 |
Seven
National Championships |
Nothing
defines the competitive success of a college athletics
program like a national championship. There is no higher
pinnacle and no greater stage on which teams and individuals
are called upon to prove their excellence.
Oklahoma's ability to flourish
in that setting has elevated the Sooner program to
the lofty position it enjoys today. With its most recent
triumph coming in 2000, OU is one of only two schools
to capture seven national football titles.
That staggering fact is more than capable of standing
on its own. But Oklahoma has taken its national dominance
to a higher level by winning those championships over
four different decades. Since 1950, the Sooners have
been a regular player in the race for national supremacy.
Few football programs can set out each fall with the
pursuit of the national crown realistically listed
among its season goals. Oklahoma, riding a history
that makes such a pursuit more than talk and more than
dreams, is one of those programs. When it comes to
national championships, the Sooners have "been there,
done that" ...
seven times.
|
AP
& Coaches Polls |
Two polls have dominated the college football
landscape. In 1936, the Associated Press introduced
its poll, representing the opinion of media around
the country. In 1950, a poll of selected Division I
coaches also was introduced. The second of those has
appeared under various headings, including the one
it is known by today, the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Between those two polls, the most recognized and the
longest standing, Oklahoma has achieved 13 national
championships (finished No. 1 in both polls in some
years). No other school in America has combined for
as many national crowns under that same formula.
The Sooners have been AP's national champion seven
times and have prevailed in the coaches' poll another
six. Oklahoma's most recent national championship,
won in the 2000 season, came under the BCS format.
Prior to the introduction of the BCS, the polls were
the mode used to select college football's best team.
Regardless of the method, OU has been a regular player
on the national title scene.
|
16
National Titles? |
The NCAA does not conduct a national championship
in Division I-A football and is not involved in the
selection process.
Since 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) operated
jointly by the ACC, Southeastern, Big 12, Big East,
Big Ten and Pacific-10 Conferences has used a ranking
system to determine the number one and number two teams
at the end of the season.
Various organizations have named National Champions
in college football since 1869. Utilizing the
selectors as recognized by the NCAA, Oklahoma has been
recognized for 16 different seasons: 2003, 2000, 1986,
1985, 1980, 1978, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1967, 1956, 1955,
1953, 1950 and 1949.
NCAA-Recognized
Football National Champions
| Season |
Record |
Selecting
Organization |
| 2003 |
12-2 |
Berryman |
| 2000 |
13-0 |
AP, BCS, Berryman,
Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW,
Massey, Matthews, National Championship Foundation,
NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Sporting News,
USA/ESPN |
| 1986 |
11-1 |
Berryman, DeVold,
Dunkel, Football Research, NY Times, Sagarin |
| 1985 |
11-1 |
AP, Berryman, Billingsley,
DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW,
National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sporting
News, UPI, USA/CNN |
| 1980 |
10-2 |
Billingsley, Dunkel,
Matthews |
| 1978 |
11-1 |
Billingsley, DeVold,
Dunkel, FACT,
Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, Poling, Sagarin |
| 1975 |
11-1 |
AP, Billingsley,
DeVold, Dunkel, FACT,
FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms,
National Championship Foundation,
NFF, Sagarin, UPI |
| 1974 |
11-0 |
AP, Berryman, Billingsley,
DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, Helms,
Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling,
Sagarin |
| 1973 |
10-0-1 |
Billingsley, DeVold,
Dunkel, Football Research, Sagarin |
| 1967 |
10-1 |
Poling |
| 1957 |
10-1 |
Berryman |
| 1956 |
10-0 |
AP, Billingsley,
Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, FW, Helms, INS, Litkenhous,
National Championship Foundation, Sagarin, UPI, Williamson |
| 1955 |
11-0 |
AP, Berryman, Billingsley,
DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, FW, Helms, INS,
Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling,
Sagarin, UPI, Williamson |
| 1953 |
9-1-1 |
Berryman, Football
Research |
| 1950 |
10-1 |
AP, Berryman, Helms,
Litkenhous, UPI, Williamson |
| 1949 |
11-0 |
Football Research |
