Bob Stoops fires back at Colin Cowherd over Oklahoma narrative

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops fired back at Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd for his Sooners narrative and comparison to Nebraska.

Cowherd claimed Nebraska disappeared as a major college football program and Oklahoma is bound to do the same. Well, Stoops had some words for the long time radio host when he joined The Ref Sports.

“Those people aren’t thinking properly,” Stoops said. “Where’s Nebraska located? I heard Colin Cowherd talking about it because of recruiting. And he said, Well Oklahoma in-state, we only signed three or four guys. Well we’re not just Oklahoma, (we go) all the way down into Dallas. (It) is home territory for us, as much as it is anybody else, and that’s what they’re not taking into account. 

“Nebraska geographically is removed. You know, a good ways from any real strong fertile recruiting area. We’re not and that’s a big difference. We fit in the SEC perfectly. And I believe it’s going to help us recruit and I believe we’ll handle it just fine. You can’t compare it to … you it’s the offseason they’re just filling up their time.”

Cowherd gave three reasons why Oklahoma could fall off, and that set Stoops off.

“Is Oklahoma going to be the second program in our adult life that disappears,” Cowherd said. “Number one, the state no longer produces big numbers of players. Of the Sooners 26 signees in their recruiting class, three are from the state of Oklahoma. That’s having to convince kids in the South, convince kids in Texas, come to us. 

“Secondly, they joined a tougher conference like Nebraska. This is going to be harder. Most of those southern kids have grown up on the SEC. Those football players want to stay with traditional SEC powers.” 

Then Cowherd took a bit of a shot at current coach Brent Venables, who came back in 2022 this time as head coach. But the Sooners went 6-7.

“And number three, in an offensive era, they hired a defensive coach and he was completely utterly over his skis,” Cowherd said. “They didn’t get the coach right. I’m just saying. I may be wrong, Oklahoma is a great brand. But Lincoln Riley, remember, you don’t necessarily leave a great top six, seven program historically … Why did Lincoln Riley leave Oklahoma … Because he was joining the SEC. (He) looked at it, looked at the Bama’s and the Georgia’s and the LSU’s and the Florida’s in those states and those kids and their leanings.

“And USC was wide open. By the way you think Lincoln Riley didn’t have a gut feeling somehow, some way kind of felt Oklahoma to the SEC was going to be a hard pull? You’re going to Alabama and Georgia and LSU’s backyard. Welcome to SEC football.”