What Bob Stoops’ Sooners Think About Bedlam

The Sooners talked with the media yesterday about their thoughts on what Bedlam means to them, pretty insightful stuff from Big Game Bob & Co.

Head Coach Bob Stoops

How soon after you took this job did you realize the importance of Bedlam in this state?

“Bedlam, Nebraska, Texas, about everybody right? When we show up, the stadium’s full and everybody’s ready. So they were right there with everybody else.”

When asked about out of state players and if you have to remind them the importance of Bedlam.

“No, it’s for the Big 12 Championship right? They’re a top ten team. If they need more than that I need to check the intellect of some of these guys. Naw, that’s simple.”

The perception of these comments can range anywhere from tool-ish to gamesmanship. You can’t let your team get too emotionally invested and that’s wise, but this feels like another version of the age-old argument “OSU isn’t our rival, Texas is.” Feels like comments in the same vein as 2013 Sooners refusing to acknowledge to the upset role they were playing.

Pass Rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo

How intense is this rivalry?

“It’s for who’s the best team in the state… I feel like this is just as big of a rivalry as it is going to Dallas and the Cotton Bowl playing Texas. This is big, it’s for bragging rights.”

OU’s leader in sacks (a guy who straddled the Bedlam fence) is a new breed of Sooner player that’s seen the rivalry with OSU grow.

Wide Receiver Dede Westbrook

As someone who didn’t grow up here, what does this rivalry mean to you?

“It’s going to be lots of trash talk, it’s going to be a lot of hard hitting football, just pretty much anything you can name out there.”

Tight End Mark Andrews

“Obviously with this type of rivalry game, ya know they’re going to be physical and come out and hit us in the mouth. So we’ve just got to respond to that and take it as an insult and play hard.”

Left Tackle Orlando Brown

“Just like Texas man, I don’t like em because my teammates don’t like em’. The guys from Oklahoma, they don’t like Oklahoma State normally and that’s just how it goes. And I go to OU so whoever ya’ll hate I hate. (laughing)”

The older guys know a storm is coming, you can tell from Westbrook. Bob is trying to play it down, Gundy is saying the defense is more fresh and physical than it’s been since 2011 and he’s found himself some running game. I’m more excited than Tim Riggins at a high school party and Mike Gundy on the opening day of deer season. Let’s Bedlam, baby.