Paging Slevin, paging Slevin... He made an excellent post and point over on 24/7, offering up some "perspective" on coaching hires and searches. If he hasn't tried to make the point here, he needs to. If he has, he needs to again.
Basically you can look at all the great coaches across the nation, the "top tier" guys we're talking about, they all came from a mid-level school to the big leagues. Other than Saban, Meyer, and Spurrier, no coaches at elite jobs made lateral moves from one big-time program to another. And obviously, all the big names started small before they got their raise and really earned their prestige.
The point being, it's ok to get a proven head coach from the mid-level, it's even the norm. Mans actually, more than anything, we need someone that 1) knows offense and 2) is hungry to establish themselves as an elite coach.
If we get Stoops, I won't be complaining. I'll love it and have all the high hopes in the world. But, it might be in our best interest not to get a coach who's "burnt out" after 16 years at OU. As long as we can establish the offense and get that part of the ball firing on all cylinders again, we don't need the heavy weights. We have everything else necessary--the decensive personnel, the game atmosphere, the tradition, the fans, the university, the funds, the recruiting base--to be the best again, and make a mid-level guy, "the guy". We've done it before and so have most prestigious football programs across the country.