Attention OU fans: Mike Stoops is staying.

[Goldbug]

Apparently it's going to take several 51-48 losses for Lincoln Riley to stop drinking the same kool-aid that Bob Stoops gulped by the gallon. What other college football program expects its offense to score 45 points every game to have a chance to win? And that may not even be enough when the defense has a really, really bad day.

OU football: Lincoln Riley on defensive coaching changes: "That's not on the table"

• By Eric Bailey Tulsa World
  
• Oct 9, 2017 Updated 11 hrs ago
  

The Sooners have struggled on defense the past two games under defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World

NORMAN — Lincoln Riley remains loyal to his defensive coaching staff, the Oklahoma coach said during Monday’s press conference, despite a recent downward trend.

The Sooners have struggled on defense the past two games under defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, giving up 41 points against Baylor and 38 points in Saturday’s setback to Iowa State. It was similar to a 2016 slide that included giving up 59 points (Texas Tech), 46 points (TCU) and 40 (Texas).

Riley was asked Monday if defensive coaching changes were up for discussion.


“That’s not on the table,” Riley said. “We have a really good defensive staff and that’s who we’re going to have.”

Riley inherited the defensive staff when he took over for Bob Stoops on June 7. The only new assistant coach is defensive tackles coach Ruffin McNeill.

 

[GoldRusher]

Just a matter of time imo.

He will give MS this year then move Ruf into that spot, again JMO.

 

[Goldbug]

Just a matter of time imo.

He will give MS this year then move Ruf into that spot, again JMO.

Maybe you're right; Ruffin McNeil might get the job next year. But if he was truly the answer to the problem, the time to make that change is now. Giving Mike another season to atone for his previous shortcomings was a noble experiment but it hasn't worked out. Nothing has changed. There comes a time in any organization the boss has to remove a long term employee for the sake of everyone. Riley can not afford to suffer a couple more losses like we damn near had against Baylor and did have against Iowa State. His star will tarnish if that happens and that would be devastating when Texas is starting to get their act together. Time to throw Mike overboard and give someone else (Ruff?) a chance to see if the players we already have are capable of playing better..........and set a baseline for how we recruit going forward. If Texas beats us because of our D, Riley HAS to make a change.

 

[romeo212000]

What's he going to say midseason?

"Yeah, its s cluster fuck right now. Mike is only here this season as a courtesy to his brother. I'm considering dumping his ass now, but then we'd have to hire someone to clean out his office, and you know that's a pain. So, for now we'll just disconnect his headset and let Ruffin run the D. "

Come on, man. It's coach speak. He's not going to throw him under the bus the week before the RRSO. If Riley doesn't take care of this this winter, then you've got a point, but his hands are a bit tied at the moment. I'd be surprised to see Riley commit career suicide though.

 

[Goldbug]

What's he going to say midseason?

"Yeah, its s cluster fuck right now. Mike is only here this season as a courtesy to his brother. I'm considering dumping his ass now, but then we'd have to hire someone to clean out his office, and you know that's a pain. So, for now we'll just disconnect his headset and let Ruffin run the D. "

Come on, man. It's coach speak. He's not going to throw him under the bus the week before the RRSO. If Riley doesn't take care of this this winter, then you've got a point, but his hands are a bit tied at the moment. I'd be surprised to see Riley commit career suicide though.

I agree with you, Romeo. He can't do it now unless, and it's a big "unless", there is a catastrophe in Dallas. If he had canned Stoops after Baylor or even this past Saturday night, Riley would have gotten away with it and would have proved he's The Man in Norman. He can't do it too late or it would be a clusterfvck. It just goes to show what a bad situation we're in. Same shit, different season.

 

[tnapucco]

@wingsauce7

 

[wingsauce7]

@wingsauce7

He's a Hawkeye, so good move keeping him.

 

[tnapucco]

He's a Hawkeye, so good move keeping him.

So THAT'S our problem!

 

[wingsauce7]

So THAT'S our problem!

Lol, I suppose it could be. All the stoops boys (and we can throw in Chuck Long for that matter)- all Hawkeyes.

 

[AlaskaGuy]

THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE, a far-reaching Oklahoma conspiracy

 

[GoldRusher]

It's about loyalty. Stoops was a loyal guy, gotta give LR the benefit of the doubt at this point that he is too since he is supposed to fill Bobs shoes. Ruffin gave him a shot and in turn he took care of him when the time came, LR can put "his guy" into the D.C. Spot after the season all the while also showing loyalty to the Stoops boys by letting Mike find a new landing spot when the coaching wheel starts turning by making it look like a mutual parting of the ways.

 

[lilchi721]

What exactly is OU's problem on defense?

 

[outofyourmind]

What exactly is OU's problem on defense?

Dude
It's the juggernaut offenses.
Keep up

 

[TexasExes98]

What exactly is OU's problem on defense?

 

[outofyourmind]

Yeah
Brent Venables got torched a couple times a year too.
He decided it was time to move on and became a superstar in the ACC.

How does that happen exactly

 

[TexasExes98]

Yeah
Brent Venables got torched a couple times a year too.
He decided it was time to move on and became a superstar in the ACC.

How does that happen exactly

Everybody gets torched in this conference. It's inevitable. Too many high powered offenses. Even Saban and Bama would get torched in this conference. Doesn't mean Bama would lose, but their defense would get shredded the way they do in their bowl games.

 

[Goldbug]

And yet the Big 12 is 66-69 in bowl games since 1998. Or take the BCS era and we were 9-11 in BCS bowls. We don't exactly kick ass and take names when we step out of the conference with our super duper offenses. And we haven't done shit in the CFP with our super duper offenses. Point being: yea we score lot of points against each other but we are a weak conference defensively. And it shows up when we play outside the conference.

 

[outofyourmind]

I think Venables was given a big bag of money to go spend on recruits.
Oh, and the North Carolina Academic Model doesn't hurt either.

 

[Goldbug]

I think Venables was given a big bag of money to go spend on recruits.
Oh, and the North Carolina Academic Model doesn't hurt either.

You are so right. OU's biggest problem is a talent level that flat out sucks compared to what it used to be. Stoops and Co. have done a horrible job getting the best talent to come to Oklahoma. It's not necessary to have 5 first team All-Americans on your D all the time. But you definitely need 1 or two on a consistent basis (especially on the line) to be a strong enough team to win it all assuming you have a strong offense, which OU has had for years. We need talent!!! And not the 5'10" DB's and mediocre LB's we have been cursed with too often or the linemen who can't hold a candle to players like Gerald McCoy. Talent: it's what wins when coaching is good too.

 

[Deep Creek]

Maybe you're right; Ruffin McNeil might get the job next year. But if he was truly the answer to the problem, the time to make that change is now. Giving Mike another season to atone for his previous shortcomings was a noble experiment but it hasn't worked out. Nothing has changed. There comes a time in any organization the boss has to remove a long term employee for the sake of everyone. Riley can not afford to suffer a couple more losses like we damn near had against Baylor and did have against Iowa State. His star will tarnish if that happens and that would be devastating when Texas is starting to get their act together. Time to throw Mike overboard and give someone else (Ruff?) a chance to see if the players we already have are capable of playing better..........and set a baseline for how we recruit going forward. If Texas beats us because of our D, Riley HAS to make a change.

Was Riley on the staff at Tech when Leach made the change and moved McNeil to the DC? I'm old and can't remember that far back.