MyT Oklahoma
6/20/2011, 09:18 AM
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20110619_92_A9_CUTLIN432255
Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has won seven Big 12 titles in 11 seasonsBy JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 6/19/2011 1:59 AM
Last Modified: 6/19/2011 3:44 AM
The Southeastern Conference has produced college football's last five national champions.
But an argument could be made that Oklahoma under Bob Stoops has become the game's preeminent overall program.
While the SEC has run away with the title of best conference, no SEC team has ruled the league like Oklahoma has the Big 12.
SEC defenders will say that's because their conference's top-to-bottom greatness means giants are slaying giants, while OU dominates a bunch of pixies.
Perhaps that's true. Perhaps not. Perhaps that's one reason why when the Big 12 nearly folded last summer there were more than a few in the SEC think tank who were interested in adding the Sooners to their dominion.
In any case, only two teams nationwide have dominated a power conference on the scale that Oklahoma has in winning seven Big 12 titles in 11 years: USC (four championships, three co-championships in the Pac-10) and Ohio State (three championships, four co-championships in the Big Ten).
Of course, those kingdoms are now tarnished. The Trojans have been hit with major NCAA sanctions because players took illegal benefits, and the Buckeyes almost assuredly will be for looking the other way in a tattoo parlor scandal.
And both coaches who built their respective towers of power aren't around to watch them crumble. Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL, and Jim Tressel resigned.
OU is not without its own NCAA travails during the Stoops era, though Stoops emerged from the trouble with his reputation for integrity stronger than it was before.
A 2006 OU internal investigation uncovered monitoring issues with student-athlete employment in 2004 and 2005. As a result, quarterback Rhett Bomar, center J.D. Quinn and walk-on receiver Jermaine Hardison were kicked off the team.
The NCAA levied three years of scholarship reductions, but otherwise took very little punitive action because of Stoops' immediate and final decision to dismiss the rule breakers.
This fall, the Sooners begin their third season after the NCAA sanctions were lifted. By all accounts, it could rival Stoops' best teams.
Despite a tumultuous offseason in which the defense suffered devastating personnel losses, the 2011 Sooners still are a prohibitive favorite to rank as college football's preseason No. 1 team. In its history, OU has been the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 more than anyone, and under Stoops, the Sooners have started five times ranked in the top five.
Summer plaudits mean little, of course, once the games begin in September. Stoops' only national title came when the Sooners opened the year ranked 20th.
"You know, it doesn't matter," Stoops said. "Our guys are very aware that it's the work they do and what they earn that matters. We'll deal with it a little bit but it's not an issue."
For the decade of 2000-10, only one program (Boise State, with 124) won more games than Oklahoma's 122 under Bob Stoops. (Texas, at 115, ranks third.)
Maybe OU fans dismiss Boise State's success in the Western Athletic Conference like SEC fans dismiss OU's in the Big 12. Maybe not. The Broncos' unforgettable win over the Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl seems to put Boise State on the same level as OU. So does the NCAA's recent findings of rules violations at the Idaho school.
Whatever the case, Stoops' success at Oklahoma stands alone. He not only has won more games than any other coach since 2000, he's won more conference championships and played in more BCS national championship games.
Stoops' record in those games, however, has turned sour. After beating Florida State in 2001, the Sooners lost in championship showdowns with LSU in 2004, with USC in 2005 and with Florida in 2009. Those defeats, as well as a handful of upsets through the years that cost the Sooners a shot at the crown, long ago tarnished Stoops' big-game mystique.
Stoops turned 50 last year. He said he won't be a senior citizen coach, but says he'll do it as long as he loves it. Bud Wilkinson coached 17 years at Oklahoma. Barry Switzer coached 16. But they both won three national championships. Stoops, who frequently immerses himself in OU history, once said pursuing three titles and living up to the standards set by Wilkinson and Switzer was important to him.
First, though, he'll have to win his second. It's been 10 years since Stoops won the national championship. That's two-thirds of the 15-year wasteland between Switzer's last championship in 1985 and Stoops' first in 2000 - a long time for Sooner fans, and a long time for Stoops.
This year - with quarterback Landry Jones, receiver Ryan Broyles, the whole offensive line and most of the defense back - could finally be the year Stoops does indeed get that elusive second title at Oklahoma.
20 KEY FIGURES IN THE STOOPS ERA
David Boren
Son of an Oklahoma congressman, Boren received his law degree from OU in 1968. The former Oklahoma governor and U.S. Senator became OU’s 13th president in November 1994. After presiding over the program’s epic plunge, Boren hired Joe Castiglione as athletic director in April 1998. Boren stays involved but, unlike some college presidents, his best attribute in athletics may be that he lets his AD do his job.
Joe Castiglione
His 17 years at Missouri (the last five as AD) — gave Castiglione a comprehensive understanding of the direction in which college athletics was going. His visionary leadership, coupled with 2000 national championship, led to an unprecedented decade of giving (more than $200 million so far) that’s made OU one of a handful of self-sustaining athletic departments nationally.
Bob Stoops
Stoops replacing the beleaguered John Blake to captain the Oklahoma program was the perfect meeting of man, moment and machine. The son of a coach with roots in the steel mills of Eastern Ohio, Stoops immediately instilled a toughness, discipline and accountability that had been missing at OU for decades. In 12 seasons, he’s won seven Big 12 crowns and has coached in more BCS title games than anyone.
Jerry Schmidt
Schmidt was Stoops’ first hire in December 1998. As defensive coordinator at Florida, Stoops built a ferocious defense, but he couldn’t have done it without Schmidt, the unforgiving, flat-top, drill-sergeant strength coach who builds iron warriors out of boys. Schmidt’s hard-line tactics at OU have drawn criticism, but also have produced results.
Mike Leach
At Florida, Stoops had success against but still was impressed by Hal Mumme’s recordsetting Kentucky offense. Mumme’s right-hand man and coordinator was Leach. Leach found his quarterback (Josh Heupel) and thrived through novelty, and in 1999 they set virtually every passing record in school history and breathed life into a moribund program.
Mike Stoops
Family ties made Mike Stoops’ departure from Kansas State slightly less acrimonious than others who left Bill Snyder’s staff. As intense as Bob was, Mike was far more so as his brother’s coordinator. OU’s defensive backs from 1999-2003 played with an edge OU fans hadn’t seen since Bobby Proctor coached DBs under Barry Switzer.
Brent Venables
Venables played linebacker at K-State under the Stoopses, and his intensity as co-coordinator took things to a new level. It’s been his defense since Mike Stoops left in 2003, and in an age of prolific offense, a more mature Venables has directed some of the game’s best defensive units.
Chuck Long
A former Iowa teammate of Stoops (he was Heisman runner- up to Bo Jackson), Long replaced Leach as quarterbacks coach in 2000 and proved he’s one of the best. Long’s calm, cerebral approach to the position helped steer Josh Heupel, Nate Hybl and Jason White to greatness. He also recruited Rhett Bomar and believed in Sam Bradford.
Kevin Wilson
To replace Mark Mangino, Stoops hired Wilson, who had raging success at college football outposts like Northwestern and Miami- Ohio. Wilson first coached offensive line, but replaced Long as coordinator for the ‘05 Holiday Bowl. In ‘08, at the urging of Venables and Heupel, Wilson installed a fast-paced no-huddle that set dozens of NCAA records, including points, touchdowns and plays.
Josh Heupel
Heupel became the best QB in Sooner history, resurrecting the program, guiding OU to the 2000 national title and setting every passing record. Then he became the Sooners’ best QB coach, turning Bradford from a three-star local into the Heisman winner and No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Now taking over for Wilson, fans hope Heupel becomes OU’s best offensive coordinator.
Rocky Calmus
When Stoops arrived, there were plenty of talented John Blake leftovers who had become disillusioned. Calmus, who signed with Blake in 1998, was one of the players who spearheaded the change. He became a two-time All-American linebacker, won the 2001 Butkus Award and made countless game-changing plays during the 2000 title march.
Roy Williams
Another of Blake’s talented ‘98 recruits, Williams became one of the greatest stars in the program’s history. His defining moment was his “Superman” blitz against Texas in ‘01 that forced an interception and game-clinching TD, but Williams also invented the “Roy Back” position, a safety-linebacker hybrid that’s still in use at OU today.
Quentin Griffin
The last signee of Stoops’ first recruiting class, the diminutive Griffin became one of the most prolific running backs in school history. Bobby Jack Wright, Stoops’ first hire as an assistant coach, was wowed by Griffin’s highlight tape. Soon after, Stoops was sold. Griffin became OU’s most dangerous option in the shotgun offense.
Jason White
A devout OU fan from nearby Tuttle, White liked Miami before Blake was fired, but switched when he met Stoops. White’s legacy was written five years later when, after knee injuries ended back-to-back seasons, he won the 2003 Heisman. He broke many of Heupel’s records and quarterbacked the Sooners to consecutive national title games.
Mark Clayton
Stoops has had dozens of high school players who were run-of-themill talent but turned themselves into college stars. Before Bradford, Clayton was the epitome of that transformation. He arrived in Norman a 160-pound prep quarterback, but left as a 2003 All-American and the most prolific wide receiver in school history.
Adrian Peterson
Stoops also has signed plenty of can’t-miss high school talent who simply didn’t miss, and Peterson stands atop them all. Inarguably the most talented player Stoops has ever signed, Peterson also was the Sooners’ hardest worker. An All-American and Heisman runner-up as a true freshman, he reached fourth on OU’s esteemed career rushing list in 2½ seasons.
Rhett Bomar
Bomar stands as an example of Stoops’ unmistakably clear code: do it right, or get out. Bomar was a supremely talented high school quarterback and seemed on his way after a soso freshman year. But he couldn’t say no to the destructive leeches outside the program, and Stoops kicked him out. OU went on NCAA probation, then made its compliance department the national standard.
Sam Bradford
It seemed almost like a favor when Bradford signed — local kid, son of a former player — but Chuck Long had noticed Bradford’s accuracy and demeanor, and Bradford turned that opportunity into gold. Focused fully on football, Bradford set virtually every passing record, led OU to the national title game, won the Heisman and became the No. 1 pick.
DeMarco Murray
Murray is what happens when talent meets determination. Arguably OU’s most underappreciated player ever, Murray set records for all-purpose yardage and touchdowns and ranks second in carries. Though he never made firstteam All-American, Murray came back from two potentially devastating leg injuries and simply showed his teammates how to work.
Ryan Broyles
Another Sooner example under Stoops: how to become a man. An arrest for stealing gas got him suspended his freshman year, and two years later, during an 8-5 season, he had become the Sooners’ go-to player. Last year he led the nation with 122 catches. Now a senior, Broyles shows that Stoops’ methods — toughness, discipline, accountability — work.
EIGHT CLOSE CALL YEARS
After winning the national championship in just his second season, Bob Stoops’ teams at Oklahoma were or could have been in the hunt for the title in nine of the next 10 years. A look back at those near-misses:
2001
Even after an October defeat at Nebraska, No. 4 OU went into the final weekend needing only to beat 3-7 Oklahoma State in Stillwater to play for the Big 12 title and likely a return to the national championship. Instead, OSU won 16-13 on a miracle pass from Josh Fields to Rashaun Woods (still the most significant loss of the Stoops era), and the Sooners were banished to the Cotton Bowl for a 10-3 win over Arkansas.
2002
No. 1 OU had been dominant all season but was shocked in a 30-26 loss at Texas A&M. Still, the Sooners again went into the final week of the season with a clear path to the national championship game, but this time were routed 38-28 by the Cowboys in Stillwater. Instead of the national title trip, OU beat Colorado for the Big 12 crown then hammered Washington State in the Rose Bowl.
2003
The ‘03 Sooners were being called the greatest team in college football history before a 35-7 Kansas State sucker punch in the Big 12 title game. Still, OU’s Bowl Championship Series rating was high enough for them to play for the national title. Heisman-winning quarterback Jason White, however, faced LSU’s punishing defense with multiple injuries and the Sooners were beaten 21-14.
2004
USC and Oklahoma went wireto- wire ranked 1-2 in the polls, and their meeting in the Orange Bowl for the BCS title was one of the most anticipated showdowns in college football history. OU led the Trojans 7-0 and USC punted on two of its first three drives. But Mark Bradley’s inexplicable effort to field a bouncing punt led to a TD that opened the flood gates for a 55-19 embarrassment.
2007
The Sooners lost two games in the regular season — one on the final play of an epic fourth-quarter collapse at Colorado, and one after Sam Bradford was squished at the bottom of a pile after a first-quarter fumble at Texas Tech. Had Reggie Smith not fumbled a punt in Boulder and had Allen Patrick not fumbled in Lubbock, OU probably would have won both games and been undefeated as it played for the national title.
2008
OU was back in the title game after winning a three-way tie with Texas and Texas Tech in the Big 12 South. Against Florida, OU was poised to dominate early but failed to score on back-to-back drives inside the Gators’ 5, including a dropped TD pass that was intercepted. It was 14-14 in the fourth quarter, and 17-14 when UF’s Ahmad Black ripped an interception out of Juaquin Iglesias’ hands in the red zone. The Gators prevailed 24-14.
2009
OU finished 8-5 in ‘09, so how did the Sooners blow a national title shot? Easy. Bradford went down in the season-opener versus BYU (a one-point loss) and again versus Texas (a three-point loss). Four of OU’s five road defeats were by a touchdown or less. Bradford probably wouldn’t have made the same mistakes young Landry Jones did at Miami and Nebraska, and the Sooners would have been competitive at Texas Tech.
2010
With Jones still learning the ropes and a bunch of freshmen and sophomores around him, last year’s Sooners were truly a year away from contending for a national title. But they went into Missouri ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings. Wipe away a couple of mistakes in that game and a couple more two weeks later at Texas A&M and the Sooners are back in the hunt for a national title.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20110619_92_A9_CUTLIN432255
P.S. Thanks for the memories Coach Stoops.
Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has won seven Big 12 titles in 11 seasonsBy JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 6/19/2011 1:59 AM
Last Modified: 6/19/2011 3:44 AM
The Southeastern Conference has produced college football's last five national champions.
But an argument could be made that Oklahoma under Bob Stoops has become the game's preeminent overall program.
While the SEC has run away with the title of best conference, no SEC team has ruled the league like Oklahoma has the Big 12.
SEC defenders will say that's because their conference's top-to-bottom greatness means giants are slaying giants, while OU dominates a bunch of pixies.
Perhaps that's true. Perhaps not. Perhaps that's one reason why when the Big 12 nearly folded last summer there were more than a few in the SEC think tank who were interested in adding the Sooners to their dominion.
In any case, only two teams nationwide have dominated a power conference on the scale that Oklahoma has in winning seven Big 12 titles in 11 years: USC (four championships, three co-championships in the Pac-10) and Ohio State (three championships, four co-championships in the Big Ten).
Of course, those kingdoms are now tarnished. The Trojans have been hit with major NCAA sanctions because players took illegal benefits, and the Buckeyes almost assuredly will be for looking the other way in a tattoo parlor scandal.
And both coaches who built their respective towers of power aren't around to watch them crumble. Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL, and Jim Tressel resigned.
OU is not without its own NCAA travails during the Stoops era, though Stoops emerged from the trouble with his reputation for integrity stronger than it was before.
A 2006 OU internal investigation uncovered monitoring issues with student-athlete employment in 2004 and 2005. As a result, quarterback Rhett Bomar, center J.D. Quinn and walk-on receiver Jermaine Hardison were kicked off the team.
The NCAA levied three years of scholarship reductions, but otherwise took very little punitive action because of Stoops' immediate and final decision to dismiss the rule breakers.
This fall, the Sooners begin their third season after the NCAA sanctions were lifted. By all accounts, it could rival Stoops' best teams.
Despite a tumultuous offseason in which the defense suffered devastating personnel losses, the 2011 Sooners still are a prohibitive favorite to rank as college football's preseason No. 1 team. In its history, OU has been the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 more than anyone, and under Stoops, the Sooners have started five times ranked in the top five.
Summer plaudits mean little, of course, once the games begin in September. Stoops' only national title came when the Sooners opened the year ranked 20th.
"You know, it doesn't matter," Stoops said. "Our guys are very aware that it's the work they do and what they earn that matters. We'll deal with it a little bit but it's not an issue."
For the decade of 2000-10, only one program (Boise State, with 124) won more games than Oklahoma's 122 under Bob Stoops. (Texas, at 115, ranks third.)
Maybe OU fans dismiss Boise State's success in the Western Athletic Conference like SEC fans dismiss OU's in the Big 12. Maybe not. The Broncos' unforgettable win over the Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl seems to put Boise State on the same level as OU. So does the NCAA's recent findings of rules violations at the Idaho school.
Whatever the case, Stoops' success at Oklahoma stands alone. He not only has won more games than any other coach since 2000, he's won more conference championships and played in more BCS national championship games.
Stoops' record in those games, however, has turned sour. After beating Florida State in 2001, the Sooners lost in championship showdowns with LSU in 2004, with USC in 2005 and with Florida in 2009. Those defeats, as well as a handful of upsets through the years that cost the Sooners a shot at the crown, long ago tarnished Stoops' big-game mystique.
Stoops turned 50 last year. He said he won't be a senior citizen coach, but says he'll do it as long as he loves it. Bud Wilkinson coached 17 years at Oklahoma. Barry Switzer coached 16. But they both won three national championships. Stoops, who frequently immerses himself in OU history, once said pursuing three titles and living up to the standards set by Wilkinson and Switzer was important to him.
First, though, he'll have to win his second. It's been 10 years since Stoops won the national championship. That's two-thirds of the 15-year wasteland between Switzer's last championship in 1985 and Stoops' first in 2000 - a long time for Sooner fans, and a long time for Stoops.
This year - with quarterback Landry Jones, receiver Ryan Broyles, the whole offensive line and most of the defense back - could finally be the year Stoops does indeed get that elusive second title at Oklahoma.
20 KEY FIGURES IN THE STOOPS ERA
David Boren
Son of an Oklahoma congressman, Boren received his law degree from OU in 1968. The former Oklahoma governor and U.S. Senator became OU’s 13th president in November 1994. After presiding over the program’s epic plunge, Boren hired Joe Castiglione as athletic director in April 1998. Boren stays involved but, unlike some college presidents, his best attribute in athletics may be that he lets his AD do his job.
Joe Castiglione
His 17 years at Missouri (the last five as AD) — gave Castiglione a comprehensive understanding of the direction in which college athletics was going. His visionary leadership, coupled with 2000 national championship, led to an unprecedented decade of giving (more than $200 million so far) that’s made OU one of a handful of self-sustaining athletic departments nationally.
Bob Stoops
Stoops replacing the beleaguered John Blake to captain the Oklahoma program was the perfect meeting of man, moment and machine. The son of a coach with roots in the steel mills of Eastern Ohio, Stoops immediately instilled a toughness, discipline and accountability that had been missing at OU for decades. In 12 seasons, he’s won seven Big 12 crowns and has coached in more BCS title games than anyone.
Jerry Schmidt
Schmidt was Stoops’ first hire in December 1998. As defensive coordinator at Florida, Stoops built a ferocious defense, but he couldn’t have done it without Schmidt, the unforgiving, flat-top, drill-sergeant strength coach who builds iron warriors out of boys. Schmidt’s hard-line tactics at OU have drawn criticism, but also have produced results.
Mike Leach
At Florida, Stoops had success against but still was impressed by Hal Mumme’s recordsetting Kentucky offense. Mumme’s right-hand man and coordinator was Leach. Leach found his quarterback (Josh Heupel) and thrived through novelty, and in 1999 they set virtually every passing record in school history and breathed life into a moribund program.
Mike Stoops
Family ties made Mike Stoops’ departure from Kansas State slightly less acrimonious than others who left Bill Snyder’s staff. As intense as Bob was, Mike was far more so as his brother’s coordinator. OU’s defensive backs from 1999-2003 played with an edge OU fans hadn’t seen since Bobby Proctor coached DBs under Barry Switzer.
Brent Venables
Venables played linebacker at K-State under the Stoopses, and his intensity as co-coordinator took things to a new level. It’s been his defense since Mike Stoops left in 2003, and in an age of prolific offense, a more mature Venables has directed some of the game’s best defensive units.
Chuck Long
A former Iowa teammate of Stoops (he was Heisman runner- up to Bo Jackson), Long replaced Leach as quarterbacks coach in 2000 and proved he’s one of the best. Long’s calm, cerebral approach to the position helped steer Josh Heupel, Nate Hybl and Jason White to greatness. He also recruited Rhett Bomar and believed in Sam Bradford.
Kevin Wilson
To replace Mark Mangino, Stoops hired Wilson, who had raging success at college football outposts like Northwestern and Miami- Ohio. Wilson first coached offensive line, but replaced Long as coordinator for the ‘05 Holiday Bowl. In ‘08, at the urging of Venables and Heupel, Wilson installed a fast-paced no-huddle that set dozens of NCAA records, including points, touchdowns and plays.
Josh Heupel
Heupel became the best QB in Sooner history, resurrecting the program, guiding OU to the 2000 national title and setting every passing record. Then he became the Sooners’ best QB coach, turning Bradford from a three-star local into the Heisman winner and No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Now taking over for Wilson, fans hope Heupel becomes OU’s best offensive coordinator.
Rocky Calmus
When Stoops arrived, there were plenty of talented John Blake leftovers who had become disillusioned. Calmus, who signed with Blake in 1998, was one of the players who spearheaded the change. He became a two-time All-American linebacker, won the 2001 Butkus Award and made countless game-changing plays during the 2000 title march.
Roy Williams
Another of Blake’s talented ‘98 recruits, Williams became one of the greatest stars in the program’s history. His defining moment was his “Superman” blitz against Texas in ‘01 that forced an interception and game-clinching TD, but Williams also invented the “Roy Back” position, a safety-linebacker hybrid that’s still in use at OU today.
Quentin Griffin
The last signee of Stoops’ first recruiting class, the diminutive Griffin became one of the most prolific running backs in school history. Bobby Jack Wright, Stoops’ first hire as an assistant coach, was wowed by Griffin’s highlight tape. Soon after, Stoops was sold. Griffin became OU’s most dangerous option in the shotgun offense.
Jason White
A devout OU fan from nearby Tuttle, White liked Miami before Blake was fired, but switched when he met Stoops. White’s legacy was written five years later when, after knee injuries ended back-to-back seasons, he won the 2003 Heisman. He broke many of Heupel’s records and quarterbacked the Sooners to consecutive national title games.
Mark Clayton
Stoops has had dozens of high school players who were run-of-themill talent but turned themselves into college stars. Before Bradford, Clayton was the epitome of that transformation. He arrived in Norman a 160-pound prep quarterback, but left as a 2003 All-American and the most prolific wide receiver in school history.
Adrian Peterson
Stoops also has signed plenty of can’t-miss high school talent who simply didn’t miss, and Peterson stands atop them all. Inarguably the most talented player Stoops has ever signed, Peterson also was the Sooners’ hardest worker. An All-American and Heisman runner-up as a true freshman, he reached fourth on OU’s esteemed career rushing list in 2½ seasons.
Rhett Bomar
Bomar stands as an example of Stoops’ unmistakably clear code: do it right, or get out. Bomar was a supremely talented high school quarterback and seemed on his way after a soso freshman year. But he couldn’t say no to the destructive leeches outside the program, and Stoops kicked him out. OU went on NCAA probation, then made its compliance department the national standard.
Sam Bradford
It seemed almost like a favor when Bradford signed — local kid, son of a former player — but Chuck Long had noticed Bradford’s accuracy and demeanor, and Bradford turned that opportunity into gold. Focused fully on football, Bradford set virtually every passing record, led OU to the national title game, won the Heisman and became the No. 1 pick.
DeMarco Murray
Murray is what happens when talent meets determination. Arguably OU’s most underappreciated player ever, Murray set records for all-purpose yardage and touchdowns and ranks second in carries. Though he never made firstteam All-American, Murray came back from two potentially devastating leg injuries and simply showed his teammates how to work.
Ryan Broyles
Another Sooner example under Stoops: how to become a man. An arrest for stealing gas got him suspended his freshman year, and two years later, during an 8-5 season, he had become the Sooners’ go-to player. Last year he led the nation with 122 catches. Now a senior, Broyles shows that Stoops’ methods — toughness, discipline, accountability — work.
EIGHT CLOSE CALL YEARS
After winning the national championship in just his second season, Bob Stoops’ teams at Oklahoma were or could have been in the hunt for the title in nine of the next 10 years. A look back at those near-misses:
2001
Even after an October defeat at Nebraska, No. 4 OU went into the final weekend needing only to beat 3-7 Oklahoma State in Stillwater to play for the Big 12 title and likely a return to the national championship. Instead, OSU won 16-13 on a miracle pass from Josh Fields to Rashaun Woods (still the most significant loss of the Stoops era), and the Sooners were banished to the Cotton Bowl for a 10-3 win over Arkansas.
2002
No. 1 OU had been dominant all season but was shocked in a 30-26 loss at Texas A&M. Still, the Sooners again went into the final week of the season with a clear path to the national championship game, but this time were routed 38-28 by the Cowboys in Stillwater. Instead of the national title trip, OU beat Colorado for the Big 12 crown then hammered Washington State in the Rose Bowl.
2003
The ‘03 Sooners were being called the greatest team in college football history before a 35-7 Kansas State sucker punch in the Big 12 title game. Still, OU’s Bowl Championship Series rating was high enough for them to play for the national title. Heisman-winning quarterback Jason White, however, faced LSU’s punishing defense with multiple injuries and the Sooners were beaten 21-14.
2004
USC and Oklahoma went wireto- wire ranked 1-2 in the polls, and their meeting in the Orange Bowl for the BCS title was one of the most anticipated showdowns in college football history. OU led the Trojans 7-0 and USC punted on two of its first three drives. But Mark Bradley’s inexplicable effort to field a bouncing punt led to a TD that opened the flood gates for a 55-19 embarrassment.
2007
The Sooners lost two games in the regular season — one on the final play of an epic fourth-quarter collapse at Colorado, and one after Sam Bradford was squished at the bottom of a pile after a first-quarter fumble at Texas Tech. Had Reggie Smith not fumbled a punt in Boulder and had Allen Patrick not fumbled in Lubbock, OU probably would have won both games and been undefeated as it played for the national title.
2008
OU was back in the title game after winning a three-way tie with Texas and Texas Tech in the Big 12 South. Against Florida, OU was poised to dominate early but failed to score on back-to-back drives inside the Gators’ 5, including a dropped TD pass that was intercepted. It was 14-14 in the fourth quarter, and 17-14 when UF’s Ahmad Black ripped an interception out of Juaquin Iglesias’ hands in the red zone. The Gators prevailed 24-14.
2009
OU finished 8-5 in ‘09, so how did the Sooners blow a national title shot? Easy. Bradford went down in the season-opener versus BYU (a one-point loss) and again versus Texas (a three-point loss). Four of OU’s five road defeats were by a touchdown or less. Bradford probably wouldn’t have made the same mistakes young Landry Jones did at Miami and Nebraska, and the Sooners would have been competitive at Texas Tech.
2010
With Jones still learning the ropes and a bunch of freshmen and sophomores around him, last year’s Sooners were truly a year away from contending for a national title. But they went into Missouri ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings. Wipe away a couple of mistakes in that game and a couple more two weeks later at Texas A&M and the Sooners are back in the hunt for a national title.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20110619_92_A9_CUTLIN432255
P.S. Thanks for the memories Coach Stoops.