After Oklahoma toppled Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said he wouldn't have to "dodge any more punches" for suggesting in the offseason that the SEC being the best league in college football was "propaganda."
Speaking on ESPN Radio's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Friday, Stoops elaborated on those critical comments.
"When I made the comment, the bottom half of the SEC was like zero-and-36 against the top half of the SEC. You realize that? A year ago … nobody talks about that. My point was, don't say SEC like they're all doing that [beating everyone]. One or two or three top teams … sure, you give them the credit. Alabama … I've got the utmost respect for them. Are you kidding me? How could you not? But in the end, don't talk about the entire conference that way. It's just not true.
"Hey, I've got total respect for Alabama, but you can't deny what we did last night. Obviously, we can play with anybody, whether it's the SEC or anyone else. And to say we can't … well, Alabama's been rolling the SEC for the last three years and we didn't seem to be overwhelmed last night. I'm done with that talk."
Stoops also invoked Missouri and Texas A&M, which have enjoyed success since moving from the Big 12 to the SEC. The Aggies won 11 games last year and knocked off Alabama on the road. This year, Missouri went 11-2 and won the SEC Eastern Division.
"What about Texas A&M and Missouri?" Stoops said. "They've been in the Big 12 for 100 years. … They don't seem to be overwhelmed in that league. And they haven't been ruling the Big 12 the entire time that they were here, right?"
Between them, Texas A&M and Missouri won just one Big 12 championship during their tenure in the Big 12. Both schools each made two appearances in the Big 12 championship game, with A&M losing in 1997 before upsetting Kansas State in 1998, while Missouri lost the 2007 and 2008 title games, both to Stoops' Sooners.
Also on the air Friday, Stoops neither confirmed nor denied media reports that he is in the mix to become the next coach of the Cleveland Browns.
"I haven't heard that, Stoops said. "But in the end I don't ever acknowledge or deny one way or another whenever anyone has any interest in me, that's always a personal deal. I love where I'm at, I work with great people and hope to be here a long time."