32 pm CST and OU still sucks!
cat got your tongue? or are you all just like Big Game Bob (a.k.a Marv Levy)...who runs his mouth after a win and then has no comment after another choke!
Sooner fans, enjoy a nice long winter, spring, and summer...you'll have ample time to reflect on the art of choking away a BCS game!
pro coaches do finishing first. In the pros he would be expected to win div. titles and
super-bowls(bowls, nasty word) you know that ain't happening, he would always be a
wild card coach.
Be happy with what we have, realize how lucky we were to win in 2000 because those young men really were/are champions. Sponge Bob is just along for the ride (and the $M and much adoration from a bunch of ignorant goobers).
Kevin Wilson really should go get some therapy to see where his imagination went. He had one once.
There is a pattern here. Few are figuring it out. You are getting sleepy, you will place $200 cash in an envelope and mail it to me. If a few thousand of you ignorant posters do this, I'll be as rich as Sponge Bob Bowl Flop!
We are fortunate to have Bob Stoops. Remember the pain of the decade prior to his arrival in Norman. Averaging 11+ wins per season for 10 years?? I'll take it.
It was SHEER TORTURE every Saturday afternoon.
I hope I don't live long enough to see anything like that again.
BTW....Utah should've been named #1 in the AP. They have played a strong schedule and are undefeated.
And in response to some who think that Mack Brown has class....what world do you live in? How about NO-CLASS!
It was great game, two very good teams very easily could have gone the Sooner's way, just a couple of plays away. Even Urban Meyer admitted that the two INTs, the one that bounced up and was juggled at the goal and the one that Iglesias had ripped out if his hands were the difference in the game. He never mentioned Saint Tebow.
I still think the Sooners are great and Bob Stoops is a great coach...
What a bunch of ungreatful idiots you are!!!!!!!!!
Remember the years between Barry and Bob?
I'll continue to buy the same seats at Owen Stadium as I have for over 32 years. Just wish I could get Bob Berry down here for away games! And, Rohde is FOS as usual.
Curley Bob, Houston
Remember the years between Barry and Bob?
I'll continue to buy the same seats at Owen Stadium as I have for over 32 years. Just wish I could get Bob Berry down here for away games! And, Rohde is FOS as usual.
Curley Bob, Houston
My Georgia friends always comment about this and seem to appreciate it. This is a credit to somebody and I give it to Stoops and the staff. This is college football and there is more to it than winning everything all the time. I am very thankful for the last 10 years of Sooner football and it's fine with me if we go 1-3 in BCS title games or whatever during the next 9 years.
And, I'm tired of hearing all this rose-colored talk about how Stoops is such a great coach, and how we've been to so many NC games, yadda, yadda, yadda. The fact is, Stoops himself embraced the expectation of the Sooner Nation, and those expectations are that OU will compete for and win national championship year in and year out. Remember Stoops' first press conference just after he got hired? Remember what he said then:
"We will not shy away from these expectations, we will embrace them."
OK...if the expectation is to win championships, then clearly OU is not meeting it (lately). Changes are required in order to get there. Stoops needs to take a long look at his staff and figure out whether or not these are the guys who can deliver on these expectations. If they are not, then a change is required.
Coach Stoops isn't going anywhere and I want him and the whole staff to stay on. Questionable play calling, yes at times. Here is what I don't get. For a month, actually since the UT loss, the media SMACK talked how bad our Defense was, how bad our Special teams were Both those groups showed up big time The offense never got in sync. UF defense was some of it, but I think it was taking too long to second guess the offensive play calling.
Stoops and crew, stay on and take the team there again.
When, as you have done in the past, you call Billy Sims and embarassment,you are out of touch with that for which OU football stands. When you accept anything less than a national championship, you are out of touch with that for which OU football stands. When you call those who believe its time for change wackos you are out of touch with that for which OU football stands. I have lived in other parts of the country and, at the end of the day, there is no place where college football is more importnat to the state than Oklahoma.
I am the quintessential OU fan. I did not go to school there. I cannot name one academic building on campus. I do not donate money. I refer to a coach's tenure as "when he was in office." And, I do not watch anymore games after the third loss in a season.
With yestereves' loss, we now have a bright red line demarking Stoops form Switzer.
Who, among those old enough, can forget Barry squatted down, on a cold, dreary Nebraska sideline sucking on a cigarette so hard that his veins popped from his neck as Jammin' Jamelle Holieway tossed a long ball to the immortal Keith Jackson to set up a Lashar winner. There is no such drive, creativity, or, most importantly, SOONER MAGIC from Stoops. With no more SOONER MAGIC, we are destined for ever to end the regaular season at number one and finish at number seven after the bowls.
Next, Stoops can't make adjustments. If the offense works, the Sooners score one hundred zillion, if not there is no plan b. The University has spent $1.5 billion on new buildings in the decade past, why can't they find an offensive coordinator who can handle the blitz.
In the end, OU must either redefine the program to be like Georgia, Iowa, Auburn, Penn State and others of this ilk who are happy with two loss seasons that yield a top 10 finish or OU can remain OU. I think it is time for Stoops to leave and OU to win National Championships again.Time to bring back Barry and the 'Bone.
I'm on the fence - I like some of what bob does and don't like some BUT we play all games each year to have a realistic chance to play for it all - the National Championship. Winning all the others is just a way to get there and if we don't have a 40% chance at least to win the big one - there's no point in not playing in the Poinsetta Bowl.
There's some reason Bob has failed in 5 straight tries. What is it in your opinion? Something is missing here and we've had several defenses including some a lot better than our current one. Is it Kevin Wilson and his unimaginative play calling - no end arounds, no reverses, few shovel passes, no wishbone, no options, no flea flickers. I believe this defense is not very good but there's more involved here. Tebow went in there and made plays -some worked and some didn't - Sam Bradford kept change the play at the line on every offensive play - letting the defense know they were getting into his mind.
Stoops is still the head guy but he better know more about what plays his offensive coordinator calls and get some imagination in there.
I think it may be time for him to go. We fans don't hang around all year to keep ending like this.
John Hansen
I'm on the fence - I like some of what bob does and don't like some BUT we play all games each year to have a realistic chance to play for it all - the National Championship. Winning all the others is just a way to get there and if we don't have a 40% chance at least to win the big one - there's no point in not playing in the Poinsetta Bowl.
There's some reason Bob has failed in 5 straight tries. What is it in your opinion? Something is missing here and we've had several defenses including some a lot better than our current one. Is it Kevin Wilson and his unimaginative play calling - no end arounds, no reverses, few shovel passes, no wishbone, no options, no flea flickers. I believe this defense is not very good but there's more involved here. Tebow went in there and made plays -some worked and some didn't - Sam Bradford kept change the play at the line on every offensive play - letting the defense know they were getting into his mind.
Stoops is still the head guy but he better know more about what plays his offensive coordinator calls and get some imagination in there.
I think it may be time for him to go. We fans don't hang around all year to keep ending like this.
John Hansen
Yes, I'm as sick about losing last night as anyone but, just getting there is so tough that it's enough for now. And, as long as Bob is our head coach, we'll be back again and again. Who wouldn't want to have that to look forward to. I just hope Bob never reads all this crap about him not being good enough. They don't get any better. He's not only a great coach but, a great man and one I'd want my kids to look up to anytime.
Okie Bob
Sorry Sponge Bob Bowl Flop, you better just enjoy your success at OU.
I bet Texas would have beat Florida....
I bet Texas would have beat Florida....
I won't comment on whether Bob Stoops should move on or not. That's his business. He's a great conference-level coach and will continue to compete for Big-XII supremacy for as long as chooses to. What's my business, as a fan, is to call the Sooner Nation as I see it. If it's the work of Oklahoma to win national championships, and Stoops has always said it is, then that is the standard by which Sooner recruiting and coaching must be judged. They have been tried and found not up to the task. Who knows whether OU will play in another BCS championship while Stoops is coach. But in any case, they cannot win one with the current coaching staff. They've had more than enough time and opportunity to prove that they cannot. Coaching is everything.
Love him or leave him, he is Big-XII Bob.
I won't comment on whether Bob Stoops should move on or not. That's his business. He's a great conference-level coach and will continue to compete for Big-XII supremacy for as long as chooses to. What's my business, as a fan, is to call the Sooner Nation as I see it. If it's the work of Oklahoma to win national championships, and Stoops has always said it is, then that is the standard by which Sooner recruiting and coaching must be judged. They have been tried and found not up to the task. Who knows whether OU will play in another BCS championship while Stoops is coach. But in any case, they cannot win one with the current coaching staff. They've had more than enough time and opportunity to prove that they cannot. Coaching is everything.
Love him or leave him, he is Big-XII Bob.