Image via NY Times

I’ve addressed this on the site before but following the debacle of Monday night and the increasing amount of shade being thrown Bob Stoops’ way, I feel compelled to do so again. Before I start though, let me be clear in saying my intention is not for this to read as a lecture. So if it does for some, my apologies. But I’ve seen this suggested so many times by so many people since Monday night, frankly, I’m kind of at my boiling point.

This fallacy of a ‘be careful what you wish for’ that the only possible scenario to replacing Bob Stoops would be an immediate return to the days of John Blake is just patently absurd.

Is it possible? Sure. There are any number of things in life that are possible. But is it the stone cold lock that some seem to be so deathly afraid and convinced it will be? Absolutely not.

Who’s to say, whenever Bob decides to go or even, say, if the decision is made for him, that Joe Castiglione can’t identify a list of qualified candidates. Narrow said list down to a select few, and then hire the next great head football coach at the University of Oklahoma. Why is this so unfathomable for some to comprehend?

Is it a guarantee that OU’s next head coach will meet and/or exceed the level of success Bob Stoops has achieved? Of course not. It’s no more of a guarantee than this presumption of the alternative of another decade toiling in futility.

Now for whatever reason this may be hard for some of you to hear, but the idea that Bob Stoops is bigger than OU Football is ridiculous. And, quite frankly, the perception that this could even be the case might explain some of the problems with the current state of the program.

OU Football was OU Football before Bob got here, and will continue to be long after he’s gone. Which is in no way to say what Stoops has accomplished during his time here is unappreciated. Far from it, in fact. But he isn’t bigger than the program. No one man is. Just ask Barry Switzer.

So spare me this doomsday scenario of a return to the 90’s the next time, god forbid, someone has the audacity to suggest replacing Bob Stoops. Do I want him to be fired? No. But I also know the fear of what might happen if he isn’t the head man patrolling the sidelines in Norman sure as hell isn’t a reason to not make a change, IF a change is deemed necessary.