Stoops's best teams - in order

[PDXsooner]

Yes, this may have been posted at some point. If so, I don't care, don't read it.

1- 2000 - 13-0 enough said. The O slowed down late, just in time for the D to be great

2- 2003 - Phenomenal team. If white wasn't hurt, I think they would have won it all against LSU in title game. Still perplexed by the K State loss. Still have nightmares of the pass being 2 inches away from an outstretched Kejuan hand.

3- 2001 - Yes, I know they ended up in the Cotton, but that D was just sick. Late lucky throw from Aso Pogi away from playing in the title game again.

4- 2002 - Again, sick D and the last of the great Mike Stoops D's. Won the Rose Bowl against a good Wash st team.

5- 2008 - Unbelievable offense. Still pissed about how close they were in the Title game vs. Florida. Literally a play away from the crystal ball. (they score to go up 14-7 at half and it would have been a victory.

6- 2004 - Great team. I always felt they were great but not title worthy. They showed it against USC. They would have been higher if not for the way they gave up in the title game.

7- 2006 - One of my favorite teams. Battled back with a WR at QB. Thompson is a legend in my eyes. They grinded out a Big 12 title and played in one of the best games of all time vs. Boise St.

8 - 2007 - A disappointing team in many ways. Win the Big 12 title but really let up in the Fiesta vs. West Virginia. This team was talented enought to win it all but was missing something mentally.

9- 2009- I really respect the way this team battled back from losing Bradford and Gresham. They had a championship D but just not enough O.

10 - 2005 - Bomar was underwhelming, even if he was a Fresh. This team was disappointing, but they really went out on a high note beating a 10-1 Oregon team in the Holiday Bowl.

11- 1999 - A HIGHLY entertaining season and team to watch. Really close in their losses and the first sign the resurrection had begun.

2010 - Not sure where to put this team. I'll wait and see where they finish out, but hard to see them ranked anywhere higher than #9.

[Okie35]

Yes, this may have been posted at some point. If so, I don't care, don't read it.

1- 2000 - 13-0 enough said. The O slowed down late, just in time for the D to be great

2- 2003 - Phenomenal team. If white wasn't hurt, I think they would have won it all against LSU in title game. Still perplexed by the K State loss. Still have nightmares of the pass being 2 inches away from an outstretched Kejuan hand.

3- 2001 - Yes, I know they ended up in the Cotton, but that D was just sick. Late lucky throw from Aso Pogi away from playing in the title game again.

4- 2002 - Again, sick D and the last of the great Mike Stoops D's. Won the Rose Bowl against a good Wash st team.

5- 2008 - Unbelievable offense. Still pissed about how close they were in the Title game vs. Florida. Literally a play away from the crystal ball. (they score to go up 14-7 at half and it would have been a victory.

6- 2004 - Great team. I always felt they were great but not title worthy. They showed it against USC. They would have been higher if not for the way they gave up in the title game.

7- 2006 - One of my favorite teams. Battled back with a WR at QB. Thompson is a legend in my eyes. They grinded out a Big 12 title and played in one of the best games of all time vs. Boise St.

8 - 2007 - A disappointing team in many ways. Win the Big 12 title but really let up in the Fiesta vs. West Virginia. This team was talented enought to win it all but was missing something mentally.

9- 2009- I really respect the way this team battled back from losing Bradford and Gresham. They had a championship D but just not enough O.

10 - 2005 - Bomar was underwhelming, even if he was a Fresh. This team was disappointing, but they really went out on a high note beating a 10-1 Oregon team in the Holiday Bowl.

11- 1999 - A HIGHLY entertaining season and team to watch. Really close in their losses and the first sign the resurrection had begun.

2010 - Not sure where to put this team. I'll wait and see where they finish out, but hard to see them ranked anywhere higher than #9.

If we go the Fiesta and win it 2010 is better than our 2007 team.

[CatfishSooner]

good analysis...

[PDXsooner]

If we go the Fiesta and win it 2010 is better than our 2007 team.

Yeah, good point. Especially if they were to beat Stanford.

[FriarTuck]

Umm... if we win the CCG and BCS bowl I'd say the team is better than the 2006 team that got beat by Boise. Also, I'd put 2008 at #2 or #3. The NFL talent on the 2008 team surpasses any of the OU teams this decade.

[PDXsooner]

Umm... if we win the CCG and BCS bowl I'd say the team is better than the 2006 team that got beat by Boise. Also, I'd put 2008 at #2 or #3. The NFL talent on the 2008 team surpasses any of the OU teams this decade.

I thought about that, but I just feel like the 2001 and 2002 teams would never have let Tebow march down the field and milk the clock to win the title.

[Dwight]

I think I'd put 2008 at #3, based on the fact that it was the highest scoring team ever

[jdd12]

It's incredible that people are saying that if this 2010 team goes 12-2 it still wouldn't make the top 6 teams of the Stoops era.

Pretty damn impressive, if you ask me.

[NormanPride]

Ranked in order of enjoyment:

2000
2008
2003
2002
2007
2006
1999
2009
2001
2004
2005

I know, I know... 2004 so low? I got bored, honestly. We hadn't lost a regular season game in so long that it was boring. I enjoyed 2006 a ton because of AD and Thompson. That D was fun as well!

[SoonerDood]

You can't seriously put 01 above 02. Much better O, comparable D, won conference title and Rose Bowl.

[NormanPride]

Yeah that Rose Bowl alone puts it waaay up high. That bowl was so satisfying it almost hurt.

[Salt City Sooner]

Yes, this may have been posted at some point. If so, I don't care, don't read it.

1- 2000 - 13-0 enough said. The O slowed down late, just in time for the D to be great

2- 2003 - Phenomenal team. If white wasn't hurt, I think they would have won it all against LSU in title game. Still perplexed by the K State loss. Still have nightmares of the pass being 2 inches away from an outstretched Kejuan hand.

3- 2001 - Yes, I know they ended up in the Cotton, but that D was just sick. Late lucky throw from Aso Pogi away from playing in the title game again.

4- 2002 - Again, sick D and the last of the great Mike Stoops D's. Won the Rose Bowl against a good Wash st team.

5- 2008 - Unbelievable offense. Still pissed about how close they were in the Title game vs. Florida. Literally a play away from the crystal ball. (they score to go up 14-7 at half and it would have been a victory.

6- 2004 - Great team. I always felt they were great but not title worthy. They showed it against USC. They would have been higher if not for the way they gave up in the title game.

7- 2006 - One of my favorite teams. Battled back with a WR at QB. Thompson is a legend in my eyes. They grinded out a Big 12 title and played in one of the best games of all time vs. Boise St.

8 - 2007 - A disappointing team in many ways. Win the Big 12 title but really let up in the Fiesta vs. West Virginia. This team was talented enought to win it all but was missing something mentally.

9- 2009- I really respect the way this team battled back from losing Bradford and Gresham. They had a championship D but just not enough O.

10 - 2005 - Bomar was underwhelming, even if he was a Fresh. This team was disappointing, but they really went out on a high note beating a 10-1 Oregon team in the Holiday Bowl.

11- 1999 - A HIGHLY entertaining season and team to watch. Really close in their losses and the first sign the resurrection had begun.

2010 - Not sure where to put this team. I'll wait and see where they finish out, but hard to see them ranked anywhere higher than #9.
1. Agreed

2. A couple of things about '03 that most fans let get lost in the shuffle a bit:
A) KSU was a pre-season top 5 team. I personally think they wouldn't have lost a game other than maybe the Fiesta Bowl had Roberson not been injured, & also kept his fly shut on said bowl week. B ) OU had spent the entire week leading up to the CCG being told by everbody & their dog that they did not have to win that game in order to go to the NC game. I have a difficult time believing that that notion did any wonders for their motivation.

In fact, when OU went through the KSU D like a hot knife through butter on that first drive, I looked at my wife & said oh crap, because I knew that whether we were motivated or not, KSU definitely was going to be. They may have consistently fallen short against us, but they always brought their best & I couldn't see that night being any different since they were playing for their first title in forever.

3. It was Josh Fields, not Pogi. If they hadn't made the switch, I think OU would've won it because Pogi was struggling royally.

4. The '02 D was okay, but I have to stop short of calling them great because they got lit up a little too much for me. 27 vs. Bama (24 in the 2nd half when they took the lead), 24 in the "Let Brad Smith do whatever the heck he wants to us" bowl, 30 in a loss at College Station, & 38 in Stillwater, (& OSU called off the dogs in that one).

5.Agreed. The biggest disappointment of that team to me was the horrific kick coverage. One of very few times that I've seen such an obvious problem go un-repaired the entire season. The D, IMO, gets a bit of a bum rap for the high point totals by the opposition because a huge amount of that was set up by long KO returns.

6. I thought the same up until A&M & OSU lit us up, even though OU won those games. With Dusty having been dismissed, we had no stud DL to get heat on the opposition, but until those 2 games, we hadn't played anybody who could expose that fact. I had a REALLY bad feeling about that USC game.

7. Agreed.

8. Personally, I'd flip the '06 & '07 teams, due to the limitations we had at QB in '06. God Bless PT for putting himself second & saving the '06 season, but he was nowhere near the QB Sam was, even as a freshman, & we went uber-conservative on offense (i.e. PT had 3 completions for the entire game vs. A&M, & 7 vs. OSU) as a result. IMO, you're also selling WVU considerably short. They were a Pat White thumb injury vs. Pitt from playing in the NC vs. tOSU.

Agree w/ 9 thru 11.

My rankings would be:

'00-as u said, no explanation necessary

'03- great offense, only time D really got lit up was vs. KSU

'02- not as good on D as '01, but O was a machine, esp. Q. Never scored less than 26.

'01- best D of the Stoops era. I remember reading an article that stated that the D forced a 3 & out 53% of the time. Too bad the O was hamstrung w/ inexperience up front (esp. toward the end).

'08 & '04- I have a tough time calling the order on these 2, but this is where I'd place them overall.

2007- Oh, what might've been had Sam not bonked his head in Lubbock.....

2006- PT & the miracles (also a major shout-out to Allen Patrick for stepping in when AD went down. AP averaged 129 YPG in his 5 starts subbing for AD, & that was with NU holding him to 35 in the CCG).

2009- Great D, 22-legged trainwreck (when it came to injuries) on O. If I've ever seen a unit be more snake-bit than them, I don't remember it.

2005- a really bad team to start the year, who still came one screwjob in Lubbock from winning 9 games.

1999- Typical Leach offense in that they'd try anything at least once. The D however, was flat out schizo that year. They gave up 16 points all year long in Norman, but got lit up to the tune of 29 PPG on the road.

Should OU happen to win out this year, I'd place them just ahead of the '07 team.

[Boomer.....]

I think I'd put 2008 at #3, based on the fact that it was the highest scoring team ever

Agree. 2008 should be either 2 or 3.

[PDXsooner]

I love the responses, and the differences of opinion.. This is great.

[PDXsooner]

You can't seriously put 01 above 02. Much better O, comparable D, won conference title and Rose Bowl.

It's all about the D. That '01 D never had a bad game. Well, they folded a little against K State late but the game wasn't in question and it was a September game. The '02 game really melted down against A&M and OSU. Deep balls all day.

[PDXsooner]

It's incredible that people are saying that if this 2010 team goes 12-2 it still wouldn't make the top 6 teams of the Stoops era.

Pretty damn impressive, if you ask me.

Top 6? Maybe, but it depends on who they play and beat.

[starclassic tama]

2000 - obviously
2008 - even though they had 2 losses, i think this was the second best team. the defense was still a year away, but they came on at the end of the year. 2009 defense/2008 offense = stoops' best team in my opinion.
2003 - pretty much exactly what you said.
2002 - defense had 2 bad games, still a really good team and the rose bowl game was impressive.
2001 - defense was just incredible. offense sorely lacking though.
2007 - this team and the 2006 team are a toss up in my opinion, however we had what i consider the best passing quarterback in college football history so i'll put them ahead.
2006 - this team and the 2007 team are a toss up in my opinion.
2009 - this team and the 1999 team are pretty close, however this team won it's bowl game and was better defensively.
1999 - great offense, josh heupel. but we were just a little too raw. still a very fun team to watch.

[soonercastor]

I don't see why you guys rank 2005 above 1999. I guess if we're comparing teams only, then sure; but if you include coaching and all that 1999 has to be above 2005.

[PDXsooner]

For me, the 2005 team winning the Holiday Bowl against a 10-1 team seals it over the '99 team, which lost to a mediocre Ole Miss team in the Independence Bowl.

[soonergolfer]

'00
08
03
01
04
02
06
07
99
05
09

2010 could be the 3rd or 4th best team with a BCS bowl win. With a BIG 12 & bowl loss probably 5th or 6th best. BIG loss 7th

[OUstud]

Just imagine if '99 had De'Mond Parker. :pop:

[SoonerAtKU]

Just imagine if 1999 had De'Mond and then 2003 had Q.