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Sixteen young men in American football uniform, and two older men in jackets, sitting in three rows.
The undefeated Sooners team of 1915
Football players run onto a football field in two rows under a crimson banner.
The Sooners enter the field for a game during the 2007 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners college football team compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma has played their home games at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma since 1923.[1]

The Sooners claim seven national championships. They have also recorded 50 conference championships,[2] 12 undefeated and untied regular seasons,[a][3] and the longest winning streak in Division I history with 47 straight victories. The Oklahoma football program is one of the most successful programs in history, having won 944 games[4] and possessing a .725 winning percentage,[5] both sixth all time. As of the end of the 2022 season, Oklahoma has appeared in the AP poll 882 times,[6] including 101 No. 1 rankings,[7] both third all time.

Football was introduced to the university by John A. Harts in 1895. Harts, a student from Kansas who had played the game in his home state,[8] presided over a single game, a loss to a more experienced team from the Oklahoma City High School.[9] The university had its first paid coach in Vernon Louis Parrington, who led the Sooners to a record of nine wins, one loss, and two ties over four seasons.[10] Hired in 1905, Bennie Owen brought Oklahoma to the national stage during his 22-year tenure as head coach. He retired with a 122–54–16 record, including four seasons in which the team went unbeaten.[11] During Owen's tenure, Oklahoma became a charter member of the Southwest Conference, in which they remained for five years before leaving to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[12] The MVIAA conference would later transform into the Big Six, Big Seven, and finally the Big Eight Conference.

In 1947, Oklahoma promoted Bud Wilkinson, then an assistant coach, to head coach.[13] Wilkinson led the Sooners to national championships in 1950, 1955 and 1956,[14] as well as a stretch of 47 consecutive victories that began in 1953 and ended in 1957.[15] Wilkinson's tenure included a streak of 13 consecutive conference championships (in addition to one by his predecessor).[2] After 17 seasons at the helm, Wilkinson retired with a 145–29–4 record.[14]

Oklahoma continued to perform well after Wilkinson left, but only returned to the national title picture following the promotion of Barry Switzer to head coach in 1973. The Sooners won the Big Eight in each of his first eight years as coach and earned national championships in 1974 and 1975.[16] Switzer added Oklahoma's sixth national championship in 1985 and bested Wilkinson's school record for victories by a coach, stepping down prior to the 1989 season with a 157–29–4 record.[16]

After a decline that lasted more than a decade, Oklahoma again won the national championship in 2000, after coach Bob Stoops had been hired the previous year.[17] By then Oklahoma had joined a new conference, the Big 12 Conference, formed as a combination of the Big Eight Conference and four Texas schools of the defunct Southwest Conference.[18] Stoops coached 239 games during his time at Oklahoma, winning 191 of them. Both figures are the most of any coach in school history.[19] Stoops won ten conference championships[17] and led the Sooners to the BCS National Championship Game four times. However, 2000 remains Oklahoma's most recent championship game victory. Lincoln Riley, who succeeded Stoops as coach in 2017, took the Sooners to the College Football Playoff four times, losing in the semifinal round on each occasion. Following Riley's departure, current head coach Brent Venables was appointed to the position.

Through the 2023 season, Oklahoma has compiled an overall record of 944 wins, 341 losses, and 53 ties. The Sooners have appeared in 57 bowl games,[20] most recently in the 2023 Alamo Bowl, with 31 bowl victories, 25 losses and 1 tie in their history.

Seasons

National Champions Conference Champions * Division Champions Bowl game berth Shared standing T Not applicable
Season Head coach[19] Division Season results Championship and postseason results Final ranking
Conference Overall AP Coaches'
Finish1 Win(s) Loss(es) Tie(s)2 Win(s) Loss(es) Tie(s)2
Oklahoma Sooners
Independent (1895–1914)
1895 John A. Harts 0 1 0
1896 No coach 2 0 0
1897 Vernon L. Parrington 2 0 0
1898 Vernon L. Parrington 2 0 0
1899 Vernon L. Parrington 2 1 0
1900 Vernon L. Parrington 3 1 1
1901 Fred Roberts 3 2 0
1902 Mark McMahon 6 3 0
1903 Mark McMahon 5 4 3
1904 Fred Ewing 4 3 1
1905 Bennie Owen 7 2 0
1906 Bennie Owen 5 2 2
1907 Bennie Owen 4 4 0
1908 Bennie Owen 8 1 1
1909 Bennie Owen 6 4 0
1910 Bennie Owen 4 2 1
1911 Bennie Owen 8 0 0
1912 Bennie Owen 5 4 0
1913 Bennie Owen 6 2 0
1914 Bennie Owen 9 1 1
Southwest Conference (1915–1919)
1915 * Bennie Owen T–1st 3 0 0 10 0 0
1916 Bennie Owen T–3rd 2 1 0 6 5 0
1917 Bennie Owen 3rd 1 1 1 6 4 1
1918 * Bennie Owen 1st 2 0 0 6 0 0
1919 Bennie Owen 3rd 2 1 0 5 3 2
Missouri Valley Conference (1920–1928)
1920 * Bennie Owen 1st 4 0 1 6 0 1
1921 Bennie Owen T–7th 2 3 0 5 3 0
1922 Bennie Owen 6th 1 2 2 2 3 3
1923 Bennie Owen 6th 2 4 0 3 5 0
1924 Bennie Owen 6th 2 3 1 2 5 1
1925 Bennie Owen 5th 3 3 1 4 1 3
1926 Bennie Owen 5th 3 2 1 5 2 1
1927 Adrian Lindsey T–7th 2 3 0 3 3 2
1928 Adrian Lindsey T–2nd 3 2 0 5 3 0
Big Six Conference (1929–1947)
1929 Adrian Lindsey 4th 2 2 1 3 3 2
1930 Adrian Lindsey 2nd 3 1 1 4 1 3
1931 Adrian Lindsey T–5th 1 4 0 4 7 1
1932 Lewie Hardage T–2nd 3 2 0 4 4 1
1933 Lewie Hardage 3rd 3 2 0 4 4 1
1934 Lewie Hardage 3rd 2 2 1 3 4 2
1935 Biff Jones 2nd 3 2 0 6 3 0
1936 Biff Jones 4th 1 2 2 3 3 3
1937 Thomas E. Stidham 2nd 3 1 1 5 2 2
1938 * Thomas E. Stidham 1st 5 0 0 10 1 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Tennessee, 17-0 4
1939 Thomas E. Stidham 3rd 3 2 0 6 2 1 19
1940 Thomas E. Stidham 2nd 4 1 0 6 3 0
1941 Dewey Luster T–2nd 3 2 0 6 3 0
1942 Dewey Luster 2nd 3 1 1 3 5 2
1943 * Dewey Luster 1st 6 0 0 7 2 0
1944 * Dewey Luster 1st 4 0 1 6 3 1
1945 Dewey Luster 2nd 4 1 0 5 5 0
1946 * Jim Tatum T–1st 4 1 0 8 3 0 Won Gator Bowl against NC State, 34–13 14
1947 * Bud Wilkinson T–1st 4 0 1 7 2 1 16
Big Seven Conference (1948–1958)
1948 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 5 0 0 10 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against North Carolina, 14–6 5
1949 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 5 0 0 11 0 0 Won Sugar Bowl against LSU, 35–0 2
1950 †* Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 10 1 0 Lost Sugar Bowl against Kentucky, 13-7 1 1
1951 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 8 2 0 10 11
1952 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 5 0 1 8 1 1 4 4
1953 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 9 1 1 Won Orange Bowl against Maryland, 7–0 4 5
1954 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 10 0 0 Consecutive bowl appearances prohibited by conference[21][22] 3 3
1955 †* Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 11 0 0 Won Orange Bowl against Maryland, 20–6 1 1
1956 †* Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 10 0 0 Consecutive bowl appearances prohibited by conference[23] 1 1
1957 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Duke, 48–21 4 4
1958 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 7 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Syracuse, 21–6 5 5
Big Eight Conference (1959–1995)
1959 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 1 0 7 3 0 15 15
1960 Bud Wilkinson 5th 2 4 1 3 6 1 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[24]
1961 Bud Wilkinson 4th 4 3 0 5 5 0
1962 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 7 0 0 8 3 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Alabama, 17-0 8 7
1963 Bud Wilkinson 2nd 6 1 0 8 2 0 9 8
1964 Gomer Jones 2nd 5 1 1 6 4 1 Lost Gator Bowl against Florida State, 36–19
1965 Gomer Jones 5th 3 4 0 3 7 0
1966 Jim Mackenzie 5th 4 3 0 6 4 0
1967 * Chuck Fairbanks 1st 7 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Tennessee, 26–24 3 3
1968 * Chuck Fairbanks T–1st 6 1 0 7 4 0 Lost Bluebonnet Bowl against SMU, 28–27 11 10
1969 Chuck Fairbanks 4th 4 3 0 6 4 0
1970 Chuck Fairbanks T–2nd 5 2 0 7 4 1 Tied Bluebonnet Bowl against Alabama, 24–24 20 15
1971 Chuck Fairbanks 2nd 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against Auburn, 40–22 2 3
1972 * Chuck Fairbanks 1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against Penn State, 14–0 2 2
1973 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 10 0 1 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[25]
1974 †* Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 11 0 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[25]
1975 †* Barry Switzer 1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Michigan, 14–6 1 1
1976 * Barry Switzer T–1st 5 2 0 9 2 1 Won Fiesta Bowl against Wyoming, 41–7 5 6
1977 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 10 2 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Arkansas, 31–6 7 6
1978 * Barry Switzer T–1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Nebraska, 31–24 3 3
1979 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 24–7 3 3
1980 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 10 2 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 18–17 3 3
1981 Barry Switzer 2nd 4 2 1 7 4 1 Won Sun Bowl against Houston, 40–14 20 14
1982 Barry Switzer 2nd 6 1 0 8 4 0 Lost Fiesta Bowl against Arizona State, 32–21 16 16
1983 Barry Switzer 2nd 5 2 0 8 4 0
1984 * Barry Switzer T–1st 6 1 0 9 2 1 Lost Orange Bowl against Washington, 28–17 6 6
1985 †* Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Penn State, 25–10 1 1
1986 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Arkansas, 42–8 3 3
1987 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Miami, 20–14 3 3
1988 Barry Switzer 2nd 6 1 0 9 3 0 Lost Citrus Bowl against Clemson, 13–6 14 14
1989 Gary Gibbs 3rd 5 2 0 7 4 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[26]
1990 Gary Gibbs T–2nd 5 2 0 8 3 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[26]
1991 Gary Gibbs 3rd 5 2 0 9 3 0 Won Gator Bowl against Virginia, 48–14 16 14
1992 Gary Gibbs 4th 3 2 2 5 4 2
1993 Gary Gibbs 4th 4 3 0 9 3 0 Won John Hancock Bowl against Texas Tech, 41–10 17 14
1994 Gary Gibbs 4th 4 3 0 6 6 0 Lost Copper Bowl against BYU, 31–6
1995 Howard Schnellenberger T–5th 2 5 0 5 5 1
Big 12 Conference (1996–present)
1996 John Blake South 4th 3 5 3 8
1997 John Blake South T-4th 2 6 4 8
1998 John Blake South T-4th 3 5 5 6
1999 Bob Stoops South T–2nd 5 3 7 5 Lost Independence Bowl against Ole Miss, 27–25
2000 †* Bob Stoops South 1st 8 0 13 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 13–2 1 1
2001 Bob Stoops South 2nd 6 2 11 2 Won Cotton Bowl Classic against Arkansas, 10–3 6 6
2002 * Bob Stoops South 1st 6 2 12 2 Won Rose Bowl against Washington State, 34–14 5 5
2003 Bob Stoops South 1st 8 0 12 2 Lost Sugar Bowl against LSU, 21–14 3 3
2004 * Bob Stoops South 1st 8 0 12 1 Lost Orange Bowl against USC, 55–19 3 3
2005 Bob Stoops South T–2nd 6 2 8 4 Won Holiday Bowl against Oregon, 17–14 22 22
2006 * Bob Stoops South 1st 7 1 11 3 Lost Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, 43–42 (OT) 11 11
2007 * Bob Stoops South 1st 6 2 11 3 Lost Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia, 48–28 8 8
2008 * Bob Stoops South T–1st 7 1 12 2 Lost BCS Championship Game against Florida, 24–14 5 5
2009 Bob Stoops South T-3rd 5 3 8 5 Won Sun Bowl against Stanford, 31–27
2010 * Bob Stoops South T–1st 6 2 12 2 Won Fiesta Bowl against UConn, 48–20 6 6
2011 Bob Stoops T–3rd 6 3 10 3 Won Insight Bowl against Iowa, 31–14 16 15
2012 * Bob Stoops T–1st 8 1 10 3 Lost Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M, 41–13 15 15
2013 Bob Stoops T–2nd 7 2 11 2 Won Sugar Bowl against Alabama, 45–31 6 6
2014 Bob Stoops T–4th 5 4 8 5 Lost Russell Athletic Bowl against Clemson, 40–6
2015 * Bob Stoops 1st 8 1 11 2 Lost Orange Bowl against Clemson, 37–17 5 5
2016 * Bob Stoops 1st 9 0 11 2 Won Sugar Bowl against Auburn, 35–19 5 3
2017 * Lincoln Riley 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Rose Bowl against Georgia, 54–48 2OT 3 3
2018 * Lincoln Riley 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Orange Bowl against Alabama, 45–34 4 4
2019 * Lincoln Riley 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Peach Bowl against LSU 63-28 7 6
2020 * Lincoln Riley 1st 6 2 9 2 Won Cotton Bowl against Florida 55–20 6 6
2021 Lincoln Riley
Bob Stoops
3rd 7 2 11 2 Won Alamo Bowl against Oregon 47-32 10 10
2022 Brent Venables T-7th 3 6 6 7 Lost Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State 35–32
2023 Brent Venables T-2nd 7 2 10 2 Lost Alamo Bowl against Arizona 38–24
Total 913 317 52 (only includes regular season games)
31 25 1 (only includes bowl games)
944 341 53 (all games)
1 When in a division, it shows their position within the division otherwise the overall position in the division-less conference.
2 Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[27]

Notes

  1. ^ There have been 11 full seasons in which Oklahoma has won every game in which they played, including the postseason. The NCAA's methodology for determining an undefeated, untied season does not include Oklahoma's 1896, 1897, or 1898 campaigns, in which the Sooners won two games each without losing or tying. It does, however, include four seasons in which Oklahoma won each of their regular season games but lost their postseason bowl game (1938, 1950, 1987, and 2004).

References

  1. ^ "Oklahoma Memorial Stadium History". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Conference Titles". SoonerSports. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. pp. 179–180. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  4. ^ "All-Time Wins". Winsipedia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "All-Time Record (Winning %)". Winsipedia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Weeks in Poll". Winsipedia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  7. ^ "Weeks at AP No. 1". Winsipedia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  8. ^ Keith, Harold (September 1942). "Football Ups and Downs". Sooner Magazine. Vol. 15, no. 1. pp. 12–13, 54. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Hume, C. Ross (November 1936). "Football myths". Sooner Magazine. Vol. 9, no. 2. pp. 36–37. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Vernon Parrington". SoonerStats.com.
  11. ^ "Bennie Owen". SoonerStats.com.
  12. ^ Dozier, Ray (2006). Moyer, Susan (ed.). The Oklahoma Football Encyclopedia. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing, L.L.C. pp. 24–31. ISBN 978-1-58261-699-5.
  13. ^ Cross, George Lynn (September 1977). Presidents Can't Punt: The OU Football Tradition. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1419-3.
  14. ^ a b "Bud Wilkinson". SoonerStats.com.
  15. ^ "OU football tradition – 47 game winning streak". SoonerSports. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  16. ^ a b "Barry Switzer". SoonerStats.com.
  17. ^ a b "Bob Stoops". SoonerStats.com.
  18. ^ Moran, Malcolm (August 25, 1996). "Despite Complications, Big 12 Is Instant Commercial Hit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  19. ^ a b "Football Head Coaches". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  20. ^ "Bowl Games". Winsipedia. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  21. ^ "Busy scoreboard eyed as Duke, Nebraska tangle". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1955. p. 8.
  22. ^ Funk, Ben (January 2, 1955). "Duke rips Huskers 34-7". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1C.
  23. ^ Miller, Norman (December 4, 1956). "Oklahoma voted grid champion in final AP and UP polls". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 23.
  24. ^ White, Gordon (April 19, 1973). "OKLAHOMA AGREES TO FORFEIT GAMES". New York Times.
  25. ^ a b "A 2‐Year Bowl Ban For Okla". New York Times. August 9, 1973.
  26. ^ a b Jenkins, Sally (December 19, 1988). "OKLAHOMA TO GET PROBATION". Washington Post.
  27. ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2008.