Head coach Bob Stoops opened up the Oklahoma Sooners’ spring practices with one of his typically combative media sessions. Among the highlights:

*Channeling his inner Steve Spurrier, Stoops couldn’t help but needle Texas A&M and Missouri when asked about the turnover in the Big 12: “When you look at what these guys have done, we are bringing in two ranked teams at the end of the year (West Virginia and TCU) and the two that left I don’t know that they were. I can’t remember.”

*The transcript on SoonerSports.com appears to be sanitized, but Stoops assumed his usual defensive posture about OU’s special teams play. He reiterated that Bobby Jack Wright serves as special teams coach: “I don’t know why people don’t think I have (a special teams coach), but I do.”

Um, maybe they’ve seen the kickoff coverage, coach.

*Speaking of the defensive ends, Stoops had some high praise for R.J. Washington. That’s good news for Sooner fans fretting over the likely replacements on the edge of the defensive line. Stoops also singled out Chuka Ndulue for the work he has put in during the offseason.

*You have to take anything Stoops says regarding injuries with boulder-sized salt grains, but his comments about Dom Whaley’s progress in rehabbing from a nasty leg injury are encouraging.

*OU’s head honcho apparently shares my opinion about the culpability of the Sooner offense in last season’s performance.

*You’ll have to excuse my skepticism over the prospect of Lane Johnson starting at left tackle. More concerning: What is going on with Daryl Williams?

Williams has been billed as the future cornerstone of the offensive line. Sure, he’s likely to start on the right side at tackle, but it has to be at least a little concerning that Johnson will be protecting Landry Jones’ blind side, rather than Williams.