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No, Stoops wouldn't hire his replacement. JC would make the hire before Stoops took the AD role.
Nobody will deny that you need some "breaks" go your way during the season that helps get you to a national title. But to say one of Barry's titles was a fluke is nothing but pure disrespect towards Barry Switzer. It doesn't matter that Miami was possibly the best team in the country that year. They didn't take care of business on the field the rest of their season, and as such they lost the right to claim a title. Pure and simple.They dynamic is way way different than it used to be. Barry won three national titles.
The first one, he had an undefeated team that didn't have to even play in a bowl game, much less against the number two team
The second one, he lost in November to a mediocre team, and got bailed out by Joe Washington in Columbia the next week. Then he got to play the second place team from the Big Ten in the Orange Bowl, while the team he was ranked behind got beat. and that was inheriting the best collection of athletes ever at OU, from a different head coach.
The third, he got creamed by the best team in the country, but lucked out when they got smoked in another bowl game. If it had been a Miami rematch, what do you think would have happened? I love Barry for a lot of things. But he isn't any better coach than Bob. In my view, he wasn't as good a coach. He never had to face the gauntlet that 21st century teams have to face.
Barry said it many times. All he had to do was beat teams he was way better than, beat Texas and Nebraska, and then go play somebody for a chance at the NC And that didn't include any champion from the SEC, Big Ten or especially Pac Ten. We have two teams in OU history, that won an NC while winning a bowl game in an undefeated season. One of those was Bud's team in 1955. The other was Bob Stoops' team in 2000.
Barry could recruit marginal students who often didn't graduate. You're not allowed to do that any more. Barry made OU the team of the 70s, despite what Alabama claims. But his last dozen seasons weren't any better than Bob's. he just had an easier road.
All three of OU's greatest coaches had some lean years during their careers at OU Bud had 1959-61, Barry had 1981-83, Bob has had 2005, 2009 and 2014. Each received criticism during those lean years but I believe it motivated each coach to restore the program. Criticism from a fan base like OU has little to do with being "fair weather"....spoiled maybe....but not "fair weather". Being spoiled does not reflect being in denial of a flawed product on the field or on the sidelines.
I wonder what Barry Switzer would say if you told him to his face that one of his national titles was just "more than a small fluke". Good grief man...the lengths you will go to defend and protect Bob Stoops......