My grandpa once told me that, other than death, the only thing certain to ever happen is change.
So, it was interesting to see the big headline from the Bob Stoops press conference last week to be:”Stoops says Sooners don’t need Longhorns”
The actual question asked of Stoops was:
“Could you see Oklahoma in the Pac 12 without Texas?”
His answer was, “Oh, sure. Why not? I’m not lobbying for anything. I stick to whatever President Boren and Joe Castiglione feels is best for the university. I’m all in.
Stoops went on to say having Texas in the same conference as Oklahoma wasn’t “necessary” — quickly adding that a lot of folks probably don’t want to hear that.
We can all opine whether Stoops’ comments were some orchestrated shot across the bow of Texas or other Big 12-ish schools. Or whether, it was just the usual plain speaking Bob Stoops responding to a question.
Suck it up, folks. Change is a coming.
Regardless, the more accurate headline should have read, “Stoops will do whatever the boss says.”
After all, he’s all in.
Now that doesn’t square exactly with the sports media’s notion that Bob Stoops is the big dog in the room.
News flash: He’s not.
David Boren is. Even Joe C. will leap around like Tigger all day if Boren says so.
And so, this whole business about whether Oklahoma leaves the Big 12, which is in fact whether the Big 12 disintegrates, will be decided by a Rhodes scholar, turned legislator, turned governor, turned chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, turned OU President, turned changer of college football as we know it, David Boren.
Boren is going to decide whether the seemingly inevitable move of college football conferences to 16, 20 or 24-team super-conferences comes now, or later. That may come as soon as next Monday when the OU board of regents meet.
And, that means even though Stoops loathes the idea of having to play his brother, Arizona U. Coach Mike Stoops, in the Pac 14 or 16 or whatever it will be east division every year, he’s not going to even voice that displeasure to the big guy.
“I think our university is beyond our family preferences,” Stoops said.
If letting the Big 12 die and hitching the Schooner to a Pac post is what Boren decides is best for the university, then it won’t matter what families are uncomfortable with the change — including Coach Stoops’ family, and including yours.
And, that, has been the message the powers that be in Norman have been giving this week.
You might not like some of it. You might prefer to keep the Big 12 intact, maybe bring in the Mormons from BYU, or go play in the SEC, or Big 10, or somewhere else. But, suck it up, folks. Change is a coming.
“Now that I’m 50, that’s how I see it,” Stoops said, reflecting on his answer about whether Texas will always be a Sooner opponent.
“A lot of things change. Look, all of a sudden we weren’t playing Nebraska every year and now they’re gone. And, we’re still here. Life goes on.”
— Mike
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