Hoover, Chapman and Sweet preview the Oklahoma Sooners' Alamo Bowl game Thursday against the Arizona Wildcats.
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00:00 What's up everybody, John Hoover, All Sooners, allsooners.com, along with Ryan Chapman, Randall Sweet.
00:05 We are at the Alamo Dome. We're here a day before the game.
00:09 Kickoff is tomorrow, about 20, 28 hours, something like that. We'll find out how this Alamo Bowl is gonna go.
00:17 It's Brent Ventables' second Alamo Bowl.
00:19 He was here two years ago when the Sooners, he was already been hired,
00:24 but Sooners qualified for the Alamo Bowl after Lincoln Riley left. We are standing right now exactly
00:29 where he and Jerry Schmidt spent most of the game two years ago as the Sooners beat Oregon.
00:34 Well, this year they're gonna try and beat Arizona. The Wildcats 9-3, the Sooners are 10-2.
00:39 It's like a race to the 11th win or the 10th win. These teams both want it. They both talked about it today.
00:45 Both head coaches talked about winning that 10th game for Arizona, winning that 11th game for Oklahoma.
00:52 They have it on their to-do list tomorrow, guys.
00:55 Among the many storylines that came out of yesterday's tremendous access to the players and the coordinators
01:04 and today's interview press conference with the head coaches, a lot of things that came out of it,
01:09 but obviously the number one story is what is this Oklahoma offense gonna look like with Seth Luttrell and a new quarterback?
01:16 Yeah, you got Seth Luttrell and Joe John Finley stepping up as the co-OCs.
01:20 Seth Luttrell officially getting those play-calling duties, though.
01:23 Jackson Arnold, what's he gonna look like? But we finally got to talk to Seth and Joe John yesterday,
01:28 and if you haven't been to the website yet, allsooners.com, who with a great story, the money quote yesterday,
01:34 Seth Luttrell, "I've been waiting 23 years to get back to this place, coaching Oklahoma."
01:39 He talked about he had two dreams as a kid. Play for Oklahoma, check, not go to the NFL, coach at Oklahoma,
01:47 and now he'll get to take the helm of the offense.
01:49 And so, Seth Luttrell, the expectations, what are you gonna see? He talked about, look,
01:54 with 15 practices and preparing a new quarterback in Jackson Arnold, this was not the time to change verbiage,
02:00 this was not the time to add a bunch of wrinkles. They're basically gonna be running Jeff Leiby's playbook,
02:04 something that Joe John Finley is very, very familiar with.
02:07 But as Oklahoma goes forward, it sounds like Seth Luttrell says he's one of those coaches that doesn't say,
02:12 "This is my system, everyone fit to it." He's gonna work it around the players.
02:15 He talked about, "I've called games where we've thrown it 50 times, I've been in systems where we've had to run it 50 times."
02:22 So, expecting a pretty versatile Oklahoma offense throughout Seth Luttrell's tenure as offensive coordinator,
02:27 however long that is, that fits to the strengths of the players.
02:30 And we're gonna find out what Oklahoma views as Jackson Arnold's strengths here.
02:34 And like you said, about 28 hours tomorrow in the Alamo Bowl.
02:37 Yeah, one of the obvious questions is they not only have a new coordinator in Seth Luttrell,
02:43 they have a new quarterback in Jackson Arnold. What's Jackson Arnold gonna look like in his first career start?
02:47 He's back in the state of Texas, he's gonna have a lot of family here, he's gonna have a lot of friends here,
02:52 he's gonna have a lot of critics here saying, "Is that your five-star quarterback? Let's see what he can do."
02:56 Big day for Jackson Arnold tomorrow.
03:00 Yeah, totally. And Brent Bennevils talked about his consistency, talked about leading up to this game in practice
03:05 and things like that, how consistent he's been. And that kind of echoes with what Seth Luttrell told us yesterday,
03:10 kind of talking about all season that Jackson Arnold had really prepared the same way,
03:15 whether he was going to be the starter or whether he wasn't.
03:17 And Seth Luttrell even pointed out, as Ryan kind of touched on, they're getting their first start in this together.
03:23 They're their first quarterback-coordinator duo in this game here together.
03:28 So it'll be really interesting to see how that goes for Jackson Arnold, of course.
03:32 But we also heard from Brent Bennevils, from Seth Luttrell, even from Jackson Arnold's teammates,
03:36 that his maturity, his work ethic, really off the charts. That maturity, that humility,
03:41 that those two really play into his work ethic, that that really helps him work hard and, again,
03:48 prepare, approach practice, and again, bowl prep the right way.
03:53 I asked Arizona's defensive coordinator, Coach Nansen, yesterday about preparing for a new coordinator,
03:58 preparing for a new coach. He said, "We got a lot of GAs. We're studying film North Carolina, North Texas,
04:05 Indiana, all the way back to Arizona," when Seth Luttrell was offensive coordinator at Arizona.
04:10 And they both talked about Jackson Arnold film from high school.
04:15 When I say both, I mean Jed Fish, the head coach today. Jed Fish basically said today,
04:19 "At some point, we got to not chase ghosts, and we just got to play ball."
04:23 So forget about preparation. Forget about what we saw on film.
04:26 Arizona is prepping for a, I guess, what are we going to call it, the full-frontal Jackson Arnold experience.
04:32 It's his offense moving forward.
04:34 TV 14 Jackson Arnold experience.
04:36 That's right. This is going to be, it's potentially a big game for both defenses.
04:43 It's year three for Coach Fish, and it's year two for Brent Venables.
04:47 But for Oklahoma's defense in particular, Fish talked about it today.
04:50 You see a defense, and I asked their offensive coordinator about it yesterday, Carol,
04:56 Brennan Carol, Pete Carol's son, about how you've got a defense that is so opportunistic,
05:03 26 takeaways, they're one of the best, they lead the nation in interceptions,
05:06 they have a great number of tackle for losses, they're great in the red zone,
05:10 they're great on third down, but they give up a ton of yards.
05:13 And he said, "What matters is getting off the field."
05:15 How's this going to be a kind of a launching pad or a springboard for the Oklahoma defense?
05:20 Yeah, we talked so much, and I think we've been so Jackson Arnold-focused on,
05:24 you've got 15 bowl practices, bring the young guys along, what's Jackson Arnold look like?
05:27 Well, Oklahoma's defense, as we've talked about, bringing almost everybody back.
05:32 You've got the guys up front, Danny Stutzman, Billy Bowman, all that stuff.
05:36 And so I was talking to Ted Roof yesterday and asking him, "Hey, what does that mean?"
05:40 He's like, "Oh, this is huge."
05:41 Because typically you focus on, how do you bring these young guys along?
05:44 But now it's 15 practices where Oklahoma can take a step back,
05:48 and everyone is working on their weaknesses, trying to get better,
05:50 trying to get even more familiar with Brent Vindable's scheme.
05:53 And it's going to be a -- Ted Roof likes to use the word "launch pad."
05:57 They're going to start from a totally different launch point come spring football,
06:01 as far as their familiarity, how routine it is, all that.
06:05 And it's going to make it even easier as they bring in a smaller group of freshmen
06:08 and transfers combined compared to the past two years
06:11 to teach those guys exactly what needs to happen.
06:13 So a big opportunity, Ted Roof uses that, a top 20 offense to come out there.
06:18 And Ethan Downs said they want to show, the defense wants to show,
06:21 over these last three weeks, they've made a bunch of improvements since even the last month
06:26 of the season, and used it as a point to say,
06:27 "This is where this defense was at the start of the year.
06:30 This is where it was to end 2023, and it's going to be even better in 2024."
06:34 >> I don't want to trivialize this, but you get the sense that, you know,
06:38 Oklahoma had a lot of turnover on its roster coming into this game.
06:43 Arizona has not.
06:45 And it just -- like I said, this is going to sound like I'm trivializing it,
06:49 but it just feels like Arizona wants this game a little more, is taking it more seriously.
06:53 That's probably oversimplifying, right, you would think.
06:56 But yet, you got Jed Fish talking about the Blue Blood, and Oklahoma is at the top of the list,
07:02 and he's such -- so much respect for Brent Venables as a defensive coordinator
07:05 and as a head coach.
07:06 What did you make of all that?
07:07 >> Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting to see the way that Arizona's coaches, players,
07:12 really everyone that we've talked to so far has praised Oklahoma.
07:15 You know, like you said, calling it a Blue Blood,
07:17 I don't even think Fish was the only one to say that.
07:19 I think Carroll and Nansen both kind of echoed that same sentiment.
07:22 You know, they talked about -- I think it was Carroll specifically that talked
07:25 about Arizona wanting to get to the level of a program that Oklahoma's at, which, I mean,
07:29 just a lot of high praise.
07:31 I, you know, I wonder if there's maybe an ulterior motive or probably not.
07:35 But --
07:36 >> They're trying to play one side up and say, "We're poor little, you know,
07:40 Leu Holt's underdog," right?
07:41 >> Exactly.
07:42 >> Maybe that's the answer they're taking.
07:43 >> Right. But in reality, I mean, Arizona, I think, has what, seven players on their roster
07:47 who have played in a bowl game before, so a very small portion of their roster.
07:51 This will be the first experience for them.
07:53 So, like you said, wanting it, I guarantee you that those guys want to go out.
07:56 They want to get a win in that first bowl game experience.
07:59 And really, this could be -- you mentioned being a launch pad, a launch point.
08:03 This is what -- that's what this bowl game could be for Arizona
08:06 as they head into the Big 12 next year.
08:08 If they're able to beat one of the best teams in the Big 12, not only this season,
08:11 but historically, then you have to think that that gives the Wildcats, the coaches,
08:14 the players, that fan base a lot of confidence as they head into the Big 12
08:18 without an Oklahoma and without a Texas next season.
08:20 >> Oklahoma, I think, eight points from being undefeated, right?
08:23 Arizona, similarly, I think, what was it, 20?
08:25 >> I think they're 18 points across three games.
08:27 >> 18 points from being undefeated.
08:28 >> Two overtimes.
08:29 >> Yes, two at overtimes.
08:31 So, two teams that are very talented, two teams that are explosive offensively,
08:34 two teams that want to be stingy defensively, want to be.
08:38 It doesn't always work out that way for these guys.
08:41 Two teams that are changing conferences next year, as Randall mentioned.
08:45 Arizona very interested to springboard into the Big 12.
08:47 Oklahoma obviously wants to carry this bowl win into the SEC next year.
08:51 And a little bit like a backpack, almost.
08:55 >> A little Drew Lock action, a little Tom Herman.
08:59 >> Tom Herman, yes.
09:00 Throw that thing on, carry it around on your big broad shoulders.
09:02 That's what Oklahoma wants to treat this bowl game as.
09:05 >> Was this not the site of the Tom Herman?
09:07 >> Yes, this was.
09:08 >> No, that was Missouri, so it couldn't have been here.
09:10 >> I thought it was here.
09:11 >> Couldn't have been, cuz they were playing Missouri, so it couldn't have been here.
09:14 >> My bad. >> That would have been a Big 12 SEC.
09:15 >> I thought it was in San Antonio.
09:17 Anyway, we're in San Antonio, we're wrapping this thing up.
09:19 Don't forget the All Sooners podcast dropping later this evening,
09:23 later this afternoon.
09:24 We'll hustle through everything.
09:25 All Sooners is where you wanna be for all of our coverage from San Antonio.
09:31 From the Valero Alamo Bowl, from Oklahoma, from Arizona.
09:34 Tomorrow night we'll be here, press boxes right up there somewhere.
09:38 So we'll see how this game goes.
09:41 Looking forward to it, another bowl game.
09:42 I think this, guys, I think this is my 25th consecutive bowl game.
09:45 >> Nice.
09:46 >> It's my first.
09:47 >> And his first.
09:48 It means I've been around a long time.
09:50 Appreciate you guys being with us here at All Sooners.
09:52 >> Is that the best active bowl streak in the FBS?
09:54 >> No.
09:55 >> [LAUGH] >> Not even close, not even close.
09:57 Appreciate you guys hanging with us here at All Sooners.
10:00 For Ryan Chapman, for Randall Sweet, I'm John Hoover, see you guys.