December 16, 1998
Some people say even though Ohio State isn't in the Fiesta Bowl, they might be the best team in the country...
"When the NFL guys come through, we ask them who's really good? They all say Ohio State is really good. Their cornerback (Antoine Winfield) won the Thorpe Award. (Andy) Katzenmoyer won the Butkus Award as a sophomore and he was up for all kinds of awards this year. You look at the quarterback (Joe) Germaine. You look at the receiver (David) Boston. They're a talented football team and they're one of those programs that have been good year-in and year-out. What's remarkable about this year's Ohio State team is how convincingly they've beaten everyone they played except for Michigan State. They didn't have any 14-13 games; they have pretty beat up everyone they played. Even against Michigan State, they were throwing into the endzone when the guy intercepted. You could argue that they're as good as anybody in the country. They are one of two or three teams that everybody would say is a toss-up for who's the best."
Your team goes out and posts a big win over Kansas State and their reward is playing another really good team...
"When you play on New Year's Day, you can pretty much count on playing a pretty good team. Over the years we've had the luck or the misfortune to play some really good teams. We played Florida State in the (1992) Cotton Bowl and everybody said they might be the best team in the country. The next year we played the Notre Dame team that had (Jerome) Bettis, (Reggie) Brooks, (Rick) Mirer, all those guys. Then you look at his team (Ohio State), and there's the same kind of team. They had one stumble, but week-in and week-out, this team was one of the best in college football.
"If you go back and look at who we've played over the last year, it's like a Who's Who of college football. Starting with Nebraska last year in the Big 12 Championship game, UCLA in the bowl game, opening with Florida State, then Nebraska again when they were No. 2, and Kansas State. When we play Ohio State, they will be the seventh bowl team we've faced this year, and if you throw UCLA in there, which was on Jan. 1, then there are eight teams we've played that are playing in a bowl game. That's a pretty competitive schedule. "
You're going into the Sugar Bowl with a big head of steam from the Kansas State game...
"That was a great win and what it does is give you the confidence that if you play well and do the things you're capable of, you have the opportunity to line up and play against anyone. We tried to accept that this year with the game against Florida State. The rationale was to go up there, volunteer for the game and show that we're not backing down from anyone. We had the opportunity to play a game that a lot of people didn't want to play. We'll show up (for the Sugar Bowl). We'll go out there and try them. I like the attitude of our players in these games. I think we've shown we won't be in awe. At the Friday press conference before the Big 12 game, I said we won't be in awe of Kansas State. We respect them. We think they're a great team but we'll show up to play them tomorrow. We're not walking out there with our head spinning around and saying 'look how good these guys are.' "
What's the response been like from the fans and now the recruits?
"I think our fans were elated with the win. Not many people were giving us a chance to win and that made it even more special. In recruiting there's been a very positive response. If you look at the consistency of the program, last year we won the South. We lost the Championship game, but we lost it to the national champions. They went in the bowl game and beat the Southeastern Conference champions. Not much has been said about this, but when you talk about comparing leagues...Our (Big 12) champion last year beat the SEC champion badly. (Nebraska) beat (Tennessee) like they beat us. (UT head coach Phil) Fulmer came off the field and said, 'we've never had our butts handed to us like we did out there tonight.' And that's the champion of the SEC talking right there. That's who we lost to last year in the Championship game. This year we came back and played the No. 1 team in the nation again for the Championships. This year we found a way to win the game. In terms of consistency, I've been proud of the program for winning our division the past two years."
With the season A&M has had and with the resurgence of Texas, does this put the state of Texas back on the national map?
"I think it does and I'm happy with that. I'm happy for the success that Texas has had. Whether some people like it or not, I think we are interlocked together in this thing. We're both in this state and for us to maximize the potential of both schools and of the state and I think it's important that both of us have good teams."
You're down to your last few weeks with Branndon Stewart. Has he secured a unique place in your mind?
"I've got a great feel for Branndon as a person. I think Branndon is like so many guys that we've all known over the years in football. He is fair to better than most. If you took all the stories about the great high school player who went off to college with great expectations, and in a lot of cases with others having great expectations for them. And then maybe those things didn't plan out. A lot of times those players, unfortunately, come away really bitter. It ruins their whole football experience because they had this illusion of something. During the recruiting process, they put the guy in a position that whatever he does in college probably isn't going to live up to the expectation level. Branndon, without a doubt, is one of those guys that went off to college with those types of expectations. I think going through the thing at Tennessee with Peyton Manning added to that. It created a lot more notoriety. You get the inevitable comparisons. People saying 'he's better than Peyton Manning.' Branndon never said any of that, he never did any of that. He came in here and never said he was a hotshot who was going to lead A&M to the promised land. Other people did that and say that about him. He never was a guy who was obnoxious or bragging or boastful about what he was going to do or what his capabilities were. Throughout this process he's had some good games and he's had some games where things didn't go his way. He never, ever reacted like some have done over the years, who would always try to deflect that. 'Well the coaches are using me right. My teammates aren't catching the ball. My lines not giving me time.' At some cases all of those things would have been accurate, but he never used any of those defense mechanisms. He always just took it in stride, 'Whatever they want me to do.' You have to respect the character of the guy. At the postgame press conference in St. Louis, he was asked kind of a leading question: 'You've had your ups and downs, disappointments. How do you view your career?' He said, 'No, the luckiest thing that ever happened to me was coming back to Texas and going to Texas A&M. Our fans, for the most part, have been great. The coaches have been great and it's been a fun experience.' He knows there have been criticisms, and he knows everything didn't work out but he sees the big picture that overall it's been a positive. He'll go on and be a success in life, if he keeps that same attitude. The reality is that most people that play college football aren't great players when you get down to it. There are very few legitimate stars. He had a great high school career, winning the state championship. He's played on championship teams here. He quarterbacked his team to the Big 12 Championship, so he's had a great career. The fact that he didn't win the Heisman or may not be a first round draft choice, that's someone else's expectation. I've talked to him at length and I don't think he's deflated, disappointed guy who all his goals didn't work out."
Is it fair to compare you and Coach Cooper? Ninety-nine percent of the coaches in the nation would love to have your winning percentages and now you are going to meet on the field...
"I've known John Cooper for a long, long time. I was at Kansas State and he was at Kansas when I first met him. I've always respected him. He's a coaches' coach. He's a guy who's been through the ranks. He worked as an assistant for a long time. His teams are always well-coached. I think he's a class guy. He's someone I really like in coaching. Some guys we have professional relationships that you see from time to time and you're cordial to each other. John Cooper is a guy that I personally like. I would call him a friend. Over the years we've stayed in touch with each other."