Bob Stoops: Joining CFP selection committee would be 'great opportunity'

— -- Joining the College Football Playoff selection committee next year "would be a great opportunity," former Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops told ESPN on Wednesday.

Nobody from the CFP has contacted Stoops, and while Stoops said he hasn't thought much about it, he would entertain a conversation from CFP officials.

The selection committee will have to replace six members after this season, including chair Kirby Hocutt, former chair Jeff Long, Tom Jernstedt, Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich, Tyrone Willingham and Steve Wieberg.

"I guess I would have to do a lot of visiting with people on what all the commitment would be, and what the expectations would be," Stoops said, "but it'd sure be worth listening."

The CFP will announce its replacements in January.

Stoops, who turns 57 on Sept. 9 and retired in June after 18 seasons at Oklahoma, would be a natural fit on the committee and add a Big 12 presence following the departure of Texas Tech athletic director Hocutt. Stoops left as the winningest coach in OU history, with a 190-48 record (.798 winning percentage).

He was replaced by former OU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, who helped guide the Sooners to the 2015 CFP semifinals. Stoops said he trusts the 13-member committee.

"I think they're doing a good job," Stoops said. "I don't think it's ever going to be perfect, but I do believe it's better than just two teams. I really believe the quality of people and how hard they're working with it, they're doing a great job with the selection committee and the effort and time, and all they're putting into it. Four is better than two."

Stoops talked on Wednesday from his makeshift office in the press box, where he said he's figuring out his new role as special assistant to the athletic director.

"What that's going to entail, we're unsure," he said. "I still feel connected to the team because of the timing of this in a lot of ways. I still want to be around to some degree without getting in Coach Riley's way."

Stoops said he and Riley talk on occasion, but that the 33-year-old head coach "doesn't need any help."

"The good thing with Coach Riley, it's not like he's a guy from somewhere else," Stoops said. "We've been working together the last few years. It's not like he's a stranger coming in ... so there's a lot of familiarity with everybody. Being around isn't a distraction and I'm not getting in anybody's way at all."

Stoops said he wasn't sure what kind of impact the Big 12 championship game will have on the conference or the playoff moving forward -- especially after Ohio State finished in the selection committee's top four last season in spite of Penn State winning the Big Ten title and beating the Buckeyes head-to-head.

"Everyone talked about you had to be your conference champion to get in and here in the third year that's not the case," Stoops said. "I think it's going to be different year to year, and even the championship game from year to year, sometimes a team with one loss can be playing against a team with three losses, and then it isn't as impressive and probably shouldn't count for as much. In the end, it will always be debated. From year to year it's going to be different."