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Chat Reel: SI's B.J. Schecter
Posted: Tuesday January 02, 2001 5:40 PM
Sports Illustrated's B.J. Schecter joined CNNSI.com users on Jan. 2 to talk about the Orange Bowl battle between Oklahoma and Florida State for the national championship. A transcript follows.
CNNSI.com Host: Welcome to our Orange Bowl chat with Sports Illustrated's B.J. Schecter. Thanks for joining us from Miami, B.J.
B.J. Schecter: Let's get started.
From Guest: What is the mood of the Seminoles without Snoop Minnis?
B.J. Schecter: The whole team is confident, especially the receivers. With this much talent at every position, there's another All-American just waiting to step up.
From deonwhodat: Do you think Florida State will miss the leadership of Snoop Minnis as much as his athletic ability?
B.J. Schecter: The 'Noles will miss the fact that he was Chris Weinke's go-to guy. I don't expect there to be any drop-off in Weinke's production or that of any of the receivers.
From Guest: Does Miami deserve a share of the title if the 'Canes beat Florida and FSU beats Oklahoma?
B.J. Schecter: It's a difficult argument, any way you look at it. In my opinion, Florida State is the best team in the country and deserves the title if it beats the No. 1-ranked and the only unbeaten team remaining. If you just go with the head-to-head argument, then Washington deserves as much of a shot as Miami. So I'm sticking with the winner of this game.
From Guest: How much will Bob Stoops' experience as Florida defensive coordinator help in preparing his team for the Seminoles?
B.J. Schecter: It will help, but it won't be a deciding factor. The fact is, Stoops doesn't have the talent this year that he did in 1996 with the Gators. That's the bottom line.
From setag: Any chance Bob Stoops will go to Ohio State now that John Cooper is out?
B.J. Schecter: No way. Stoops is here to stay. Oklahoma has a better tradition and better prospects for maintaining what Stoops has started.
From Guest: Has Josh Heupel faced anything this year comparable to Florida State's defense?
B.J. Schecter: Not even close. What Heupel will see is someone in his face on every play, and if Oklahoma's suspect offensive line can't contain Florida State's stellar defensive ends, it's going to be a long day.
From Guest: Assuming the Seminoles don't turn the ball over, can Oklahoma win playing anything less than a perfect game?
B.J. Schecter: No. Oklahoma does have to play the perfect game to win, there's no two ways about it. Florida State has much more talent, including loads more speed. Couple that with big-game experience, and you see why Oklahoma's a big underdog.
From Guest: How much will Florida State's big-game experience play a factor? The 'Noles have played for the title three straight years.
B.J. Schecter: It's a big factor, there's no question. FSU has big-game, national-championship experience. Oklahoma has played in big games this year, but the Sooners haven't seen anything like this type of atmosphere.
From cartwright: What's the status on Josh Heupel's nagging arm problems?
B.J. Schecter: I don't buy into any of this chopped bone in the elbow. I've talked to Heupel, I've talked to people who have been at practice every day. The arm was sore and he's tired, but it will be fine come the game. He's had plenty of time to rest.
From Guest: Will Florida State have a home-crowd advantage since the game is in Miami, or has Oklahoma brought a sizable contingent?
B.J. Schecter: I don't think it's any advantage for Florida State, simply because this is University of Miami country. Both teams brought a lot of fans; it should be divided pretty evenly.
From Guest: Any chance this game will come down to placekicking? If so, who has the advantage?
B.J. Schecter: I don't think it will come down to the kicking game; if it does, Oklahoma has the slight advantage, although Florida State has improved drastically in that area. But this game won't be won or lost on someone's foot.
From cartwright: Does anyone in the nation have the same level of talent as FSU? Who's closest?
B.J. Schecter: Miami is pretty close. Florida is pretty close. Michigan is pretty close. A lot of people recruit Florida and get a lot of talent, but Florida State has been able to utilize this great talent better than any other program.
From Guest: How has Bob Stoops managed to get so much more out of many of the same players than his predecessor, John Blake?
B.J. Schecter: It all starts with attitude. Stoops is one of the most positive people I've ever been around. He's extremely confident and believes he can be successful in everything. That carries over; that's where it all starts.
From cartwright: How does Florida State manage to be the only program in the nation that never has a down year?
B.J. Schecter: The '90s have certainly been terrific for Florida State, but it's all got to end some time, and it will. What FSU has done is taken some success and built on it every year; people want to play for a winner, and this team has won for the last 14 years.
From Guest: Would you be more surprised if Oklahoma won or if Florida State blew out the Sooners?
B.J. Schecter: Certainly if Oklahoma won. I think the Sooners are capable of winning, but the cards are stacked against them. Would it surprise me? No. Do I think it's going to happen? I don't.
From cartwright: Who impressed you more this year, Bob Stoops or Lou Holtz?
B.J. Schecter: That's a tough call. If I were picking coach of the year, I don't know what I would do. I would have to give the nod to Holtz slightly, because he took an 0-11 team and turned it into a bowl winner. That's remarkable -- which is not to say what Stoops has done isn't so, but I think Holtz faced a greater challenge.
From Do: Do you think Bobby Bowden will retire soon?
B.J. Schecter: I don't think he'll retire for at least another two years; he's energized, he loves what he does, and he's in the middle of a dynasty. Until that dynasty starts to crumble a little bit, I don't think you'll see Bowden leave.
From Mean1: Where do you see Chris Weinke going in the draft, and do you think he will pan out in the NFL?
B.J. Schecter: I see Weinke as an early second-round pick. He certainly will start off as a capable backup. He's got four or five good years in him, and somebody will certainly take a shot at him.
From What: Staying in the ACC, what are your thoughts on Virginia's hiring of Al Groh?
B.J. Schecter: It's certainly surprising. I'm not sure how successful they're going to be immediately because Groh was hired so late in the recruiting game. There's a lot of potential for success, but it might take a few years for UVa to reach the level that Groh is expected to get them.
From Do: Who is the best athlete in college football?
B.J. Schecter: The best athlete is a healthy Michael Vick, as I think we've all seen. There are other great athletes -- David Terrell, for example -- but when he has all his tools working, Michael Vick is by far the best athlete.
From temujin: I saw the end of the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, and Josh Heupel had terrible mechanics. He seemed to grip the back end of the ball, and push the ball from his shoulder. Was he injured, or is that his regular throwing motion?
B.J. Schecter: It's not his regular motion. His arm was sore, so he was trying to overcompensate, because his arm was kind of dead. I don't think you'll see that same type of mechanics in the Orange Bowl; the coaches have corrected it, and Heupel's been able to rest.
From cartwright: When Bobby Bowden does eventually retire, do you see another Bowden replacing him?
B.J. Schecter: That's hard to say. Right now it's really too early to speculate. You have guys like Chuck Amato, at N.C. State, and Mark Richt, who's headed to Georgia, around. I think you'll see a Bowden or a Florida State guy take over; which one, I really couldn't say right now.
From Do: What is Michael Vick going to do about the NFL?
B.J. Schecter: I think Michael Vick is coming out. I think he wanted to come out to begin with, before his injury. The injury made him think a little bit, but any time you waver as much as he has, I think he's going to come out and I think he'll make the announcement in the next couple days.
From cartwright: What was this year's best conference? What happened to the Big Ten?
B.J. Schecter: Top to bottom you have to look at the Pac-10, especially with the conference's success in bowl games. The SEC is a close second. The Big Ten underachieved nationally, but what happens is Big Ten teams beat each other up, like they do every year. But you're right, it was a down year for the conference.
From Do: Who are some Heisman hopefuls for next year?
B.J. Schecter: Vick, if he stays. Drew Henson. Rudi Johnson.
From Guest: Jumping to another BCS bowl, were you surprised that Oregon State crushed the Irish?
B.J. Schecter: No. Notre Dame didn't belong in a BCS bowl. The outcome was not a surprise, and I really wish Virginia Tech had been in that game.
From dsimp8: Do you think that there will be blowouts in both the Orange and the Sugar?
B.J. Schecter: No, not at all. I think you might see one blowout, and if anything it would be Florida State, though I think that game might be closer than people expect. But you have four good teams, and I don't think any team is going to be blown out of the stadium.
From Guest: Do you think Florida can beat Miami?
B.J. Schecter: Certainly. Florida has as much talent as anybody. If the Gators get that offense going, it's awfully tough to stop. Would it surprise me? A little bit. Is it possible? Certainly.
From Guest: What did Georgia Tech do to nearly upset Florida State that Oklahoma can't do?
B.J. Schecter: I think Georgia Tech can run the ball a lot better, and Georgia Tech has a better overall defense. Also, the 'Noles played the Yellow Jackets very early in the year, and Florida State has improved drastically. So I don't think it's fair to look at that game and try to draw something out of it.
From you: Will the extended break (i.e., no ACC championship game) hurt FSU?
B.J. Schecter: I don't think so. It did two years ago against Tennessee, but the 'Noles had the same break last year and were able to make the adjustment, beating Virginia Tech.
From cartwright: Will Oregon State and South Carolina be able to continue their sudden success?
B.J. Schecter: Absolutely. You have two big-name coaches in Dennis Erickson and Lou Holtz who've resurrected programs, and people are going to want to be a part of that new rise. I think both of these guys will continue will their recent success.
From ive: Who will step in at quarterback for FSU next year?
B.J. Schecter: Chris Rix, who was a true freshman this year (he redshirted), from Santa Margarita, Calif. He throws a great ball, and Florida State coaches are really high on him. I think you'll see him as the starting QB next year.
From Guest: What are the offensive line matchups like in the Orange Bowl?
B.J. Schecter: FSU has its best offensive line ever, and Oklahoma's offensive line is suspect. I think you'll see Florida State's O-line hold its own, and the Sooners' line will probably get dominated.
From ive: Do you think Bob Simmons has a chance to join Bob Stoops' staff at Oklahoma?
B.J. Schecter: I would doubt it. Stoops is going to hire young coaches and people who he knows or are recommended by his mentors, so for that reason I don't think that's going to happen.
From Guest: What's your prediction for the game? Final score and reason why.
B.J. Schecter: I'm going to say Florida State 42, Oklahoma 30. I think Florida State has more speed, more talent and more depth. While Oklahoma will put up a good fight, in the end the Sooners just won't match up.
CNNSI.com Host: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks again, B.J.
B.J. Schecter: Thank you.
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