Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: OU’s 8 losses in Lincoln Riley era reveal pattern

By Chip Rouse

Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) celebrates with head coach Lincoln Riley after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) celebrates with head coach Lincoln Riley after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks for an open receiver against the Texas Longhorns in the first half of the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks for an open receiver against the Texas Longhorns in the first half of the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

1. Texas 48, Oklahoma 45, Oct. 6, 2018, in Dallas

Oklahoma scored first in its 2018 rivalry game with Texas in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on a short scoring pass from Kyler Murray to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. But two minutes later, Texas evened things up a seven apiece. The score was tied once more at 10-all early in the second quarter, but that’s when things started to go sideways for the Sooners.

The Longhorns opened up a 14-point advantage in the third quarter and expanded it to 21 entering the fourth quarter. Over a six-minute span during the final 15 minutes, Murray connected on a 19-yard scoring pass to Lee Morris, followed that with a 67-yard touchdown run on the next possession, and Trey Sermon scored on a seven-yard run, and just like that the score was tied at 45-all.

With a little over two and a half minutes remaining in regulation, Texas QB Sam Ehlinger led the Longhorns on a nine-play, 52-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard field goal by freshman kicker Cameron Dicker with nine seconds left on the clock. That’s the way thing would end, with a 48-45 Texas victory.

In four appearances in the College Football Playoff, Oklahoma has yet to get beyond the first game. Three of those playoff losses have come with Riley as head coach. Here is how I would rank each of the losses, in descending order (3 through 1), from worst to least disappointing:

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