Coach Bob Stoops of Oklahoma has been critical of the perception that the SEC is far superior to other conferences. While some SEC teams like Alabama and LSU have had success, Stoops notes that the bottom half of the SEC is often mediocre. His comments were backed up when former Big 12 teams Texas A&M and Missouri joined the SEC and had quick success, with A&M beating Alabama and Missouri making the SEC title game. Stoops has a winning record against the SEC and led Oklahoma to a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, disputing the notion that SEC teams cannot be beaten.

1. Stoops vs. The SEC
Is the SEC really that much better than every other conference? Stoops doesn’t think
so.
By: Ryan King
Over the years, coach Stoops has made his feelings about the SEC, and the media’s
coverage of it, quite clear.
First, in May 2013, Stoops made a few comments while at a Sooner Caravan in Tulsa.
When asked about the so-called “gap”, between the SEC and the rest of the
conferences, Stoops said, “Listen, they’ve had the best team in college football,
meaning they’ve won the national championship. That doesn’t mean everything else
is always the best. They haven’t had the whole conference. Because, again, half of
‘em haven’t done much at all,” Stoops said.
“So you’re listening to a lot of propaganda that gets fed out to you. Again, you can
look at the top two, three, four, five, six teams, and you can look at the bottom six,
seven, eight, whatever they are. How well are they all doing,” Stoops continued.
Although most media members write Stoops’ comments off as sour grapes, there is
truth to what he says.
Although teams like Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida have had
very good seasons and even won national titles, teams like Arkansas, Ole Miss,
Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt have been punching bags for the top
teams; most of them rarely even breaking a record of .500.
This is all without mentioning that when the two Big 12 teams, Texas A&M and
Missouri, moved to the SEC, they showed the conference up, by beating Alabama
(A&M) and even going to the SEC title game (Missouri).
Texas A&M, in their first season, unleashed future Heisman winning quarterback,
Johnny Manziel on the conference; exploding onto the scene beating Alabama, in
only Manziel’s 10th game, giving the conference a taste of what offense can do.
In 2013, Missouri won the West and advanced to the SEC championship game,
despite being mediocre at best in the Big 12 consistently.
On the other hand, the Big 12 took 8 of 10 teams to bowls just two seasons ago.
Some see this as the conference being easy, so everyone wins, while people like
coach Stoops see this as depth in a conference.

2. All of these comments and opinions, on both sides, came to a head in New Orleans,
in the Sugar Bowl, against the Alabama Crimson Tide, last January.
Although the Sooners were massive underdogs to the two-time defending national
champions, the Sooners went out and backed up what they said, and beat the Tide
45-31.
Just a few months later in July of this year, coach Saban of Alabama said that he had
to get his players up to play Oklahoma, in what he called a “consolation game”.
Stoops, understandably, did not take too kindly to these comments.
When asked what he thought about Alabama approaching the Sugar Bowl like a
consolation game, Stoops said, “Didn’t look like it first series. They looked ready to
play. Everyone thought they would rout us”.
“So if I’m not in a national championship game, that means I’ve got a built in excuse,”
Stoops said, further attacking the remarks made by coach Saban.
Now, to be fair, coach Stoops can say anything he wants about the SEC, true or not,
but all that really matters is his on the field performance and if he can back up what
he says.
Stoops has won over 80% of his games at OU, eight Big 12 titles and even won a
national title, while also playing for three more.
All of these accomplishments are extremely impressive, but how has he faired
against the SEC?
Well, coach Stoops has an overall record of 4 – 3 vs. the SEC. The most recent game
being a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama, if we haven’t mentioned that yet.
Also, Stoops has a record of 11-3 and 8-1 versus Texas A&M and Missouri,
respectively, who are now members of the SEC, bumping his overall record up to 23-
7.
Coach Stoops does not like the way the SEC is depicted in the media, as an
unstoppable force that no one can beat, especially since his teams have proven time
and again that they can hang with them and beat them.
The most recent chapter of this saga will be written this Saturday, as Tennessee
visits Norman to challenge the Sooners.
The Sooners look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a win over
the SEC foe.

3. Oh, and as far as the College Football Playoffs go, we volunteer.