I'm torn on Stoops.
Give the devil his due - he took over a situation about as bad as Saban got when he walked into Alabama and won a national title in only his second year there, beating CNS to the "record" by a year (hired in 2007, won it all in 2009). Furthermore, if you go back and watch the 2004 BCSNCG (where Saban beat Stoops while at LSU), Stoops was actually quite clear on the whole "didn't win your conference" controversy - he made the simple point that if that was gonna be the rule it needed to be the rule AT THE START OF THE YEAR.
He was right.
But what basically happened is that he crashed his tricycle. Rather than building on his success with other titles and national honors, Bob flamed out early. I realize folks might wish to say that Coach Bryant once went eight years without winning a bowl game despite making one every single year. They neglect to mention he had also won THREE national titles and been robbed a fourth BEFORE that happened.
(To give you an idea of Alabama's 1961-66 dominance, the Tide was only THREE PLAYS away from winning SIX CONSECUTIVE national championships, losing a one-point game to Ga Tech in 1962 and two losses by a combined six points in 1963).
Stoops, in fact, might be as lucky as ole boss Spurrier. Spurrier's 1996 national title, while deserved, was a complete freak accident. If Arizona State had simply finished off the Buckeyes OR if the Buckeyes had not blown the Michigan game, 13-9, then Florida would not have won the national championship. If Ohio State and Arizona State had both been undefeated entering the Rose Bowl, Spurrier's win over FSU would have been all for nought.
Stoops might have been just as lucky that he drew FSU rather than Miami given the run the Hurricanes were on at the time.
Now as far as running his mouth, he needs to stuff a sock into it. You don't get to pick ONE arbitrary game and say the SEC is overrated. If the SEC is overrated by virtue of ONE win by Stoops, then what about all the losses? Is Boise State's conference BETTER than the Big 12 because they went unbeaten and took Stoops down in 2006? (See how ridiculous that argument actually is?)
AND SO....
What is Bob's ACTUAL RECORD against SEC teams at OU?
1999 - lost Indepdence Bowl to 8-4 Ole Miss
2001 - beat 7-5 Arky by the demolition score of 10-3 in the Cotton Bowl
2002 - beat 10-3 Alabama at home by 10
2003 - beat 4-9 Alabama on the road by 7
2003 - lost to LSU in BCSNCG by 7
2008 - lost to Florida in BCSNCG by 10
2012 - lost to Texas A/M 41-13 in the Cotton Bowl
2013 - beat Alabama by 14 in the Sugar Bowl
He's 4-4 and HALF that total comes against two teams with a combined record of 11-14 and Bob managed to beat those two teams by an average of a TD apiece despite having a supposed Top Ten team.
Has anyone ever done less with more?
I'm not sure. I'm torn on Stoops depending on the day.