MIAMI – Oklahoma arrived Friday for next Thursday’s BCS National Championship Game against Florida and couldn’t wait to get to a football field quick enough.
“Now that we’re down here and on our way to practice, guys will focus,” said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who took his team to Barry University in Miami Shores for an afternoon practice. “We’re excited to get down here and start our work, to start our preparation for the week.”
The Sooners will practice at Barry on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. but will take a break from practice on Sunday. Both Oklahoma and Florida head to Dolphin Stadium, the site of Thursday’s game, for Media Day on Monday. Oklahoma completed its workouts in Norman on New Year’s Day and Stoops was pleased with the way the players handled their preparations.
“I feel really good,” Stoops added. “We had good work back at home and we’re just hoping to continue that here this week. They were good. I thought our guys really did a nice job of getting ready. So I have been pleased with them. They had four days off right at Christmas and then we were back for four or five days before we left.”
The Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford and strong safety Nic Harris, arrived at Miami International Airport in sweats. They were greeted by Orange Bowl committee members and the media. Oklahoma is staying in Miami Beach at the Fontainebleau. The Gators are staying at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood and will practice at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton.
“Practice has been extremely intense,” said Harris, a 6-3, 230-pound senior. “We’ve been coming out each and every day, making sure that we’re doing good and making sure that we don’t get lax. We want to make sure that we understand that Jan. 8 is going to be a great game with a great atmosphere, but also that we’re here for business—to play ball. We’re here to win.”
The Sooners, who won the 2000 BCS National Championship in the 2001 Orange Bowl with a 13-2 victory over Florida State in Stoops’ second year in Norman, will be playing in their fourth BCS National Championship Game. Following the 2003 season, No. 1 Oklahoma met No. 2 Louisiana State in the Sugar Bowl and lost 21-14. The following season, No. 2 Oklahoma took on No. 1 Southern California in the 2005 Orange Bowl and was routed 55-19.
“Things that worked for us in 2000 didn’t work the next time,” Stoops said. “So who’s to say what is right and what is wrong. In the end, you’ve got to go out and play well when the time comes.
Stoops was asked if his team’s mindset coming into the title game is different than those last two times it played for the national title.
“It’s too early to tell,” he said. “We’ll see how they handle the week. How they go through practices and how we prepare for the game. Hopefully we’ll do it in a great way. Now being here it will increase our focus. Not that it (focus) hasn’t been there, but each day the game’s getting closer and we’ve got to get more prepared to play.”
The two teams likely won’t intermingle much with each other. The two hotels are about 20 minutes away from each other, and South Beach is a good distance away for the Gators. So there won’t be too many smackdowns between the two clubs like there might be if this game was being played in New Orleans not far from the French Quarter.
Still, there’s enough nightlife for Stoops to have some concerns.
“Miami is a great town,” he said, “but just like any big city there’s another element to it. But Miami is no different than any other big city. A lot of our guys are from big cities and hopefully we’ll conduct ourselves the right way and stay away from trouble. Miami is a fabulous city. It’s done the right way. They are a lot of nice restaurants and places where to be and that’s where I’m sure our guys will be.”
Harris doesn’t see that being a problem. “You just have to make sure that you stay focused and understand the reason that you’re here,” he said. “There’s no problem in having a little fun, but you have to remember the ultimate reason why you’re here.”
Another distraction for Oklahoma might be the rumors of the Denver Broncos’ possible interest in Stoops as their new head coach. On Monday, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired coach Mike Shanahan and Colorado newspapers are reporting that Stoops might be called.
Ironically, both Stoops and Shanahan have ties to Florida. Stoops, of course, was the defensive coordinator for Steve Spurrier’s 1996 national champion Gators. Shanahan was a member of the staff under Charlie Pell in 1980-83.