1975 National Title.....

[SteelClip49]

Thanks to Rubicon for his insight and now knowing that OU/PSU was the true national title game no matter if Miami had beat Tennessee due to JJ's whining and bickering of the polls, etc. I was always led to believe that had UM won, they would have been champs. I have learned a lot on here!


Now to the new topic at hand.

After the home loss to Kansas 23-3, was their any hope or chance from those of you who can remember that OU would be national champs?

From what I have read and heard from others, Ohio State was on a tear and couldn't be beaten. They were a defensive giant. Then they lost to UCLA (team they beat earlier in the season) in the Rose Bowl.

So did that make the Orange Bowl the true national championship opportunity for Oklahoma or was there still work to be done elsewhere?

I bring the "work to be done" thing up because Arizona State was undefeated and ALABAMA was on a 10 game win streak going into the Sugar Bowl in which they beat PSU by 7. (FTR, Alabama only gave up 72 points the entire season).

ASU played a weak schedule and was in the WAC but they finished #2 in both polls so I figure they had to be somewhat of a threat to win the NC.

Gladly OU won the NC in both polls but I wonder what all of yours takes are on Ohio State losing to UCLA and was Alabama a threat just as much to win the NC.

Thanks!

[NMSooner'80]

I thought that OU was done with the loss to KU at home. But, the thing that would have sealed the deal would have been a loss at Mizzou the next week. That nearly happened.

Alabama was a bigger threat, but they lost in the bowl game. Arizona State was undefeated but played an awful schedule. They were in the WAC at the time. They did beat Nebraska, but they didn't have anything to play for that day.

What was funny about ASU the next season was that some people thought of them as the uncrowned champ from '75. They came out of the gate and stunk it up at home against that same UCLA team and never recovered. I think that the '75 version of ASU might have won the poll championship had we lost to Michigan.

[Mississippi Sooner]

The funny thing about the Big XII having the tie in to the Fiesta Bowl is that the bowl was first created as a destination for the WAC champion because the WAC folks felt they weren't getting any respect. Arizona State did make a name for themselves, and The Sporting News and a few other publications did name them national champions. That led to both Arizona and ASU being invited to the Pac-8 a couple of years later.

As for the 75 season in general, I was only about 10 years old at the time, but I do remember almost everyone thinking we were done with the loss to Kansas. I also remember how glorious New Year's Day was that year. Not only did Ohio State get beat, to open the door for us to get back in, but it was the first time we'd been able to see the Sooners on TV in two years. I'll never forget it.

[85sooners]

:pop:

[BoulderSooner79]

I got the impression that the '75 crown included some "lifetime achievement" element from the AP voters. OU had been the most dominant team in the country both '73 and '74 and there were writers that thought the 2 year TV had been too harsh and targeted OU. Most the core was still intact in '75 and they were all seniors and got to be on TV in the bowl game and many generic CFB fans wanted to see them. I honestly believe the players from that squad were a bit bored with winning or had least lost some edge. At times they were just as dominant as the 2 years prior and showed they were just as good, but it wasn't always there. The old fire returned for the 2nd half of the Husker game. I'm not sure they would have gotten the votes had they not had the '73 and '74 seasons behind them after the KU game and the near collapse at Mizzou the next week. Just my impression from a fading memory. I was in the stands for the '75 NU game and we partied like it was 1974 :)

[swardboy]

GO, JOE, GO !!!!

[Soonersince57]

I was a freshman that year in the Pride. It was a good year, but kind of strange. Mostly a senior team coming back that hadn't lost in three years. Smashed the Ducks on a rainy day; killed Pittsburgh and Tony Dorsett; then barely beat a bad Miami team by 3 on a Friday night in Florida.

Colorado comes to Norman and scores late in the game down by a touchdown. Instead of going for 2, they miss the extra point and we win 21-20. Next week we beat a good * team by a touchdown and the game included a 50-something yard quick kick by Joe Washington from the end zone to get us out of trouble.

Ugly win over K-State followed and then a good win over Iowa State at home that included 13 fumbles - - and we still beat them by 5 touchdowns or so. The only OU-Osu game I've attended at Stillwater was next, where the dear little orange-clad bozos enjoyed their time throwing things and spitting on the band. And then, dear god, came Kansas. 8 possessions in a row where we turned the ball over. We were going in for a touchdown at the end of the first half, dropped the ball around the 1 and it bounces backwards 15 yards. I still remember vividly Billy Brooks being held back by other Sooners from coming into the stands after a guy yelling at them saying what losers they were (after not losing for 37 games). We dropped to #7.

Then the miracle finish against Missouri by Joe Washington and the two-point conversion (where we went for it on fourth down ;) A smashing of Nebraska got us into the Orange Bowl against Meatchicken and an unknown lineman named Les Miles. I can't remember the other bowl games going on, but I do know that tOSU was favored heavily and when the upset by UCLA happened we all new we would be #1 if we won that night.

Sorry for the length, just good memories for an 18-year-old kid from the sticks.

[KantoSooner]

I had to listen to the game or two that were covered by Armed Forces Radio that year and remember well the Orange Bowl. Switzer was in full black hat mode and Bo was oh, so establishment. Also, my high school's football coaching staff were all from Nebraska. My God, what a glorious day!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

The funny thing about the Big XII having the tie in to the Fiesta Bowl is that the bowl was first created as a destination for the WAC champion because the WAC folks felt they weren't getting any respect. Arizona State did make a name for themselves, and The Sporting News and a few other publications did name them national champions. That led to both Arizona and ASU being invited to the Pac-8 a couple of years later.

As for the 75 season in general, I was only about 10 years old at the time, but I do remember almost everyone thinking we were done with the loss to Kansas. I also remember how glorious New Year's Day was that year. Not only did Ohio State get beat, to open the door for us to get back in, but it was the first time we'd been able to see the Sooners on TV in two years. I'll never forget it.Pretty much how I remember that finish, as well.

But, going back to the '85 season, I never felt we had any kind of lock on the title just by beating PSU. The Miami loss to TN was imperative for OU to have been assured the title.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I got the impression that the '75 crown included some "lifetime achievement" element from the AP voters. OU had been the most dominant team in the country both '73 and '74 and there were writers that thought the 2 year TV had been too harsh and targeted OU. Most the core was still intact in '75 and they were all seniors and got to be on TV in the bowl game and many generic CFB fans wanted to see them. I honestly believe the players from that squad were a bit bored with winning or had least lost some edge. At times they were just as dominant as the 2 years prior and showed they were just as good, but it wasn't always there. The old fire returned for the 2nd half of the Husker game. I'm not sure they would have gotten the votes had they not had the '73 and '74 seasons behind them after the KU game and the near collapse at Mizzou the next week. Just my impression from a fading memory. I was in the stands for the '75 NU game and we partied like it was 1974 :)Could be 100% correct. Hard to figure how those voters think.

[Soonersince57]

Pretty much how I remember that finish, as well.

But, going back to the '85 season, I never felt we had any kind of lock on the title just by beating PSU. The Miami loss to TN was imperative for OU to have been assured the title.

Absolutely. Once Tennessee won, there was no doubt.

[cyclonesooner]

I was at the Pitt and Kansas game that year. In the pitt game, what a BUTT kicking took place. We made Dorsett look like a junior high player. In the Kansas game, what a disaster ! Laverne Smith and Nolan Cromwell put a WHIPPING on us ! Only thing that made it better was a historic evening at the RED DOG SALOON on the way back home.

[SteelClip49]

But I wonder where Alabama stood in the polls once OU lost to Kansas. OU was (8-0) before the loss and Alabama was on a winning streak. They didn't lose again after they started (0-1) when losing to Missouri. Was there ever a jump or was Bama just so far down they couldn't gain any ground on OU?


Final AP Poll....

1. Oklahoma (11-1)
2. Arizona State (12-0)
3. Alabama (11-1)
4. Ohio State (11-1)
5. UCLA (9-2-1)

[GDC]

That Kansas game was the first time in my young life I had experienced OU losing a football game. I thought them never losing was just part of the natural order of the universe. It was unsettling.

[bikerdood]

Pretty much how I remember that finish, as well.

But, going back to the '85 season, I never felt we had any kind of lock on the title just by beating PSU. The Miami loss to TN was imperative for OU to have been assured the title.

...True...Tony robinson and Tenn beat miami to open the door for OU...

[PLaw]

I was at the '75 KU game - Nolan Cromwell had a great game. The stadium kept waiting for a sprinkling of SOONER MAGIC, but there was no pixy dust that day.

'73-'75 were great, great teams that could beat anybody, anywhere, anytime.

BOOMER

[texaspokieokie]

i went to the Cotton Bowl game that day. it was quite warm, think it was AR over GA.

then home to watch the Orange Bowl. excellent game !!!
Great day !!!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I was at the '75 KU game - Nolan Cromwell had a great game. The stadium kept waiting for a sprinkling of SOONER MAGIC, but there was no pixy dust that day.

'73-'75 were great, great teams that could beat anybody, anywhere, anytime.

BOOMERHel* 1971-1975. Almost as good as 1953-1957!

[NMSooner'80]

One thing I remember about the otherwise-forgettable OU-KU game of '75 was that OU was moving the ball on them and stopping their wishbone in the first quarter. Then OU had a play where it looked like Elvis Peacock was going to score, but the ball popped out and rolled back upfield a few yards. We got it back, but KU blocked a field goal. That's when reality took a permanent hike for the day.

I was still in high school then (senior year), but I was so upset that I just left the house and didn't even hear the second half of that game on radio. OU may have never played a worse home game when the team was really good at the same time. Cromwell scored on a great one-man effort right before halftime, and that was pretty much "it."

I did go on a group trip to Lawrence for the payback game in 1976. That was fun, until we realized that both Scott Hill and Jerry Anderson (RIP -drowned about 10 years laters) suffered major knee injuries in the game. Both Anderson and Cromwell had their college careers end that day (both with ACL injuries), and the KU postgame show on radio was like listening to a Cromwell eulogy.

[Sooner Cal]

The KU loss was unbelievable because we kept waiting for the offense to strike. But we kept fumbling and KU recovered almost all of them.

Remember, we hadn't lost since the CU game in 2002. We were due a bad day. Take nothing away from Cromwell, but OU left that game on the carpet at Owen Field.