Oklahoma Football: 30 Best Games in School History

Nov 21, 2015; Norman, OK, USA; Big 12 logo on the field before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 3, 2001 – Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2

The Sooners’ dream 2000 season reached a climax with a trip to the BCS national championship game where top-ranked Oklahoma would square off against Heisman-winning quarterback Chris Weinke and No. 3 Florida State. Despite the Sooners’ top ranking, they were considered underdogs to the defending national-champion Seminoles.

The first-half ended up as a defensive battle, which surprised everybody, given that these were two high-scoring offensive teams. There were more punts than points in the opening 30 minutes, with Florida State punting six times and the Sooners forced to boot the ball away four times. A first-quarter field goal by OU’s Tim Duncan was the only scoring of the first half, and the Sooners took a slim 3-0 lead heading to the locker room at the intermission.

Duncan missed a field-goal try midway through the third quarter, but connected on a 42-yarder when an Oklahoma drive stalled at the FSU 25-yard line.

The opportunistic Sooner defense had stuffed several Florida State scoring drives in the game with forced turnovers, but none more important than the one the OU “D” forced deep in Seminole territory midway through the final quarter.

On a third-and-10 possession from the FSU 10-yard line, Weinke scrambled for seven yards when he was hit by Sooner linebacker Rocky Calmus. The ball squirted free and was recovered by OU’s Roy Williams on the Florida State 15. Two plays later, Quentin Griffin took it the final 10 yards for a Sooner touchdown and a 13-point Oklahoma lead.

Florida State managed a safety on a muffed Oklahoma punt late in the game, but that would be the only points the Seminoles would get as the Sooners held on to claim their seventh national title.

The Seminoles finished the game with 301 yards of total offense, more than 200 below their per-game average for the season, and they were dreadful on third-down plays, converting just one of 15 third-downs. Two interceptions and a critical lost fumble proved to be very costly for the defending national champs.

The Sports Illustrated cover for the following week again featured OU’s Griffin, this time with the accompanying headline: “Case Closed!”

Next: Nov. 8, 2003 - Oklahoma 77, Texas A&M 0