College Football Bowls 2016: 10 best big game head coaches
By John Buhler
![Nov 5, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban yells from the sideline after a penalty during the second quarter of a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports Nov 5, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban yells from the sideline after a penalty during the second quarter of a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/94bcdd17cb264320df12935a20d37158ddc56bf9713dfa2a77405cbb04e813f3.jpg)
If a head coach has been in charge of a program since 1999, it would be totally understandable for him to have played in many big games. That would be the case for Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops.
Stoops has gone 189-48 in 18 seasons in Norman. He has done very well in the Big 12, with an outstanding 121-29 record in conference, 10 Big 12 Championships and eight Big 12 South division titles.
His success in Norman has given Stoops ample opportunities to coach in big games. However, “Big Game” Bob has only gone 8-9 in 17 bowl games up to this point. While he won the 2000 National Championship, he has lost it twice since (2004 and 2007) and in the National Semifinals of the 2016 College Football Playoff.
In short, Stoops dominates the Big 12 and can get Oklahoma to the big bowl game at the end of the year. However, his teams seem to come up short more often than not in those games. Stoops’ Sooners will be favored over the 8-4 Auburn Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Will his team rise to the occasion or play down to Gus Malzahn’s 8-4 Auburn team at a neutral site?