Red/White Game gets bigger audience

By John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN April 08, 2006 02:14 am

— Oklahoma still has another week of spring practice to go, but it will certainly feel like the fall at 1 p.m. today at Owen Field.
The Red/White Game has been the traditional final run-through of the spring season and the scrimmage does its best to simulate game conditions. There’s a running clock, special teams are used and points actually go up on the scoreboard.
To add to the ambiance, the Red/White Game has drawn crowds in excess of 30,000.
But there will be more watching than diehard OU fans today. ESPN is televising the game, too.
“We treat this one very much like a game,” quarterback Rhett Bomar said. “You have to because everyone is watching.”
At least that’s what OU coach Bob Stoops is hoping for. He sees the Red/White game as a potential two-hour commercial for his program.
“It’s always good for all these young players and recruits and people,” Stoops said. “You get a chance to show your program and what it’s like. They will probably have some sideline shots and they’ll have us miked up a little bit. Though we compete hard we usually have a good time, it’s always positive to definitely get that kind of exposure.”
ESPN is no stranger to OU’s spring workouts. The network brought its “Game Day” crew to the 2004 Red/White Game.
But today will be the first time the game itself will have a national audience.
Stoops doesn’t see it having any affect on the game.
“ESPN has been really good to us and are great to work with,” Stoops said. “They said here is the time scheduled they were looking for and fortunately it fit us perfectly.
“In the end, we will probably get around 70 snaps. It’s what we got in our last scrimmage and it works for their timing. Fortunately, it worked out for what both of us were looking for.”
The usual format will be used. The offense will wear red and the defense will wear white.
The clock will be used, but even Stoops isn’t sure what factor it will play.
Of course, neither Sooner fans nor ESPN will get everything they want.
When asked if running back Adrian Peterson will play, Stoops said some things are not negotiable.
“TV’s important and all,” he said. “But if they made me change that, there wouldn’t be a game.”