Curt McKeever: NU-OU should be a battle
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The moment begged for Bob Stoops to be sitting around a fire sipping on a cup of hot chocolate.
“There’s a little more melting away,” the Oklahoma football coach said, looking up at the sound of breaking snow and ice outside Arrowhead Stadium on Friday afternoon.
A slight grin creased the 46-year-old’s face, as if the improving weather conditions indicated more good fortune for his Sooners, who have needed more than their fair share to make it to tonight’s Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska.
Officially, this city received a half-inch of ice and then 10 inches of snow Wednesday and Thursday. Anyone arriving on the eve of the big game never would have guessed that, as clear, calm skies and above-freezing temperatures left streets dry and some Arrowhead groundskeepers working in shorts.
No inclement weather is forecast for tonight. But judging from some of the questions directed at Stoops and NU coach Bill Callahan, you might think a blizzard is imminent.
Yeah, it’s probably going to be a damp track in Arrowhead tonight. The players would be wise to wear sleeves, too. Wow.
As Callahan noted, “I think everybody expects it to be cold on December 2.”
The guy still couldn’t help himself from making small talk with Stoops as the two posed for photos, asking him how much snow fell recently in Norman, Okla.
Then, after Stoops exited, Callahan chimed, tongue completely in cheek, “I’m glad the weather held up nicely. This is northern weather at its best.”
I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. And whatever theirs are, Stoops and Callahan know their clubs had best plan on playing their best tonight if they hope to earn a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for a likely matchup against unbeaten Boise State.
It’s refreshing to think the Sooners might feel that way, because a couple of years ago, most of us would have figured they’d still be able to handle the Huskers on an off day.
Oklahoma, winner of seven straight, has been living too right to count on that happening tonight.
The Sooners have been suffocating opponents with a defense that’s allowing an average of 16 points, and moving efficiently on offense despite being directed by former wide receiver Paul Thompson and being without injured tailback Adrian Peterson, perhaps the top player in America.
Stoops, the Big 12 Coach of the Year and one of nine candidates for the national honor, calls his eighth Oklahoma team one of his most pleasing — greatly in part to the fact it never gave up on some goals after losses to Oregon and Texas left it 3-2.
“The way they come to practice every day — their excitement, their enthusiasm — you enjoy that when you’re not pulling teeth,” he said. “You feel like they’re listening to you, they like to play, all of that.”
He says the sum of the parts is what’s made the Sooners potent, and yet, “our parts, overall, are solid. They’re good. We’ve got some strong and really good players that are growing and developing.”
True as that is, and as well as it was playing, Oklahoma needed Texas to lose its last two regular-season games to climb past the Longhorns and win the Big 12 South.
Three weeks ago, Stoops was more hopeful of that happening than anything.
“You’ve seen some of (Texas’) early games were pretty close. Nebraska played the heck out of ’em. They turned the ball over when they have a first down, otherwise they have a chance to run the clock out,” Stoops said of the Huskers. “You always feel that the door is open, you don’t ever shut it.”
The crack opened a bit more when the Longhorns lost at Kansas State, and then, after they fell at home to Texas A&M the day after Thanksgiving, it was up to the Sooners to push their way through by defeating Oklahoma State.
“I was excited for ‘the feeling’ again,” Stoops said of his reaction to Texas’ latest loss. “The stakes are high again.”
Callahan must have had the same tingling in his gut as his team entered the final three games tied with Missouri for the North Division lead. The Huskers then produced an impressive sweep of the Tigers, Texas A&M and Colorado.
“We stubbed our toe against a good Oklahoma State team,” Callahan said, “and we got refocused pretty quickly.”
Though their teams have taken admirable paths, understandably, neither coach is making too big a deal of getting to K.C.
“Everyone wants to compliment you and congratulate you,” Stoops said. “Well, we really don’t have what we want yet.”
Neither do the Huskers.
That’s why it won’t matter what Mother Nature has in store for tonight.
“We came here to win,” Callahan said.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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