Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: The 5 best teams of the Bob Stoops era

By Chip Rouse

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02: Head coach Bob Stoops of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts after a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02: Head coach Bob Stoops of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts after a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 12: Samaje Perine
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 12: Samaje Perine /

# 5 — 2015 Oklahoma Sooners (11-2, 8-1), Big 12 champions

The 2015 season began with a blowout season-opening win over Akron (41-3). The following weekend, the Sooners traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., for a rematch with Tennessee out of the SEC. Oklahoma had beaten the Volunteers handily the previous year in Norman, 34-10, but the Sooners were expected a much closer game at Tennessee. And that was exactly what they got.

Oklahoma trailed the Volunteers 17-3 heading to the fourth quarter and Tennessee had controlled the game on both sides of the ball up to that point. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Sooner offense caught some Sooner Magic in the final 15 minutes, scoring two unanswered touchdowns, the second one coming with just 40 ticks remaining in the game, sending the contest into an extra session.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime session. In the second OT, however, Mayfield connected with Sterling Shepard on an 18-yard scoring pass to put the Sooners up 31-24. Zack Sanchez picked off a pass from Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs on the Volunteers second-overtime possession, clinching the dramatic comeback victory for the Sooners and setting the direction for what would later turn out to be an 11-win season and a coveted spot in the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma would lose just once in the regular season, an improbable 24-17 defeat to heavy underdog Texas in the annual Red River Shootout rivalry game.

The Sooners defeated No. 4 Baylor at Baylor, No. 11 TCU at home and No. 9 Oklahoma State on the road in successive weekends to close out the regular season, claim a ninth Big 12 championship and become one of the four teams that would compete for the national championship.

Unfortunately, Clemson, ranked No. 1 in the country, proved to be too much for the Sooners in one of the CFP national semifinal games, winning 37-17 and making it back-to-back postseason bowl victories over Oklahoma. Clemson had embarrassed the Sooners in a 40-6 runaway a year earlier in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

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