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Switzer: Win Secures OU's Place In History

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: January 8, 2009

Barry Switzer sees greatness in Oklahoma's football team, but he stops short of placing it alongside the all-time best squads in school history.

To get Switzer's blessing, the Sooners (12-1) must finish the job tonight by defeating the Florida Gators (12-1) at the BCS Championship Game.

In recent seasons, finishing has not been Oklahoma's strong suit.

"Oklahoma has to define itself by winning this football game," said Switzer, now a broadcaster with Fox Sports, who was 157-29-4 with three national titles in 16 seasons (1973-88) as the Sooners' head coach. "This is a big, big game for Oklahoma.

"They've only played one great football team and that's Texas the Longhorns won 45-35 on Oct. 11. Some people think Texas should've been in this game. To prove they deserve the spot in this game, Oklahoma needs to win. To be a great football team, Oklahoma needs to win. They can't afford to fall short here. They need this one."

So does the big-game reputation of Sooners coach Bob Stoops.

The Sooners have dropped four straight BCS bowl games, including the 2004 Sugar Bowl (against LSU) and 2005 Orange Bowl (against USC) that determined the BCS champ.

Now Oklahoma seemingly brings in a juggernaut, an offensive machine that produced 702 points and five consecutive games of 60-plus points.

"This is a better team than the two teams they brought to those other championship games," Switzer said. "I thought LSU was better. I thought USC was better, although the score shouldn't have been what it was 55-19. Oklahoma made some dumb plays and it snowballed on them."

Switzer, who still lives in Norman, Okla., marvels at OU's offensive production, the precision hurry-up offense and the play of sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford, the Heisman Trophy winner.

Even though the offensive philosophy is a polar opposite of Oklahoma's teams in the 1970s - the Sooners generally ran the wishbone - it's a reminder of his happiest days.

"You win with good players and good coaches - there's no magic to it," Switzer said. "Seeing how Oklahoma has been demolishing teams on a weekly basis, it does bring back memories of when we were able to do that.

"There was a time when I never could've pictured an Oklahoma team passing like this one does. But times change. It's what everybody's doing now. It's in vogue. Florida has taken advantage of Tim Tebow's talents. Bradford wouldn't fit in that offense. He wouldn't have fit into my offense. But you recruit to your system. I give Bob Stoops a lot of credit for that."

Switzer also gives Stoops credit for resurrecting OU's program.

He watched the Sooners degenerate as Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger and John Blake took Oklahoma to a 61-50-3 mark in 10 seasons.

When Stoops, the former Florida defensive coordinator, swaggered into Oklahoma, everything changed.

Or rather, it returned to Sooner normalcy.

"Bob Stoops is the reason Oklahoma is good again," Switzer said. "He and his staff have brought back the talent and evaluated the right kind of talent. The rest is history."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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