Q&A: Switzer on expectations for Oklahoma this season

Former Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer won national championships with the Sooners and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.

Now Switzer is on the sidelines. You can see and hear Switzer commenting on college football games, including all the Sooner games on his weekly show at coaches where Switzer and others around college football provide live-streaming commentary as the games play out. Check out www.coachescabana.com for more information.

Here's a bit about what the legendary Sooner coach had to say about the Sooners this season.

Q: How much did that Sugar Bowl win do for OU?

A: It gave them a quarterback who they are 100 percent behind and they got the quarterback they need to have for the future. They needed Trevor Knight to play a game like that. Psychologically it's tremendous. The job is his now and he doesn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder. Yeah, Trevor needs to go out and get it done, but the job is his.

Q: You said you visited with Trevor Knight. What did you tell him?

A: I said I'm really looking forward to this year and I know you'll have a great year. You are the guy now.

Q: Is OU the team to beat now? I mean, is it better to be in this spot or come in as an underdog?

A: Being at the top is a role we've played before. It's good for media and hype. All a good ranking means is knowing you have a chance to have a pretty good football team. You think they will be favored to win every game. That doesn't mean you'll win em all. You have to go make it happen.

Q: Do you like the college football playoff?

A: It's better than what they have had. I have a problem some of the people who are picking the teams in the playoff, but I'm happy with the playoff. I think it will be exciting.

Q: Who are your four teams that you think will make it?

A: You could go with the polls - Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ohio State, They all have good teams. OSU lost their quarterback and that's a devastating blow. The key to winning is that you have to stay healthy. If you don't it's disastrous.

Q: Does it just take a lot of luck to stay healthy?

A: Some of it is luck. You're going to have injuries, no doubt, but if you can avoid them to key players, you'll be right there at the end.

Q: Have you talked to Blake Bell?

A: Yes. I talked to him a few days ago. Jay Novacek was in town, of course he played for me with the Cowboys and was a great tight end. I was showing Jay around and introduced him to some people. Blake Bell came up to me and shook hands with me.

Q: Speaking of which, what do you think of the move to tight end?

A: It's a good one. He's not what we needed at quarterback. He doesn't fit in the playbook we have. Blake the best thing for his career, was the decision the coaches made. The key thing in coaching is getting the best 22 players on the field. Most don't play the same position they played in high school. When they moved him , I thought he would have a chance to help us and help himself in the future. I felt great about the fact he has great hands and long speed, not quick, but once he's going, he's got long speed and is a big target. He's a team guy has confidence in his coaches. He's from a football family. He has a chance to have a future. He wouldn't have if he stayed at quarterback.

Q: What game worries you the most this year?

A: All of them worry you, but the non-conference games concern me. We're better than Tennessee. They have good players and if we don't play good it could be a tight game. As a coach, I never worried about the Texas and Nebraska or the big games and the teams who are talented.The guys would always be prepared and ready to play those. It's the other spots that concerned me.

Q: Did you like the underdog role?

A: OU was never the underdog. It didn't matter. The other team knew who's getting off the bus. It didn't make a difference because everybody gets ready to play Oklahoma. Our opponents know we have a great tradition. It's a notch on our belt.

Q: What player is going to have a break-through year?

A: I know we need to find a running back. But it's really going to come down to the guys on both lines who have to put their hands on the ground.

Q: What are you thoughts about Joe Mixon. Do you think he'll stick with it and be on the team next year?

A: I hope he comes back. He's a great prospect.

Q: Do you still get nervous about games the same way you did when you were the coach?

A: Hell no. I can sleep at night. When Bob Stoops gets his ass kicked, he won't be sleeping. I used to not sleep. I remember, but it's easy now.

This is the fourth installment of a week's worth of questions and answers with Oklahoma football players and others surrounding the team

Here's Monday's talk with offensive lineman Daryl Williams.

Here's Tuesday's talk with defensive lineman Charles Tapper.

Here's Wednesday's talk with Jim Ross, legendary WWE announcer and OU super fan.

Check back Friday for another Q-and-A

Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK