Big game this week obviously, but that doesn't necessarily mean we get any more from Stoops this week. But never the less, we're hear to give you all the details (and by all the details, we mean a whole lot of nothin'). As always you can watch it here.
As usual Stoops opened with some talk about last week's game. Singles out Landry as offensive player of the game. Jaz Reynolds and Ryan Broyles as well. Gabe Ikard, Stephen Good, and Lane Johnson as guys that stood out up front. On defense, Tony Jefferson (duh) and Ronnell Lewis.
Now on to the matter at hand.
Stoops said he could sense the anticipation in the locker room after the Ball State game.
The guys are looking forward to the challenge of going down there and playing Texas.
Says a lot has changed with them in that they have totally new schemes on both offense and defense. Very aggressive on defense, but felt that was the same when Muschamp was there.
Stoops was asked about Mack Brown saying the pressure was on OU and not Texas "Oh, whatever. I didn't hear that. If there is pressure, we welcome it. Not something we're not accustomed to here."
Stoops likes how well they've run the ball so far and especially how well they've protected the QB.
Asked if Whaley is the one guy on this team who might be able to handle more of the load in the run game. "Uh, yeah and he has been but we'll continue to rotate them all in like we do."
Asked if Trey Franks will start. "Probably not. He'll play though."
Asked if Brandon Williams will play. "Probably."
Stoops told the media guys that they'd have to ask Travis who was going to wear #12 this week.
Stoops talked about a team's statistics and how that can, in some ways, help them to plan what they want to do. Said it shows what they like to do, but you really have to pay attention to the little details in all that (like the score at the time, situations in the game, etc.).
Stoops was asked if he'd be surprised if they were ranked #4 if they can beat Texas. He basically said he didn't care.
Stoops admits that there is a special feeling to this game that others do not have. Said it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Stoops says that there were difference between what they were asking McCoy/Ash to do, but now they are really doing more of the same things.
Says that Broyles and Stills are right up there with any Sooner WR duo in school history, but says a couple times that Mark Bradley and Brandon Jones were pretty good as well.
Stoops reiterates his comments from the spring and this year that he was confident Jaz Reynolds would step up, so he's not surprised by his play these last couple weeks.
Stoops talks about remembering watching Jefferson's h.s. tape and talking about how special he thought he'd be. Making plays on offense and defense, just that special quality you can't teach.
Asked about realignment for some unapparent reason and basically just says that OU and Texas compliment each other well and you have to keep in mind the long term consequences of any decisions made in the present.
Stoops talks about some of his favorite RRSO plays. Superman, Brandon Everage's sack (says he thinks it was the year they shut them out), and not allowing Jason White to throw because they were up so much (can you say AWESOME! This is easily the comment of the day from Bob).
Asked if he could tell that Texas was going to have such a down year last year. "No, I tend to focus on what we're doing."
Stoops says that Jeffcoat and others do a good job of getting pressure and causing problems in protection. Said they do a very good job of mixing things up.
Stoops talking about not really getting to experience the fair except for after the 2000 game when he and the players hung around for a couple hours afterwards. Said they've never done that again, but not because he wouldn't let them but that the players generally want to go home and not hang around.
Stoops says this rivlary has everything you could ever want. "We don't like them and they don't like us. It's pretty much that simple."
Stoops gets some chuckles talking about how little he could care about fans yelling stuff at him, especially on their way into the fair.
Stoops is asked about the fans all thinking their respective rivalries being the best and says that it changes for everybody once you're in it. Says when he was at Florida, the Georgia game was special. Now this game takes the cake.
Well, that's it. Pretty uneventful even for a Stoops presser if I do say so myself. Not sure what I expected, but I guess I thought they'd have more interesting questions today considering the upcoming opponent. Guess that disappointment is what I get for putting my faith in the media in attendance.