Florida linebacker: 'OU is not on our level'

The Sooners playing the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium is like playing at their second home, but the Gators don't seem to be concerned about that

Florida linebacker James Houston doesn’t seem to have a high opinion of the Gators’ opponent in the upcoming Cotton Bowl.

“Oklahoma is a good matchup,” Houston said, “but they’re not on our level.”

Houston and other Gators commented Tuesday during a video press conference after OU staged media availability.

“They’re not the SEC,” Houston said. “They’re not the Florida Gators.”

The No. 6-ranked Sooners and No. 7 Gators meet Dec. 30 in AT&T Stadium in the 85th Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, TX.

It’s been called OU’s second home because Norman is just 2 1/2 hours up Interstate 35 and the Sooners play in the Big 12 Championship Game there every year.

Just Saturday, OU took out then-No. 6-ranked Iowa State 27-21 to win its sixth consecutive Big 12 title and 14th in the 25-year history of the league.

Houston remains unimpressed.

“I don’t think we’re too much worried about home field advantage or teams being close to there,” Houston said. “It’s more about what we want to put on film … and showing what Florida Gators can do.”

Houston’s quotes were reminiscent of LSU linebacker Patrick Queen’s comments at Peach Bowl media day last year in Atlanta.

“The o-line’s not great. Running backs not great. But they still make it work,” Queen said. “ … I feel like our defense is gonna make plays in space. I feel like with this game plan we’ve got, we’re gonna dominate them.”

That came to pass as undefeated LSU won 63-28 and then also dominated Clemson in the national championship game.

In fairness, Houston also was complimentary of the Sooner offense elsewhere in the press conference.

"I actually watched a couple of games yesterday," Houston said. "Spencer Rattler, he's a nice quarterback has a good arm, great offense. He has a couple weapons to use within the offense. He can use his legs and run as well. I think it should be a great challenger for the defense, great challenge for individuals on the defense to see where their talent lines up and how they can compete against some of the best competition in the nation."

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