Tulsa World: Stoops dismisses the hype

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Stoops dismisses the hype
Early No. 2 ranking doesn't mean much, says the coach.

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 9/16/2008 2:09 AM
Last Modified: 9/16/2008 3:20 AM

Audio: Listen to a fiveminute interview Monday with OU coach Bob Stoops.

Early No. 2 ranking doesn't mean much, says the coach.

NORMAN — Oklahoma's first No. 2 ranking since 2004 is a big deal to those who have already slotted the Sooners opposite No. 1 USC in a rematch of the '04 national championship game.

Just don't bother OU coach Bob Stoops with the hype.

"In the end, there's a long year," Stoops pointed out Monday. "All we can focus on is being the absolute best we can be each time we play. We'll take this week and do our best to improve in some areas and focus on some future opponents. Really, that is it, to get better this week and be a better team next week."

If any coach has a reason to sound off about the polls, it's Georgia's Mark Richt. The Bulldogs won 14-7 at South Carolina on Saturday and, for their trouble, were leapfrogged by the Sooners.

"I'm really not worried about it," Richt told Georgia media Sunday. "We can't control it. We can control trying to win the Eastern Division. But so much time has to pass. So many games have to be played."

The Bulldogs could swap right back with OU on Saturday with a victory at Arizona State (the idle Sooners won't have any opportunity to counterpunch). The Sooners, meanwhile, face what should be a 4-0 TCU team Sept. 27.

"It doesn't do anything for us right now," Stoops reiterated. "We've got so many more games to play. That isn't anything we'll focus on. There's a long way to earning your way to something like that. That's what our focus will be on, earning it each week and not getting ahead of ourselves."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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