LOS ANGELES -- Ogbonnia Okoronkwo took issue Thursday with the pervading narrative that Oklahoma isn't as physical defensively as its Southeastern Conference counterparts. And the senior defensive end pointed to recent victories over the SEC as a reason that the Sooners should be getting more respect on the defensive side going into a New Year's Day showdown with Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.
"People have been talking about us for years now, you know, talking about our defense not being physical enough," Okoronkwo said. "And every year we go play an SEC team and we win. And we win by a lot. So, we're really done talking about it at this point. We're just ready to go play."
Since 2013, when former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops famously called the storyline of the SEC creating a gap between itself and the rest of college football "propaganda," the Sooners have won four straight over the SEC.
Oklahoma defeated Alabama that season in the Sugar Bowl, 45-31. The next two years, the Sooners swept Tennessee, 34-10 and 31-24 in double overtime. In last year's Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma handled Auburn, as Okoronkwo finished with a pair of tackles for loss in a convincing 35-19 win.
"We've done it before, time and time again," said Okoronkwo, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this season. "I don't know why it's still a topic of conversation that we're not physical enough when we've done it countless times. That's the nature of the beast. We're ready to play to show what we can do."
Several of Georgia's offensive players reinforced Okoronkwo's comments on Thursday even though the Sooners rank 58th nationally in total defense competing in the wide-open, pass-happy Big 12.
"They're a good, fast, physical football team," said Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. "They still have big guys and they still have fast guys, a lot like the SEC."
Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb said that the Sooners not only are plenty physical but that they also might be the fastest defense Georgia has faced all year.
"Their team speed is so incredible," said Chubb, the Bulldogs' leading rusher. "They're very fast, it's possible that we haven't seen this year, just a very fast team like them. They're super athletic. They can strike downhill, do pretty much anything any SEC teams we've seen this year can do. ... Very physical."
Chubb added that he doesn't blame the Sooners for bristling at the notion they aren't physical. And, he expects it to be something Oklahoma uses come Monday.
"I'm sure they're hearing that and using it as motivation," he said. "They're going to try and prove the point that they can be physical. I think they can be."