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Oklahoma football April Fools: Five worst championship losses in Big 12 era

By Chip Rouse

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: A general view of Hard Rock Stadium during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: A general view of Hard Rock Stadium during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI – JANUARY 4: Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett #8 of the USC Trojans scores on a 54-yard touchdown pass against Brodney Poole #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter of the FedEx Orange Bowl 2005 National Championship on January 4, 2005 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
MIAMI – JANUARY 4: Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett #8 of the USC Trojans scores on a 54-yard touchdown pass against Brodney Poole #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter of the FedEx Orange Bowl 2005 National Championship on January 4, 2005 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

Jan. 4, 2005 — USC 55, Oklahoma 19

The 2004 BCS National Championship game was the classic national championship matchup: No. 1 versus No. 2.

USC had been ranked No. 1 in the country all season. Likewise, Oklahoma had been perched right behind the Trojans, in the No, 2 spot, all season, and now those two teams were meeting in the final game of the 2004 college football season to decide which team would emerge as the rightful top team in the land.

Both teams entered the game sporting perfect 12-0 records, the champion of the Big 12 versus the Pac-10 champions, the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner (QB Jason White of Oklahoma) versus the 2004 Heisman winner (QB Matt Leinart of USC).

You couldn’t script it any better. Only, that was as good as it would get if you are a Sooner fan.

Oklahoma got off to a good start, marching down the field on its opening possession. Jason White hooked up with wide receiver Travis Wilson for a five-yard score to put OU in front 7-0.

USC scored rather quickly thereafter to even the score a seven apiece. And that’s when things dramatically turned, and not positively, for the Sooners.

Punt returner Danny Bradley attempted to scoop up a punt by USC that had bounded inside the OU five-yard line. He never really secured the ball, however, which was knocked loose and recovered by USC at the six.

The Trojans converted the first of what would end up being five Oklahoma turnovers into a go-ahead touchdown. That was the first of 28 unanswered USC points that gave the Trojans a 35-10 halftime lead.

After the Sooners’ opening score, USC unloaded on the Sooners, scoring 55 of the next 58 points before Oklahoma managed nine points on a safety and a touchdown very late in the contest.

Leinart, Reggie Bush and Co. were nearly flawless on offense, producing 525 yards of offense to 372 yards by the Sooners. Leinart threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns, with four of those coming during the Trojans’ first-half blitzkrieg.

All Sooner head coach Bob Stoops had to say afterwards was:

"“I think they’re (USC) great, and they proved it. We just got whupped.”"

That they did, to put it mildly. And in front of a prime-time national TV audience.

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