Oklahoma football: Would Bob Stoops agree to another Florida State series?
Florida State’s phone call to OU, gauging the Sooners’ interest in another home-and-home football series, certainly is fun to think about. The Orlando Sentinel reported the inquiry in a story you can read here. Another Sooner-Seminole series? Just about every football fan in America would endorse it.
Florida State needs a home game, after West Virginia canceled out on the Seminoles. OU wouldn’t mind a road game, since the Sooners’ non-conference game at TCU has become a conference game, replacing OU at Texas A&M.
Under the scenario, OU would in 2012 play Notre Dame at Owen Field and Florida State at Doak Campbell Field. Then in 2013, OU would host FSU and play at Notre Dame Stadium. Then the Sooners would play a rumdum each season for their third and final non-conference game.
Tough schedule. Rugged, even. Heroic, considering the time in which we live.
But not terribly out of line from what OU was going to be playing anyway in 2012. Switching out a trip to Texas A&M for a trip to Florida State. I’d say those two programs have been about the same the last six, seven years. Big name, so-so game.
So for a school scrambling to fill out its schedule, which OU is, it makes some sense.
But it has virtually no chance of happening. It won’t get past the gatekeeper, Bob Stoops.
Stoops doesn’t seem interested in beefing up the schedule. I asked him last week about the possibility of playing Missouri or Texas A&M non-conference. Mizzou, in particular, is looking for non-conference opponents for 2012.
Stoops laughed that laugh that means, you’re crazy.
But also, Stoops would want no part of another matchup against his brother, Mark, Florida State’s defensive coordinator. Bob Stoops was downcast after a 47-17 rout of the Seminoles in Norman in 2010. He obviously wasn’t keen on beating his brother so bad.
Stoops was more upbeat in September 2011, when OU won 23-13 at Florida State. Mark Stoops’ defense was much better in defeat than the previous year.
But still. I don’t see Bob Stoops signing up for another Florida State series as long as Mark Stoops is there. Even if Bob Stoops was willing to take on another heavyweight.
And you know? I can’t blame him. Every family is different. Some brothers don’t seem to mind playing against each other, or at least don’t let it bother them publicly. But some do.
I’m reminded of some passages from Jay Wilkinson’s recent book about his dad, Bud Wilkinson. In Dear Jay, Love Dad, Jay Wilkinson publishes dozens of letters from his father while Jay was in college.
Jay Wilkinson became an all-American football player at Duke, which in the early 1960s was an Atlantic Coast Conference power.
Early in the 1962 season, it became apparent that an OU-Duke Orange Bowl was a possibility.
Bud Wilkinson’s letters to his son initially were hopeful of a father-son showdown.
Sept. 2, 1962: “Our squad looked in good shape at our meeting yesterday. We’ll soon know. I hope we can play well – and see you in the Orange Bowl…”
Sept. 11, 1962: “I hope your ball club is faring better with injuries than ours … I felt yesterday we’d meet you in the Orange Bowl – mainly because Tommy Pannell is such a great player. This morning in pass scrimmage, he broke his ankle…”
Almost 50 years later, Jay Wilkinson wrote that at the season’s midpoint, “the possibility still existed that Dad and I could share a common destiny in that season’s Orange Bowl. A bid to the game would represent the attainment of goals we were both working hard to achieve. But then it occurred to me, like a sudden movement witnessed out of the corner of one’s eye, how I would feel if placed in a spot where my success would mean my father’s failure. Suddenly, I was not so sure that would be a good thing.”
More from Bud Wilkinson.
Nov. 12, 1962: “I believe you can win the rest of them. 8 and 2 is a marvelous record. If we win Saturday I am a little sad that after such a fine season you may have to play against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl!”
It didn’t happen. Duke finished 8-2, but the Orange Bowl invited Alabama.
Jay Wilkinson wrote, “Deep down inside, I was relieved. As the season had progressed, I had grown less and less enthusiastic about a possible Oklahoma-Duke Orange Bowl matchup. I had no interest in working against my dad; it was one thing to kid about it – but I could not see myself competing against him and the tradition I admired, respected, and loved.”
If you want to argue that it’s different for a father and son, I can buy it. If you want to argue that it’s different when it’s not coach vs. coach, but coach vs. player, fine.
Different, yes. But not necessarily different result. It’s still not comfortable for all kinds of families. Still not something you want to do.
The Wilkinsons discovered that 50 years ago. Bob Stoops already knows it. Don’t look for him to agree on another series with Florida State.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Florida State-OU has gone far enough, for now. OU, under Stoops, is 3-0 against the ‘Noles, so I am a little surprised to see that FSU wants more of the Sooners.
Go find another team to play and let FSU do the same.
Forget about it. The non conference schedule plan is and will continue to be one name opponent, one decent opponent, and on pay to play. Last year it was FSU, Tulsa, and Ball State. No way do you put Notre Dame and FSU in the same year. Also, Bob Stoops will hire his brothers but he doesn’t want to coach against them. I can’t blame him for that. OU may add WVU next year to replace TCU and WVU might add OU to replace FSU because it isn’t a fact that the courts will allow WVU to leave the Big East before they complete their required notice period. I for one hope the courts rule they have to stay in the Big East until they complete their contract. There is something in doing what you agree to do. The Big XII looks very bad inviting a team to join if they have to go to court to do so. It is kind of like proposing while either of the parties are still married. It just looks bad.
The BCS doesn’t reward on schedule strength. It is BCS-icide to schedule too many tough teams unnecessarily.