Title appearances

[CrimsonChampion]

How many national championships have we played for?

[fadada1]

not nearly as many as alabama has claimed to have won.

[boomrsoonr]

not nearly as many as alabama has claimed to have won.

:D True


I may be wrong, but I think we're 7 for 12. I think.

[OUDoc]

Used to be hard to tell (before the BCS) if you could have won a title by winning your bowl game. It depended on how the other bowl games played out. And texas had the President award them a MNC. :confused:

[SoonerStats]

Off the top of my head (assuming you mean a final game that, if won by OU would have meant a MNC)...

2004 L
2003 L
2000 W
1987 L
1985 W
1984 L
1977 L
1975 W

1971's GOTC could be considered as most thought the winner would go on to win the MNC.

Under Bud, the final polls were released before the bowl games, so unless the final game was #1 vs #2 or #3, etc. -- which it never was because all were against OSU -- there really wasn't a title appearance even though they won 3 MNCs and could have won a couple more.

[Octavian]

post 27.

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72429

[Jewstin]

YOWZA.

I had no idea we had been in contention that many times. My father has spoken at length about various years we could have won it and didn't (in an effort to console me after the '03/'04 years), but I never realized this had happened so often. I'm only 23, so I have a very limited personal perception of Oklahoma football, considering how we were off the radar during the 90s.

That is unbelievable. No wonder everyone hates us ... we've consistently been in the championship mix for half a century. ;)

[GDC]

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72429

[boomrsoonr]

post 27.

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72429


Dayum. Great info!


1915: 10-0: Oklahoma too far away from Eastern media centers to have much of a chance....but I think the NCAA recognizes this is a NC b/c some poll somewhere named us champs. Unlike Bama/USC/Michigan, we won't claim it. Good for us.

1938: 10-1: Undefeated heading into OU's first ever Orange Bowl appearance, Coach Stidham's squad lost 17-0 to Tennessee.

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1948: 10-1: Only an opening day loss vs. Santa Clara on the West Coast prevented OU from going undefeated in Bud's second year.

1949: 11-0: Undefeated in Bud's third year. Notre Dame is crowned the champion...this would be the last year before two major polls are recognized.

1952: 8-1-1: Notre Dame hands Bud his only loss of the year in South Bend, 27-21. The largest radio audience for a sporting event in America's history (20 million) listened in as Vessels ran for 195 yds and three TDs on his way to the Heisman.

1953: 9-1-1: Notre Dame starts to become a thorn in the side of Bud's Sooners, handing us our only loss of the year in the opener, 28-21. The Sooners wouldn't lose again for over 4 calender years.

1954:10-0: Undefeated w/ no NC. The Streak reaches 19.

1957: 10-1: Notre Dame ends the Streak at 47. Its OU's only loss...again.

1958: 10-1: A young Darrell Royal beats his mentor in Dallas 15-14, opting to go for 2 and the win late in the 4th quarter. In the post game locker room, Royall hides from his team momentarily as he pukes. He later admits the thought of costing Bud Wilkinson a win made him physically ill.

1967: 10-1: A 9-7 loss to Texas proves to be our only blemish and knocks us out of title contention.

1971: 11-1: Game of the Century loss to Nebraska.

1973: 10-0-1: A missed kick against defending champ USC in LA prevents an undefeated, untied season in Switzer's rookie season.

1977: 10-2: In what Switzer calls his worst loss as OU's leader, Lou Holtz and Arkansas steamroll the Wishbone in the Orange Bowl. The NC was OU's to lose after Texas fell to Notre Dame in the Cotton.

1978: 11-1: Though this may have been Switzer's best team, #1 OU fumbles 9 times in Lincoln, losing 6 of them (including Simms' late fumble inside the 5) and Osborne beats Switz for the first time.

1979: 11-1: A 16-7 loss in Dallas prevents JC and Simms from a shot at the NC.

1984: 9-2-1: Orange Bowl loss to Washington prevents possible split w/ BYU.

1986: 11-1: Testaverde has another brilliant day as Miami wins 28-16 in Coral Gables.

1987: 11-1: Steve Walsh and Miami break open a 7-7 halftime tie in the NCG and goes on to win, 20-14 on their home field.

2003: 11-2: LSU NCG loss (it's OU's third straight NCG played against an opponent in their home state).

2004: 12-1: USC NCG loss.

Not counting the first two seasons listed, there were 18 seasons since the end of WWII in which 1 game seperated OU from winning (or sharing) a national championship (or OU went undefeated w/out winning the NC).

*'72 is not included b/c of the forfeited games...though we went 11-1 on the field that year too.