If OU finishes 12-1

[soonervegas]

was Texas Tech the worst loss in OU history?

some of you old timers may have some better examples.....

[Jason Alexander]

Excluding bowl games?

[BoulderSooner79]

was Texas Tech the worst loss in OU history?

some of you old timers may have some better examples.....

KU '75 - OU still managed to slip into MNC title through the backdoor.

[RacerX]

was Texas Tech the worst loss in OU history?

some of you old timers may have some better examples.....

I've yet to come to grips with losing the Conference title to KSU. I understand the mechanics of what happened. But it was a horrible loss.

[soonercoop1]

was Texas Tech the worst loss in OU history?

some of you old timers may have some better examples.....

up there with KU, Ark, OSU, USC, WVU, and KSU...

[fadada1]

TGWWDNTA

4 hours of memory i'll never get back, thankfully. was like somebody hit me in the head with a bat, without all the blood loss.

[westbrooke]

I've yet to come to grips with losing the Conference title to KSU. I understand the mechanics of what happened. But it was a horrible loss.

Agree with this. At least we showed some fight against Tech. That KSU game was baffling. Also horribly cold in the stands, so double-**** that.

[BetterSoonerThanLater]

i wouldnt say its our worst loss in history, but possibly the worst loss at home

[Dan Thompson]

I will be very surprised and highly over joyed if we beat OSU.

[EatLeadCommie]

At least with Taco Tech we had everybody healthy. With KSU, Jason White broke his hand and was knocked so bad he doesn't remember a quarter or two of that game (can you say concussion?). In retrospect, it's easy to see why we lost. The TT loss is just baffling in every respect.

[BoulderSooner79]

Everyone healthy at TT? How about Whaley, Flemming and I someone else (Wort?).

[sooneredaco]

At least with Taco Tech we had everybody healthy. With KSU, Jason White broke his hand and was knocked so bad he doesn't remember a quarter or two of that game (can you say concussion?). In retrospect, it's easy to see why we lost. The TT loss is just baffling in every respect.

The team was far from healthy

[Indy Sooner]

was Texas Tech the worst loss in OU history?

some of you old timers may have some better examples.....

After what OSU is doing to them in Lubbock today...quite possibly.

[BoulderSooner79]

After what OSU is doing to them in Lubbock today...quite possibly.

I'd say what ISU did to Tech, nothing OSU does makes it any worse.

[Plexis22]

Worst loss in the Stoops era for sure. An inexcusable loss in what was supposed to be a special season ending a 39 game home winning streak.

[En_Fuego]

TGWWDNTA

4 hours of memory i'll never get back, thankfully. was like somebody hit me in the head with a bat, without all the blood loss.

This ^ and Arkansas

[OUster]

If my memory serves right, 2001 we were ranked #1 with the nation's longest win streak after our MNC. We lose to a&m at their house when Reggie McNeal makes his first start after halftime. We stand back up and are poised to slip back into the Big 12 championship and the MNC game, when a 1 win OSU team comes to our house in Les' first year and beats us 16-13 on a last second td. I was there that day. That was bob's first home loss and the worst, by far!

[Soonerus]

One of the worst...

[LiveLaughLove]

I rank it as the worst in Stoops' era for sure. The worst was KU '75 before it. Not sure which I would go with.

It's one that Stoops might rue for a very long time though. Even if he never admits it.

Of course, if we make it to the NC and win, then it will have not mattered, and if we lose to OSU then it will have not mattered. But if we win out, and still dont get to the NC game, then there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth. Garments will be rent.

[goingoneight]

you don't remember that right, unfortunately... but I understand trying to forget we lost our starting QB in a top 5 matchup on the road aty Nebraska, were given a Mulligan for such an unfortunate happening and proceeded to **** ourselves at home against a 1 or 2 win OSU team. That OSU loss is still the worst. If we beat OSU, IMO it remains the worst, as if we lose to OSU, we let O-freaking SU into the National Championship game, where they likely beat an offensively offensive SEC team.

[AlbqSooner]

nueter dame in Norman 1957.

[Boomer.....]

That 2001 loss to OSU was pretty bad.

[pphilfran]

Arkansas

[PSK2080]

Under Stoops, the loss to a 3-7 OSU team in 2001 was equally bad. Under Switzer, the loss to a bad Kansas team in 1984 28-11 was very bad, but OU was playing without Danny Bradley and was forced to play Troy Aikman before he was ready. The 1975 loss to Kansas was also bad, but not quite as bad. Under Gibbs, the 42-40 loss to a really bad Iowa State game was bad. I won't go into the Schnellenberger or Blake years. I was barely alive when Chuck Fairbanks was around, so I can't go back further than Switzer.

There have been several close calls too, such as the 2000 OSU game, the 2005 Baylor game, the 1985 Iowa State game and the 1987 Missouri game, that OU pulled out wins against really bad teams.

This Texas Tech team reminds me a little of OU's 1995 team. Both teams simply imploded.

[EatLeadCommie]

If my memory serves right, 2001 we were ranked #1 with the nation's longest win streak after our MNC. We lose to a&m at their house when Reggie McNeal makes his first start after halftime. We stand back up and are poised to slip back into the Big 12 championship and the MNC game, when a 1 win OSU team comes to our house in Les' first year and beats us 16-13 on a last second td. I was there that day. That was bob's first home loss and the worst, by far!
The difference being that the 2001 team just wasn't very good. It had a stellar defense, but a miserable offense.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I don't even think it would make the top 10, heck maybe top 20. It might make the top 5 of Stoops' regular season losses (behind Colorado 2008, OSU 2001 and maybe OSU 2002)

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

The difference being that the 2001 team just wasn't very good. It had a stellar defense, but a miserable offense.

It was anemic offensively because of injuries (Jason White ACL Tear, Nate Hybl broken collarbone, 1/2 the OL with injuries). That team at the start of the season would shut this team out.

[StoopTroup]

That 2001 loss to OSU was pretty bad.

Bingo. Every Home Game Bob has lost always has one of these threads pop up. It's laughable.

That one was late in the year and after watching Jason White go down with a knee injury and losing the Nebraska Game on the road our Team rallied back and won every game up to that game. We were still so much better than oSu that year and the loss at Home devastated Fans that saw a National Championship the year before. We went on and over came the loss in the Cotton Bowl against a good Arkansas Team. The very next year we lost again to oSu and have put them down every year since.

That was one of the toughest losses at Home that I was sitting in the stands for.

Still.....every time we lose at Home it's bad. Most people no longer come to Norman thinking they can walk out with a win. Tech is one of the first Big XII Teams I've ever seen not act like World Beaters after they pulled off an upset like they did this year. They really suck bad right now. It's really hard to understand how bad they are right now unless the win took every damn thing they had. From the looks of things they peaked that week and then flat lined on the Emergency Room Trauma Table.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

If my memory serves right, 2001 we were ranked #1 with the nation's longest win streak after our MNC. We lose to a&m at their house when Reggie McNeal makes his first start after halftime. We stand back up and are poised to slip back into the Big 12 championship and the MNC game, when a 1 win OSU team comes to our house in Les' first year and beats us 16-13 on a last second td. I was there that day. That was bob's first home loss and the worst, by far!
This.
I will never forget those *******s storming our field and chanting "this is our team." Afterwards Gundy said "it makes our whole season."

[StoopTroup]

That team at the start of the season would shut this team out.

Not a chance. The Defense barely got by K-State in September. The Offense nearly got Hybl killed. 38-37 that day. We were lucky to win that one at home.

[StoopTroup]

We all know which Bowl Game was the worst.....the only thing good about it is that per the NCAA they were a bunch of cheating a-holes and got their Trophy and Hiesman yanked.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Not a chance. The Defense barely got by K-State in September. The Offense nearly got Hybl killed. 38-37 that day. We were lucky to win that one at home.

That Kstate team had the roberson as a QB and mobile QBs were the ONLY thing that hurt it. Our offense this year more resembles Cliff Kingsbury's team at the end of hte year.

[mightysooner]

What I remember about the KSU game, and I was there, wasn't Roberson. It was Sproles ripping us a new one play after play.

[Keller Sooner]

It was bad, but we've had others that leave you shaking your head.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

What I remember about the KSU game, and I was there, wasn't Roberson. It was Sproles ripping us a new one play after play.

You are thinking of the 2003 game. Not even sure Sproles was on the 2001 team as their feature back was Josh Scobey.

The 2001 game was really weird. It was the first game after 9/11 and we hadn't played in 3 weeks (Tulsa (moved) then Bye). Second, we controlled the thing until right at the end of the 3rd quarter when we let up and they pounced (right about the time they killed Nate Hybl).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-R1Jf9a9TM

[FaninAma]

Everyone healthy at TT? How about Whaley, Flemming and I someone else (Wort?).

Add in Walker and Habern. I think we had 6 starters out for that game.

Pluse a home crowd that forgot to show up after he rain delay.

Still should have won.

[Sooner95]

The simple fact we had several key players out against TT is a big reason why we could not compete..

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Oh and btw, if we finish 12-1 with the injuries we've sustained this year, this may be Stoops' best coaching job yet.

[Soonerjeepman]

Everyone healthy at TT? How about Whaley, Flemming and I someone else (Wort?).

Flemming, Harris, Wort, Whaley, actually Jefferson also went out with injury...and an oline guy...FAR from healthy...

[Plexis22]

If my memory serves right, 2001 we were ranked #1 with the nation's longest win streak after our MNC. We lose to a&m at their house when Reggie McNeal makes his first start after halftime. We stand back up and are poised to slip back into the Big 12 championship and the MNC game, when a 1 win OSU team comes to our house in Les' first year and beats us 16-13 on a last second td. I was there that day. That was bob's first home loss and the worst, by far!
That 2001 season we had already lost to Nebraska on the road (a team that eventually lost to Miami in the NC). We were going to play Colorado which had just beat Nebraska in Boulder when the 3 win OSU team came into Norman and won 16-13. The following year 2002 was when OU was #1 and lost to A&M in College Station and then lost to OSU 38-28 in Stillwater which our last time to lose to OSU. We won the Rose Bowl that season.

[WileyCoyote]

While a lot of these previously mentioned would rank up there, for me it was:

Razorbacks 31-6 upset of #2 Oklahoma in the '78 Orange Bowl.

#1 ranked Texas (with Earl Cambell) had just lost the 1978 Cotton Bowl to Notre Dame (Joe Montana) thus giving OU (Billy Sims) an almost sure bid for the national championship title if they defeated Arkansas.

To make matters worse for Arkansas, first year Arkansas head coach Lou Holtz suspended three star players prior to the game for team violations. After the suspensions Arkansas were 24 point underdogs by Vegas odds.

(The Arky coaching staff also included future USC coach Pete Carrol and famous defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.)

Everybody thought it was a LOCK for the NC right up to kickoff. The ring was there to grab. Last bowl game of the the day and all the chips had fell our way with Saxet loosing to ND. That in itself was a huge upset at the time.

It made Lou Holtz.

[oupride]

75 Kansas for me

[Lott's Bandana]

KU 1975 - most unexplainable loss

Lincoln 1978 - most painful loss

[GreenSooner]

This thread makes clear that, in the long run, what makes a loss bad is not just how much OU should have won the game, but what the impact of the loss was. For example, the fact that we ended up in the MNC game anyway makes the 2003 Big XII Championship loss seem less bad (just because it ultimately wasn't so significant).

If OU wins out and goes to the MNC this year, the Tech loss, while still awful, won't be mentioned much as an all-time worst loss.

If OU falls to lOSUr (perish the thought), it also won't be so important (since we'll likely go to a BCS game anyway).

But if we beat lOSUr, but still don't go to the MNC game, then the Tech loss will probably be part of any future conversation about worst OU losses.

[BoulderSooner79]

This thread makes clear that, in the long run, what makes a loss bad is not just how much OU should have won the game, but what the impact of the loss was. For example, the fact that we ended up in the MNC game anyway makes the 2003 Big XII Championship loss seem less bad (just because it ultimately wasn't so significant).

If OU wins out and goes to the MNC this year, the Tech loss, while still awful, won't be mentioned much as an all-time worst loss.

If OU falls to lOSUr (perish the thought), it also won't be so important (since we'll likely go to a BCS game anyway).

But if we beat lOSUr, but still don't go to the MNC game, then the Tech loss will probably be part of any future conversation about worst OU losses.

Good summary.

[Indy Sooner]

This thread makes clear that, in the long run, what makes a loss bad is not just how much OU should have won the game, but what the impact of the loss was. For example, the fact that we ended up in the MNC game anyway makes the 2003 Big XII Championship loss seem less bad (just because it ultimately wasn't so significant).

If OU wins out and goes to the MNC this year, the Tech loss, while still awful, won't be mentioned much as an all-time worst loss.

If OU falls to lOSUr (perish the thought), it also won't be so important (since we'll likely go to a BCS game anyway).

But if we beat lOSUr, but still don't go to the MNC game, then the Tech loss will probably be part of any future conversation about worst OU losses.

Well stated.

[Indy Sooner]

<snip>...It made Lou Holtz.

The worst part of that loss.

[Indy Sooner]

So Switzer had his share of inexplicable losses as well which resulted in fewer MNCs.

Has any other program, over the past 40 years or so, been one win from a MNC so many times? One win as in-- win that game and without any other hypothetical outcomes involving others the MNC was OU's?

[SapulpaSooner]

75 Kansas for me

OU won The NC that year

[BigTip]

The team was far from healthy

I'm still clinging to "everyone had food poisoning for the tech game" reasoning.

It helps my mind deal with the Twilight Zone nature of the whole thing.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

If we play in a National Championship, did it really matter? Yes, it was a bad loss, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter I guess.

[MyT Oklahoma]

The 1978 loss to Nebraska was the most painful loss in my memory because we were the better team and should have won a national championship that year.

But let's not forget Kansas State in 1969. That 59 to 21 beatdown in Manhattan was the worse OU loss of all time at that point in time.

P.S. And we also had a Heisman Trophy winner on our team that year too.

[soonervegas]

If we play in a National Championship, did it really matter? Yes, it was a bad loss, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter I guess.

Yeah it would only qualify if we don't get to the NC game....which may make that 75 Kansas game null and void as well.

[rekamrettuB]

Pokey State '01 was pretty big. Assuming OU beats Colorado, which wasn't a guarantee the way they were playing, OU plays for NC. Probably gets steamrolled like Nebbish did but still has a shot.

In the stoops era, that one and Colorado 2007 rank the highest in my book.

[soonervegas]

So Switzer had his share of inexplicable losses as well which resulted in fewer MNCs.

Has any other program, over the past 40 years or so, been one win from a MNC so many times? One win as in-- win that game and without any other hypothetical outcomes involving others the MNC was OU's?

In the last 74 years OU has finished:
#1 7 times
#2 3 times
#3 10 times

So although we are one of the most successful programs we only convert 1 out of 3 times...on average

[mojorisen2014]

I've yet to come to grips with losing the Conference title to KSU. I understand the mechanics of what happened. But it was a horrible loss.

Agree with this. At least we showed some fight against Tech. That KSU game was baffling. Also horribly cold in the stands, so double-**** that.. Thats the coldest i
have ever been on my life

[Salt City Sooner]

Tech's freefalling to be sure, but I think it should be pointed out that every loss they have has been to a team that either is currently ranked, or was ranked when they played. They've also got a win over Nevada, who should win 8-9 games when they're done. Meanwhile, what do these teams have in common:

Northwestern State (of Louisiana, a D-II team)
Louisiana Tech
Baylor (in Waco
OU (in Norman)







Answer: those are OSU's wins in 2001.

[oudavid1]

Losing 55-19 in the national championship game in front of the whole nation...which is more people than watch the Big 12 title game or OU/OSU from 2001. Not to mention it was not a competitive second half. We got blown out in a title game. I mean I understand not being motivated at '09 Tech. But geez.

[Lott's Bandana]

Losing 55-19 in the national championship game in front of the whole nation...which is more people than watch the Big 12 title game or OU/OSU from 2001. Not to mention it was not a competitive second half. We got blown out in a title game. I mean I understand not being motivated at '09 Tech. But geez.

Never happened. Look it up.

[FirstandGoal]

Losing 55-19 in the national championship game in front of the whole nation...which is more people than watch the Big 12 title game or OU/OSU from 2001. Not to mention it was not a competitive second half. We got blown out in a title game. I mean I understand not being motivated at '09 Tech. But geez.

I have no memory of any such game.

[Sabanball]

KU 1975 - most unexplainable loss

Lincoln 1978 - most painful loss

Without question and it cost you guys an easy NC.

[Soonerfan88]

That '78 Orange Bowl loss to Arkie will forever be the most unexplainable and painful to me. OU was clearly the better team even before the suspensions. It's one thing to come out flat & overconfident after a long weather delay at home, but how can you not be focused when you know this game is for the national title?