Oklahoma Football a Big Draw at Big 12 Media Days
By Chip Rouse
The unofficial start to the 2016 Big 12 football season took place in Dallas on Monday and Tuesday this week as media types who cover and follow the Big 12 assembled to hear what the conference coaches had to say about their teams and the forthcoming season. As expected, Oklahoma football drew plenty of attention.
A near unanimous pick just a week ago by the same group of writers, columnists and broadcasters to win another Big 12 championship in 2016, the Oklahoma Sooners were represented at Day 2 of Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday by head coach Bob Stoops and four of his team leaders.
Joining the Sooner head coach for OU’s time under the media spotlight were quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Samaje Perine, linebacker Jordan Evans and defensive back Ahmad Thomas. All are being counted on to play lead roles for OU in the coming season.
Stoops opened his comments by acknowledging that this was his 18th year coming to this event and, like all the other seasons, he is really excited and looking forward to being on the field again with this OU football team.
The Sooner head coach said he had already been asked about the preseason ratings (most of which have Oklahoma ranked in the top-five nationally). “It really doesn’t matter to us,” he said. “Going into our 18th season, we’ve been picked to win. We’ve been picked not to win. I don’t recall it ever mattering.
“What matters,” Stoops said, “is the work you put in, the way we practice, the way we prepare in meetings and how we ultimately play and coach.”
On the subject of working hard, senior safety Thomas said, “We always work hard, but (this offseason) you see a difference in attitude. A lot of guys have been stepping up and being more focused.”
The Sooners return 13 starters (seven on offense, six on defense) from last season’s Big 12 champions, “but there are enough new pieces that it’s a new team all together,” said Stoops.
One of the areas where there are going to be several new faces is in the linebacker corps. Starting Jordan Evans returns at linebacker, but Oklahoma losses All-Big 12 linebacker selections Eric Striker and Dominique Alexander, as well as Devonte Bond from last year’s College Football Playoff team.
“The biggest challenge will be at linebacker,” Stoops acknowledged. “I believe at every other position we can absorb it, but at linebacker you lose three of your four. That’s significant…right in the middle of your defense.”
Stoops said the players are very excited about the renovations and new look to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where the seating bowl at the south end of the stadium has been filled in and an even larger video scoreboard than the one before is being installed atop the south end-zone area.
“Really looking forward to seeing the effect of the bowled-in stadium and the noise,” said the Oklahoma coach who has delivered nine Big 12 championships in his 17 seasons. “Just hearing the echoes from the machines going around, you can tell it is going to be a lot louder.”
Regarding the chances of Oklahoma and Texas playing twice in the same season when the Big 12 goes back to holding a championship game in football in 2017, Stoops said: “Let’s go again! That would be exciting. Why wouldn’t it be? Two (Red River Showdowns) is better than one, right?”