Oklahoma football has survived, but not thrived, from championship controversy

Oklahoma football has survived but not thrived from championship controversy

By Chip Rouse | Jun 29, 2020

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners and quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers embrace after LSU Tigers wins the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 28-63 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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2000 BCS National Championship

Even when the Sooners played for and won the national championship with a perfect 13-0 record in Bob Stoops’ second season in 2000, the game itself was shrouded in controversy over whether Florida State deserved to be there as OU’s opponent instead of the University of Miami.

Miami had handed Florida State its only loss of the season and was ranked higher than FSU in both the Associated Press and the Coaches Polls. Despite that, the formula used in determining the two teams for the BCS National Championship favored the No. 3-ranked Seminoles over No. 2 Miami.

And although Oklahoma was unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in all of the national polls that season, Florida State was favored by double digits over the Sooners. That was a controversy OU not only survived but thrived from, winning 13-2 and holding high-scoring Florida State to its lowest point total of the season.

Although there was no controversy whatsoever about Oklahoma being in the 2000 national championship game, that was not the case in the 2003 season.

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