"I brought you into the coaching world and in a couple of weeks I plan on taking you out of it"......
Damn Just like that.
Bob Stoops on facing Brent Venables, last year's 36-point loss to Clemson and dropping to the No. 4 CFP seed
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Nati Harnik/AP
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops reacts after a touchdown against Kansas State in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Manhattan, Kan., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops recently held a joint teleconference ahead of the matchup between the teams in the Orange Bowl. Here are some highlights from Stoops' part of the interview ahead of the CFP:
Click here to view Dabo Swinney's highlights where he talks about being the underdog against Oklahoma and least year's 40-6 beat down of the Sooners.
Opening statement:
"As the head coach here at Oklahoma I just wanted to say again how excited we are to be going to the Capital One Orange Bowl. We know Miami and all of the people associated with the Orange Bowl do an incredible job. Excited to play a great opponent in Clemson who is on a 16-game winning streak. [They're] an excellent and a great team. Dabo and his staff do an awesome job. They're team that beat us bad just a year ago in our last bowl game. Credit to our players to give us this opportunity to be Big 12 champs. The way they worked, the way they kind of evolved and morphed through the season to improve as we went along and to give ourself this opportunity is great. It isn't just about the opportunity. You've got to go down there to win. That's what we'll be focused on in the next three weeks. Everybody is excited about it."
On how much Clemson football he's seen this year and not facing Deshaun Watson in last year's bowl game:
"Well you see really good football. You see a team that plays really smart, disciplined football. A team that defensively both last year and this year has really gotten after it, playing very well. We didn't see Deshaun Watson last year. [That's] probably a good thing in that they still beat us bad. I think he's exceptional. What a great athlete. [He's] a thrower, a runner, poise. The little I have seen from them I really have a great respect and appreciation of what a quality player he is. He'll be a challenge to get ready for."
On if he was concerned if the season could go south in a hurry after the loss to the Texas Longhorns:
"There's no one thing. No one game makes or breaks a season, although a big rivalry game like that for us is important. We were incredibly disappointed after it. I had a talk with the assistant coaches that we have to remain positive, we have to point out areas that we've got to push to improve and make sure we're doing the right things in practice to improve on them. I thought we did that. We addressed a lot of issues even that week, make a lot of good improvement in a week's time. No one else has gone to Kansas State, they've had a good year, and win 55-0 at their place the week after shows that the players had a really tough mindset and really took to heart the improvement as did the assistant coaches and myself."
On going against Brent Venables again:
"Yeah it's different. When you've been in a fox hole so closely for so long, I've got a great appreciation and respect for Brent. I know Dabo does now as well. He's done a great job for them. I'm excited for him, happy for him that he and they have had so much success. Once you tee it and tee it off, that gets put aside for about four hours. That never changes a relationship. There's still a great respect, appreciation and friendship between all of us."
On if he'll look back at last year's 40-6 loss to Clemson to motivate his team:
"You look back and even though Deshaun Watson wasn't playing, that part of it is a little bit different. All of the run game with his is so challenging to deal with. That part will be different. There's enough games this year to watch and study. But we'll look at it, definitely. There's things that pertain to last year that we have to correct and bet better and improve on. Of course. We'll pay very close attention to last year and every part of the game."
On what he thinks of the CFP in year two:
"I think we're headed in a positive direction this year. With the way this has played out with four teams there doesn't seem to be a lot of consternation about the teams or this team got left out. I think we're headed in a good direction. I think last year with the viewership and the TV coverage was really positive for everybody. I think it's going in a really positive direction. I think what us as coaches, I'm not speaking for all coaches, but I think you just have to be careful going from four to eight [teams] or whatever because the bowl system for all of the teams that are not in the final four or final eight need to exist. It needs to be positive and continue because I think that's been good, and healthy and positive for college football overall. You wouldn't want that to go away and all of a sudden now you're just in a whole playoff system."
On if he thinks his team will relish the chance to face Clemson again:
"I think everything is motivation. They are No. 1, have been a long time. They have, I think, the longest winning streak at 16. They beat us bad just a year ago. We have a chance to if you win to move on to a national championship. We have our own motivation outside of that. You find motivation in all of it. Surely common sense tells you all of that."
On if he was disappointed that the team fell from No. 3 to No. 4 and if he thinks he could have lobbied for an SEC matchup since he's been outspoken about them in the past:
"I haven't been outspoken about the SEC. I was asked a question. It's getting boring now. [It was] about three years ago, I had a legitimate answer and we've played SEC teams since. When does that ever go away? I don't know. No. I could care less about No. 3 or No. 4. If you're good enough to win you're going to have to play the next best team that won the next game. You're not avoiding anybody once you get in this situation. In the end this is fine the way it's ended up."
Damn Just like that.
Bob Stoops on facing Brent Venables, last year's 36-point loss to Clemson and dropping to the No. 4 CFP seed
This Story is About...
Nati Harnik/AP
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops reacts after a touchdown against Kansas State in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Manhattan, Kan., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops recently held a joint teleconference ahead of the matchup between the teams in the Orange Bowl. Here are some highlights from Stoops' part of the interview ahead of the CFP:
Click here to view Dabo Swinney's highlights where he talks about being the underdog against Oklahoma and least year's 40-6 beat down of the Sooners.
Opening statement:
"As the head coach here at Oklahoma I just wanted to say again how excited we are to be going to the Capital One Orange Bowl. We know Miami and all of the people associated with the Orange Bowl do an incredible job. Excited to play a great opponent in Clemson who is on a 16-game winning streak. [They're] an excellent and a great team. Dabo and his staff do an awesome job. They're team that beat us bad just a year ago in our last bowl game. Credit to our players to give us this opportunity to be Big 12 champs. The way they worked, the way they kind of evolved and morphed through the season to improve as we went along and to give ourself this opportunity is great. It isn't just about the opportunity. You've got to go down there to win. That's what we'll be focused on in the next three weeks. Everybody is excited about it."
On how much Clemson football he's seen this year and not facing Deshaun Watson in last year's bowl game:
"Well you see really good football. You see a team that plays really smart, disciplined football. A team that defensively both last year and this year has really gotten after it, playing very well. We didn't see Deshaun Watson last year. [That's] probably a good thing in that they still beat us bad. I think he's exceptional. What a great athlete. [He's] a thrower, a runner, poise. The little I have seen from them I really have a great respect and appreciation of what a quality player he is. He'll be a challenge to get ready for."
On if he was concerned if the season could go south in a hurry after the loss to the Texas Longhorns:
"There's no one thing. No one game makes or breaks a season, although a big rivalry game like that for us is important. We were incredibly disappointed after it. I had a talk with the assistant coaches that we have to remain positive, we have to point out areas that we've got to push to improve and make sure we're doing the right things in practice to improve on them. I thought we did that. We addressed a lot of issues even that week, make a lot of good improvement in a week's time. No one else has gone to Kansas State, they've had a good year, and win 55-0 at their place the week after shows that the players had a really tough mindset and really took to heart the improvement as did the assistant coaches and myself."
On going against Brent Venables again:
"Yeah it's different. When you've been in a fox hole so closely for so long, I've got a great appreciation and respect for Brent. I know Dabo does now as well. He's done a great job for them. I'm excited for him, happy for him that he and they have had so much success. Once you tee it and tee it off, that gets put aside for about four hours. That never changes a relationship. There's still a great respect, appreciation and friendship between all of us."
On if he'll look back at last year's 40-6 loss to Clemson to motivate his team:
"You look back and even though Deshaun Watson wasn't playing, that part of it is a little bit different. All of the run game with his is so challenging to deal with. That part will be different. There's enough games this year to watch and study. But we'll look at it, definitely. There's things that pertain to last year that we have to correct and bet better and improve on. Of course. We'll pay very close attention to last year and every part of the game."
On what he thinks of the CFP in year two:
"I think we're headed in a positive direction this year. With the way this has played out with four teams there doesn't seem to be a lot of consternation about the teams or this team got left out. I think we're headed in a good direction. I think last year with the viewership and the TV coverage was really positive for everybody. I think it's going in a really positive direction. I think what us as coaches, I'm not speaking for all coaches, but I think you just have to be careful going from four to eight [teams] or whatever because the bowl system for all of the teams that are not in the final four or final eight need to exist. It needs to be positive and continue because I think that's been good, and healthy and positive for college football overall. You wouldn't want that to go away and all of a sudden now you're just in a whole playoff system."
On if he thinks his team will relish the chance to face Clemson again:
"I think everything is motivation. They are No. 1, have been a long time. They have, I think, the longest winning streak at 16. They beat us bad just a year ago. We have a chance to if you win to move on to a national championship. We have our own motivation outside of that. You find motivation in all of it. Surely common sense tells you all of that."
On if he was disappointed that the team fell from No. 3 to No. 4 and if he thinks he could have lobbied for an SEC matchup since he's been outspoken about them in the past:
"I haven't been outspoken about the SEC. I was asked a question. It's getting boring now. [It was] about three years ago, I had a legitimate answer and we've played SEC teams since. When does that ever go away? I don't know. No. I could care less about No. 3 or No. 4. If you're good enough to win you're going to have to play the next best team that won the next game. You're not avoiding anybody once you get in this situation. In the end this is fine the way it's ended up."
