Buzz Williams, Thunder, OU football: Leftovers from the online chat

When we ended my online chat Thursday, we still had a bunch of questions in the queue. So our man Dane Beavers saved them, sent them to me and I’m ready now to answer:

Larry: Have you heard anything lately regarding Mike Stoops status at Arizona? Do you know if he is under the gun or not?

Yes, I think Mike Stoops is sort of under the gun. He had such a good start last season, 7-1 with the only loss by two points to Oregon State. Then the Wildcats finished with five straight defeats and looked awful in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys rolled 36-10. Stoops’ 7-year record is 40-45. His staff has had quite a bit of rollover. I think 2011 is a huge year for Stoops.

Emerson: I’m excited to see all three Oklahoma schools play each other in football next season. Especially with all three returning their key players and expected to do well. What are your thoughts on the games?

Well, the Sooners should roll over Tulsa in Norman, but the other two games are very interesting for where they’re being played. OSU goes to Tulsa; in the last 47 years, OSU is 4-7 in Tulsa. In the last 25 years, OSU is 2-5 in Tulsa. The Cowboys haven’t been to the former Skelly Stadium since 2000, so TU will be fired up. And Bedlam in Stillwater has become the state’s top sporting event. Guaranteed instant classic. 47-41. 61-41. 27-21. 38-35. 38-28. 12-7. Those are the scores in the 2000s, all OU victories except 38-28 in 2002.

Tlokc: Can OU beat Notre Dame in anything, even women’s basketball?

I think OU can beat Notre Dame in everything, except football. The Irish’s gridiron success against the Sooners is well-documented – though we’re only a year away from resumption of the series; Notre Dame comes to Owen Field in 2012. But as for women’s hoops, what a great series, too. Irish win in overtime in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, OU wins last year in the Sweet 16 on Nyeshia Stevenson’s last-minute 3-pointer. Great game. Great rivalry. I give Notre Dame a slight edge for the game Saturday, but OU could win.

Pat: How much will the loss of Fleming at corner affect the OU defense?

I can’t believe it will be a huge loss, or a loss at all. Else OU would not have moved Aaron Colvin from corner to safety. Sounds like some in Norman believe Fleming will be back, though Bob Stoops was non-committal this week.

Matt: Was Buzz Williams in Oklahoma that long to begin with? Does he feel any sense of Oklahoma being a place he’s called home?

As far as I know, Buzz was in Oklahoma only to attend Oklahoma City U. Whether that’s enough to call a place home, I don’t know. Depends on his college experience. But I’m told he married an Oklahoma girl, which changes the whole dynamic. That definitely makes Oklahoma a place to call home.

Soonerdb1: Hey, Berry, I’m really hoping Buzz Williams is the next head coach at OU, but if he leads OU back to the Sweet 16/Elite Eight, does another search happen? Is OU a stepping-stone job?

Oh, I suppose, on some level. But that’s the least of anyone’s worries. Get back to deep runs in the NCAAs, and who cares if the coach leaves? Billy Tubbs coached OU for 14 years, Kelvin Sampson for 12. The successful coaches have stayed long-term – Billy, Kelvin, Bruce Drake. The guys who have done OK but not great, Dave Bliss and John MacLeod, are the ones who jumped. And Capel of course was fired. But I wouldn’t worry about that kind of thing. If a guy leaves, he leaves. Hire a good coach, give him the tools to win and then don’t play games. Don’t be like Missouri and beg a guy to stay and watch him leave anyway.

Tigerhater: Seems about time Mizzou hired an incompetent or a cheater. When is Kelvin able to get another college job?