Oklahoma vs Washington, 1984

[SteelClip49]

Was this dubbed as the national title game by the media pundits?

If so, how and why did BYU get the nod after it was all said and done? (yes, I know they were undefeated).

I never knew the story about how it was set up.

[John Kochtoston]

OU was making a case for a split title if they beat the Huskies. OU, with a win, would have been 10-1-1, with a fluky loss to Kansas on a day where we turned the ball over 5 times, and the alleged tie with saxeT that season. Meanwhile, BYU played absolutely no one en route to their 13-0 record, and capped the season with a Holiday Bowl win against a Michigan team that entered the game 6-5.

I don't think a split poll was a guarantee by any means, but it seems to my memory that enough people were looking to vote for anyone but BYU that a split title was a real possibility.

[XingTheRubicon]

the scuttlebutt was that OU was going to have to win "going away" to overtake BYU for the AP and UPI. One of the reporters for NBC before the Orange Bowl started said OU would have to win by 14 points to impress the majority of the writers and coaches that he talked to.

OU promply stunk it up.

What's funny is the exact same thing happened the next year in '85. Jimmy "my face is fat" Johnson was furious that OU-PennSt was the NC game and Miami was odd man out playing Tenn in the Sugar. Many of the talking heads were stating that Miami could win the UPI (coaches) if Miami beat the **** out of Tennessee. The Cocaines got their *ss kicked and Jimmy and his sansabelt pants vowed to choke even bigger next year.

[Jdog]

I was living in Park City at the time and I recall we had a common opponent - Pittsburgh - which we blewout and they played em close.

oh yeah BYU's QB was Steve young

[Jdog]

the scuttlebutt was that OU was going to have to win "going away" to overtake BYU for the AP and UPI. One of the reporters for NBC before the Orange Bowl started said OU would have to win by 14 points to impress the majority of the writers and coaches that he talked to.

OU promply stunk it up.

What's funny is the exact same thing happened the next year in '85. Jimmy "my face is fat" Johnson was furious that OU-PennSt was the NC game and Miami was odd man out playing Tenn in the Sugar. Many of the talking heads were stating that Miami could win the UPI (coaches) if Miami beat the **** out of Tennessee. The Cocaines got their *ss kicked and Jimmy and his sansabelt pants vowed to choke even bigger next year.

As I recall Miami had beat us earlier in the season and were #1 going into the bowls. Boz was begging his friends at the U to play us again, which they didn't want to do. We won the big 8, which sent us to the Orange bowl as #3 to play #2 Penn State. Tennessee blew out the U in the Sugar - which made the Orange Bowl (for 2 quarters) for the Nat'l Championship.

[Sooner04]

I'd like to congratulate Brigham Young University for doing something only five other teams did this season: beat Michigan.


---Barry Switzer

[XingTheRubicon]

As I recall Miami had beat us earlier in the season and were #1 going into the bowls. Boz was begging his friends at the U to play us again, which they didn't want to do. We won the big 8, which sent us to the Orange bowl as #3 to play #2 Penn State. Tennessee blew out the U in the Sugar - which made the Orange Bowl (for 2 quarters) for the Nat'l Championship.

Nope, Penn St was #1, OU was #3. Miami was #2.

OU/PSU was the NC game from the get go. All of the voters were polled before the bowls claiming the OB was the NC.

[Salt City Sooner]

I was living in Park City at the time and I recall we had a common opponent - Pittsburgh - which we blewout and they played em close.

oh yeah BYU's QB was Steve young
There were actually 2 common opponents of BYU & OU that year; in addition to Pitt, both played Baylor. BYU beat the Bears by 34 in Provo, while OU won by 19 in Norman.

BTW, Steve Young was gone. His Sr. year was '83. BYU's QB was Robbie Bosco.

[Captain Cob Mob]

It was a huge debate. In the end I always felt that BYU was the media darling (I was in 7th grade and was first learning about politics in football). They just got a lot of press. A good team, but pretty much the same arguments as today... strength of schedule.

[Sabanball]

Wasn't that the game of the now infamous 'sooner schooner incident' where you guys got penalized?

[XingTheRubicon]

yes, it was a great night

[tulsaoilerfan]

Wasn't that the game of the now infamous 'sooner schooner incident' where you guys got penalized?

Yup

[picasso]

The TD just before halftime was sweet.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Ahhhhh... really BAD memories. Almost as good as my memories of LAST year's game VERSUS BYU.

Thanks, all! Big thumbs up!

[cjames317]

The TD just before halftime was sweet.

As was the halftime fireworks bombarding people in my section. I still don't understand how Jacque Robinson ran through and over OUr defense that night.

[Salt City Sooner]

They took advantage of Casillas agressiveness more than a few times, & blew him up repeatedly with trap after trap. The resulting holes weren't exactly small.