Oklahoma football: Why the 1977 postseason is worth remembering

Before the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) and College Football Playoff came into being, the national champion in college football was determined by the team that was ranked No. 1 in the major human polls. Six of the seven Oklahoma football national championships were determined by the latter method.

In 1977, Barry Switzer’s Sooners were ranked No. 2 in the country by the Associated Press, Big Eight champions for the fifth consecutive season and headed to the Orange Bowl to face sixth-ranked Arkansas, coached by Lou Holtz.

Oklahoma’s only loss that season prior to its Orange Bowl date with Arkansas was a 13-6 decision to then-No. 2 Texas. The Longhorns were also playing on New Year’s Day that year and had entered postseason play as the nation’s top-ranked team.

Several hours before the Sooners took the field at the Orange Bowl, Texas and Heisman winning running back Earl Campbell were beaten fairly handily by No. 5 Notre Dame, led by a quarterback named Joe Montana. The Longhorn loss placed Oklahoma in perfect position to rise to the top spot and capture its sixth national crown and third in four seasons. Switzer’s 1974 and ’75 Oklahoma teams had won back-to-back national championships.

But first, the Sooners had to take care of business against a tough-minded Arkansas team that reflected the character and confidence of its head coach. Things looked even better for Oklahoma when it was announced prior to the game that three Arkansas players had been suspended and would not play in the Orange Bowl game against OU.

Two of the three Razorback players who were suspended were a pair of running backs who had accounted for almost 80 percent of Arkansas’ scoring that season.

Prior to the announcement of the player suspensions, Arkansas had been listed as an 18-point underdog to the Sooners. After the announcement, the point spread went up to 24 points.

Everything was lining up nicely for Oklahoma to end the 1977 season as college football’s top-ranked team and national champions. Everything, that is, except for the actual game itself.

Things went bad very quickly and often for the heavily favored Sooners. Oklahoma, with Thomas Lott leading the vaunted Sooner wishbone attack from the quarterback position and featuring future Heisman winner Billy Sims at halfback, fumbled inside its own 10-yard line on the third play of the game, and the Razorbacks immediately capitalized scoring the opening touchdown.

Arkansas scored again shortly thereafter increasing its lead to 14-0 after one quarter. That’s the way things stood at halftime. The Razorbacks kept the pressure on in the second half, adding 10 more points in the third quarter behind the heavy ground game provided by backup running back Roland Sales.

The powerful Oklahoma wishbone offense managed just six points the entire game against Arkansas. Meanwhile Sales torched the Sooner defense for 220 of the Razorbacks’ 317 rushing yards on the way to a 31-6 rout of 24-point favorite Oklahoma.

Afterwards, Switzer called it “the most disappointing loss of my career.” Opportunity squandered.

The moral to this story: Suspended players does not always mean the sky is falling for the team affected.