ShareThisOK, the guy shouldn't have said it.
Oklahoma's Dominique Franks shouldn't have said earlier this week that Florida's Tim Tebow would be no better than the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12 Conference this season.
Even if he was joking.
Even if he truly believed what he was saying.
Even if he was right.
And he wasn't.
But given the way Big 12 defenses have been maligned by the media lately, can anyone really blame the Sooners' cornerback for popping off to reporters about Thursday night's BCS National Championship Game at Dolphin Stadium? Can anyone blame the Sooners for getting a bit defensive about their defense? "The way you guys make it sound," cornerback Nic Harris said, "there's going to be only one defense on the field."
And it's not Oklahoma's.
You've read and heard about the high-scoring offenses in the Big 12, especially in the Big 12 South, where Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State lit up scoreboards wherever they played.
You've read and heard about Tebow and his lightning-quick supporting cast.
You've read and heard about the speed and toughness of defenses in the Southeastern Conference, where college football is more religion than recreation.
But what have you read and heard about Oklahoma's defense, which surely contributed something to the team's 12-1 record? Not much.
Certainly, nothing good.
"You hear it all the time: 'Big 12 defenses are down' and 'They don't play like SEC defenses,' " Oklahoma center Jon Cooper said. "SEC defenses ARE great, but our defense doesn't get enough credit."
The reason? There are several:
-- Oklahoma's defense has been overshadowed by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford and a prolific Sooners offense that averaged 54 points per game, scoring at least 50 nine of 13 games and more than 60 in each of the last five.
-- Starting with their 45-35 loss to Texas on Oct. 11, the Sooners have allowed an average of 31.25 points across their final eight games, even though they won the last seven comfortably.
-- Although the Big 12 is 4-2 in bowl games, the defenses of Texas Tech (lost 47-34 to Mississippi) and Oklahoma State (lost 42-31 to Oregon) were exposed and the offenses of Texas (beat Ohio State 24-21) and Missouri (beat Northwestern 30-23 in overtime) failed to put up the big numbers everyone expected.
"It doesn't matter," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said when asked about Big 12 bowl fortunes. "All that matter's is what you do. You can spin those things any way that you want, if you choose to. So we don't pay much attention to it."
Which is exactly what you'd expect a coach to say.
But you better believe the Sooners are paying attention to what they've been hearing from some of the Gators' marquee players.
"The more athletic player is on offense in the Big 12," Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes said. "We have a lot of athletes in the SEC, but much more so on defense."
Statistically speaking, he might be right. Eleven SEC teams rank among the nation's top 36, including five of the top 14. The Big 12, meanwhile, has 10 of the nation's top 48 offenses, six of the top 12.
Florida ranks third in the SEC and ninth nationally in total defense. Oklahoma ranks first in the Big 12 and third nationally in total offense.
While the Sooners have the Big 12's No. 2-rated defense, they rank 63rd nationally. And Texas, at No. 50, is the only Big 12 team ranked among the nation's top 50 defenses.
But do those numbers mean anything? Are the SEC's national rankings on defense merely a product of less-potent offenses? Are the Big 12's defensive rankings skewed by the conference's high-scoring offenses?
"It's not the SEC versus the Big 12," Sooners defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "It's Oklahoma against Florida, the match-up on Thursday night. That's it.
"It still comes down to execution. It comes down to tackling. It comes down to staying on top. It comes down to getting off the field or converting on 3rd down. We're concerned most with how we match up and how we play against Florida. That's it."
That's all that matters.
Besides, it's silly to think Florida coach Urban Meyer and his Gators would dare take the Sooners' defense lightly, especially in a game of this magnitude.
"I just watched the tape and I know what I see," Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said. "I see a defensive front that is strong and powerful. I see good pass rushers off the edge. I see linebackers that run well and safeties that fill in against the run. . . . They're well-coordinated and well-coached."
Yet, even Tebow acknowledged: "They're probably under-appreciated right now by a lot of people."
And it has become obvious this week that the Sooners' defensive players are chafed by the lack of respect they're getting.
"How can you not be annoyed?" Harris said. "Man, nobody gives us a chance."
That's why they bristle when someone questions whether they can stay with Tebow and Co.
That's why no one should be surprised if Oklahoma's defense rises up and plays better than everyone expects Thursday night.
(Ray McNulty is sports columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers. Contact him at ray.mcnulty@scripps.com)
column
