The Oklahoma Legacy: Reliving the 2000s (Part Two)

In the second part of this two-part recap of the 2000’s era for Oklahoma football, we look at the most recent years, 2008-present. The past seven years have been very successful for Bob Stoops’ Sooners. The program had one of their five Heisman winners, a National Championship appearance, a 4-2 bowl record (two BCS wins), and numerous other award winners. Let’s take a look at it year-by-year and examine what is easily a very memorable time for Sooners fans.

Click here for part one by Christopher Long

2008 (12-2, 7-1; Big 12 Champions, Lost BCS National Championship):

Oct 26, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops prior to the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma won 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Sooners started the season ranked fourth in the nation. They had high expectations following a promising 2007, and they would not disappoint.

In the team’s first three games, the team put up over 50 points per contest. They routed the likes of Chattanooga in their opener, Cincinnati, and demolished Washington on the Huskies’ home turf.

Then came a tough test against a ranked TCU team, but they would be no trouble, as Oklahoma scored 35 on the Frogs to avenge a loss the Frogs gave them prior to their 2008 meeting.

Conference play then started against Baylor, and the Sooners neared half-a-hundred points again, settling for 49 in another dominating win. After that game, the Sooners were ranked no. 1 in the country heading to Red River weekend with the fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns, a game which attracted national attention.

A 45-35 loss ended the Sooners’ perfect season and dropped them to #4. Oklahoma regrouped, however, by defeating #16 Kansas and Kansas State. After that game, the Sooner offense only got better. They scored over 60 points in each of the next 5 games, knocking off Nebraska, Texas A&M, #2 Texas Tech, #11 Oklahoma State, and #19 Missouri in the Big 12 Championship game.

The Sooners hosted the second-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in another nationally televised contest, but this time OU played lights out in front of the country, routing the Red Raiders, 65-21. This propelled Oklahoma to #3 in the polls.

OU went to Stillwater and pulled off an impressive 61-41 Bedlam victory over the #11 Cowboys, but the polls still dropped OU a spot, sliding to #4 going into the Big 12 Championship.

After a dominating 62-21 win over the Missouri Tigers in the Big 12 title, OU needed help. They got it as #2 Florida defeated #1 Alabama in the SEC title, enabling OU to jump to #1 on their way to try to win their eighth national title.

QB Sam Bradford won the school’s fifth Heisman Trophy and, also, won the Davey O’Brien Award, which is annually given to the best quarterback in the country. Oklahoma, also, had two first team All-Americans in Bradford and G Duke Robinson.

The offense scored 716 points and averaged 51.1 points per game and set multiple NCAA records:

• Most points scored in a season
• Most touchdowns in a season (99)
• Most rushing and passing touchdowns in a season (96)
• Most extra points scored in a season (94)
• Most consecutive games scoring over 60 points (5)

Despite this, the offense faltered in the 2009 BCS National Championshipd game, losing 24-14 to Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, and the Florida Gators.