Oklahoma Football: 25 Years of Missed Opportunities

(Photo by the Daily Herald)

On January 3, 2001, 25 years to the day of this writing, the Oklahoma Sooners executed a defensive performance for the ages as they held the Florida State Seminoles, one of the highest scoring teams in the nation, to a safety. The Sooners captured the BCS National Championship with a 13-2 drubbing of FSU. In his second season, coach Bob Stoops was the architect of dynasty in the making. The Oklahoma Sooners were going to rule college football for years to come.

Well..................................................

2001- The Sooners started their title defense off well, including a statement win in the Red River Shootout against Texas, which was sealed by a crazy Teddy Lehman pick-six. Unfortunately, they lost to Nebraska in Lincoln and were stunned by in-state rival, Oklahoma State, at home. At least they won the Cotton Bowl.

2002- Oklahoma starts out cooking, then loses a winnable game against Texas A&M and another against....OKLAHOMA STATE?.....Really, two years in a row? However, they won the Big 12 Championship and the Rose Bowl, but they want that Natty....no, National Championship (let's be adults here).

2003- This is more like it. The Sooners destroy everyone in their path including Oklahoma State (52-9) and Texas A&M (77-0!) as they go undefeated en route to the Big 12 Championship against Kansas State, where this should be a cakewalk......

In the most mind boggling performances ever, K-State rolls in and pummels the Sooners 35-7. Like seriously. Despite that, the championship committee decides to put Oklahoma in the National Championship game ahead of USC as they will face LSU and their young coach, Nick Saban. After a long Justin Vincent run on the first play from scrimmage, the Tigers dominate the contest to win the National Championship. The Trojans win the Rose Bowl, but they claim themselves as National Champions as well. This is also called foreshadowing.

2004- Bob Stoops has assembled his best team ever, led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jason White, generational specimen running back Adrian Peterson, and a roster full of NFL draft picks, the Sooners breeze though the regular season and tell Colorado to step aside in the Big 12 Championship as they are going to the National Championship, without a shadow of a doubt. They face....USC, who is pissed after getting shun out of the National Championship the previous year. But hey, the Sooners grab a 7-0 lead, and everything goes well....

In a game that for a while didn't exist because of the Reggie Bush scandal and was brought back after the NCAA gave Reggie Bush his Heisman Trophy back, USC dominated Oklahoma from pillar to post to claim the BCS National Championship 55-19. It doesn't get to get easy for Oklahoma.

2005- They go 8-4 but win the Holiday Bowl against #6 Oregon. It's a down year, to say the least.

2006- So, starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and OL JD Quinn were kicked off the team because of getting paid for doing work they did not do. This season, Bob Stoops wasn't messing around, to the point where he took the last names off the back of the jerseys because due to research...UNITY! That unity brought the Sooners to...losses to Oregon and Texas. The Sooners power through to the Fiesta Bowl against.....Boise State. Trust me, college football needs a playoff and the Broncos from Idaho can give them somewhat of a game.....and Oklahoma have a pick-six from someone who doesn't have a nameplate on his jersey. (It's Marcus Walker, by the way) Oklahoma has the lead with minutes to go. Boise State head coach Chris Petersen decided to be bold and tie the game on a hook-and-ladder play. After the Sooners score in overtime, the Broncos tie it on a halfback pass and win the game on a Statue Of Liberty play. Everyone in college football loses their (bleep).

2007- Because of the Rhett Bomar infraction, Oklahoma has probations placed on them. They would go 11-3, only to be pantsed by West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl, their new house of horrors.

2008- The Sooners would go 12-2 and produce a Heisman Trophy in quarterback Sam Bradford, who would go on a be the #1 overall pick. Despite the two losses, Oklahoma goes to the National Championship against Florida. College football definitely needs a playoff. The Gators chomp (lame) their way to a second National Championship in three seasons while Oklahoma loses its third straight NC game.

2009- They go 8-5 and win the Sun Bowl.

2010- That's more like it, 12-2, a Big 12 Championship and a FIESTA BOWL win over Connecticut. Wait, what?

2011- 10-3 with an Insight Bowl win, nothing much.

2012- 10-3 with a Cotton Bowl egg on the face to Texas A&M and Johnny Football.

2013- 11-2 with a Sugar Bowl dominant win over defending National Champion Alabama. Also, this season had "Pastagate." I won't elaborate on thus, just Google it and read about it. It's as ridiculous as it sounds.

2014- 8-5 with Clemson putting the boots to ass to them in the (checking notes) Russell Athletic Bowl.

2015- Bob Stoops names a hotshot offensive mind in Lincoln Riley as OC. YES! WE FINALLY HAVE A PLAYOFF! Unfortunately, their opponent is Clemson, and they repeat the boots-to-ass theory.

2016- The Sooners went 11-2, another Big 12 Championship and a Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn. This was bittersweet for coach Bob Stoops as he announced his retirement in mid-2017. That hotshot OC Lincoln Riley was promoted to head coach.

2017- Riley's first season was a success. 12-2, ANOTHER Big 12 Championship, a playoff berth and quarterback Baker Mayfield winning the Heisman. In one of the greatest playoff games you will ever see, the Georgia Bulldogs and Sony Michel put the dagger in Oklahoma in double overtime.

2018- Rinse and repeat, another 12-2 record, another Big 12 championship, another playoff berth and ANOTHER Heisman Trophy winner in Kyler Murray. Yet another letdown in the playoffs as the Crimson Tide throw them to the side.

2019- Cut and paste everything from the last two seasons except for the Heisman Trophy winner. Speaking of that, the Sooners met the Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow and LSU in the Peach Bowl. Burrow knives through the Swiss cheese secondary of Oklahoma for six TD's in the first half en route to a...rout.

2020- COVID happened and yet, the Sooners still went 9-2, a Big 12 Championship and a Cotton Bowl over Florida.

2021- Team goes 11-2 but misses everything entirely. Lincoln Riley accepts the USC head coaching position and takes quarterback Caleb Williams with him as he goes on to, you guessed it, win the Heisman Trophy. Bob Stoops comes out of "retirement" to coach the Sooners to a victory in the Alamo Bowl.

2022- Longtime DC Brent Venables comes back to Norman after stints elsewhere to be the head coach. Team goes 6-7 in his first season. There will be better days ahead, Brent.

2023- There we go, 10-3, but a loss in the Alamo Bowl to Arizona. Eeh, it's progress.

2024- Wah, wah, 6-7, that is not progress. They lose to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. To be fair, this was their first season in the SEC as they did beat Alabama at home, but also lost at home to Tennessee, whose head coach looks familiar. It's national champion quarterback from the Sooners, Josh Heupel.

2025- Venables enjoys his best season at 10-3 and get a spot in the expanded playoff against Alabama.....

In a microcosm of the quarter century, Oklahoma takes a 17-0 lead, only to see Alabama score 31 unanswered points to secure the victory.

See, Oklahoma has seen some success throughout this time. The many Big 12 Championships, the multiple playoff appearances and the four times they appear in the National Championship game. However, you can't help but wonder if the Sooners could have gone through a dynasty like Alabama or Clemson. They had the mastermind in Bob Stoops to make it happen, just for unfortunate circumstances or underachieving to fall short

It has to be one of the biggest "what ifs" in college football history.

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