Oklahoma Sooners football under Bob Stoops Bob Stoops is the current head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team which represents the University of Oklahoma in the NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision . He was hired in 1999 and won the national championship the next year after going undefeated through the regular season . Under his direction , the Sooners have won seven Big 12 conference championships , produced 32 All - Americans , had two Heisman Trophy winners ( and two runners - up ) , and visited all four BCS bowl games . Seasons . " NOTE : The 2004 season includes a No Contest ; the Orange Bowl loss to Southern California was subsequently vacated because of an ineligibility issue . " 1999 . After five straight non – winning seasons and not making a bowl appearance for four years , athletic director Joe Castiglione decided to fire three – year coach John Blake and hire Stoops away from his job as defensive coordinator at the University of Florida . Others considered for the job included Barry Alvarez , Jim Donnan , Bob Toledo , Dennis Franchione , Tommy Bowden , Gary Barnett , and Mike Bellotti . The decision to promote a defensive coordinator to head coach ran contrary to the conventional wisdom of the time , but from the beginning Stoops was expected to be an exception to that theory , even without any experience calling offensive plays . Stoops was able to build on the solid defensive recruiting of his predecessor ( who signed future All - Americans Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams ) and brought in junior college quarterback Josh Heupel to run the offense . The 1999 team went 7 – 5 after starting the season with three wins . They won at home over and Baylor and pulled off the road upset against Louisville . The Sooners lost the next two games at Notre Dame in South Bend and to Texas in the Red River Shootout and ended the season with a 25 – 27 loss to Mississippi in the . 2000 . In 2000 , the Sooners opened the season ranked number 19 , the first time they had broken into a pre - season poll in five years . Heupel was expected to have a good season with a year of experience in Stoops ' s system and an improved defense would help the Sooners be " a headache for the opposition " all season . The team started with four straight wins , cruising over early opponents by a combined score of 176 – 51 . The Sooners entered the annual Red River Rivalry game ranked 10th in the nation while Texas had a 3 – 1 record and was ranked number 11 . In what was then the most lopsided game in the history of the rivalry , Oklahoma beat Texas by the score of 63 – 14 . Sooner running back Quentin Griffin set a single - game school record with six touchdown s while Heupel had 275 yards through the air with one touchdown and no interceptions . Texas was held to an all - time low – 7 rushing yards on the game . They went on to narrowly beat second ranked Kansas State 41 – 31 and then defeat the number one ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers 31 – 14 , taking over the number one ranking in the process . The Sooners held on to it through the rest of the season and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl and the right to play for the national championship . The Florida State Seminoles were selected as the Sooners ' opponent in the BCS National Championship Game and were favored to win by 10½ points . Extra tension was laid on the game by the results of the Heisman balloting where Florida State ' s Chris Weinke beat out Heupel for the award by only 76 points . The Sooners won the game 13 – 2 , the second lowest scoring Orange Bowl ever and the first time all season that Weinke did not throw a touchdown pass , to claim the Sears Trophy and Oklahoma ' s seventh national title . 2001 . The 2001 Oklahoma Football season started off with a bang . On the first play from scrimmage against North Carolina , highly touted defensive tackle recruit Tommie Harris , now an All - Pro with the Chicago Bears , brought down the ball carrier for a three - yard loss . The Sooners wanted to make a good impression after winning the National Championship the season before , and through the first few games of the season , they did just that . The Sooners took care of North Carolina ( 41 – 27 ) , Air Force ( 44 – 3 ) , and North Texas ( 37 – 10 ) with very little resistance . However , in the fourth game of the season , an aggressive blitzing scheme kept Sooner QB Nate Hybl on his back and the Wildcats in the game before OU finally pulled out the victory over Kansas State , 38 – 37 . This set up another Cotton Bowl Classic battle against OU ' s most - hated rival — the Texas Longhorns . This year ' s version of the battle would turn into a game that fans from both teams would never forget thanks to Sooner defensive back Roy Williams . Late in the game , Williams launched himself over a blocker and into Sooner lore by batting down the Chris Simms pass into the arms of linebacker Teddy Lehman . This play has since come to be known as the " Superman " play , and was the play that launched Roy Williams ' Heisman Trophy candidacy . ( He would wind up finishing seventh in Heisman voting . ) The OU / Texas game is also remembered for another reason . . . it was the day that future Heisman Trophy winner Jason White came into the game to replace starter Nate Hybl after he was injured . White played incredibly well in backup duty , exciting Sooner fans for both the immediate and long - term future of the QB position . After the Texas win , the Sooners went on to dominate two more conference foes ( Kansas 38 – 10 , Baylor 33 – 17 ) before a battle against rival Nebraska . And , as so many games in the past were , this OU / Nebraska game was a battle of # 1 vs . # 2 . This time , however , the Sooners would suffer their first setback of the season , losing 20 – 10 on a late trick play that launched Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch ' s Heisman campaign . Crouch would go on to win the Heisman , largely on the strength of his performance against the Sooners that afternoon , which looked even better after now - starter Jason White went down with an injury and a cold Nate Hybl was brought back in , this time against Nebraska ' s hard - hitting defense . Following that loss were three more blowouts ( Tulsa 58 – 0 , Texas A & M 31 – 10 , and Texas Tech 30 – 13 ) the Sooners would play their final regular season game at home against rival Oklahoma State , losing the game 16 – 13 . The Sooners would end their season in the Cotton Bowl Classic against the Arkansas Razorbacks , winning a defensive battle 10 – 3 and getting Sooner fans excited about the team ' s prospects for the next season . 2002 NFL Draft . The 2002 NFL Draft was held on April 20 - 21 , 2002 at Madison Square Garden in New York City The following Oklahoma players were either selected or signed as undrafted free agents following the draft . 2002 . Oklahoma came into the season tied for # 1 . They went into the Texas game 5 – 0 . Coming back from a 14 – 3 deficit , Oklahoma won 35 – 24 . Then blowing out Iowa State and Colorado . Then , the Sooners , undefeated and ranked # 1 , entered what looked to be an easy matchup against unranked Texas A & M at Kyle Field , but were embarrassed by the Aggies , led by freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal . They rebounded the next week by beating Baylor 49 – 9 . Then blowing out Texas Tech on Senior Night in Norman , 60 – 15 . Oklahoma , then ranked # 3 , came into the Oklahoma State game with hopes of making in to the BCS National Championship at the Fiesta Bowl . Trailing 35 – 6 at one point they tried to come back , but OSU eventually won 38 – 28 . The 2nd loss in as many years to Oklahoma State ended their hopes of playing for the national title . The Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes both finished undefeated and faced each other in Tempe , AZ . Oklahoma blew out Colorado again in the Big 12 Championship 29 – 7 . Then winning Oklahoma ' s 1st ever Rose Bowl , the Sooners defeated Washington State 34 – 14 . They finished the season ranked 5th . 2003 . Stoops ' teams continued to excel . He brought his 2003 and 2004 teams back to the BCS title game , but lost both contests . His 2003 team was the highest scoring team in OU ' s history to that point , with the 2008 team passing the record , putting up 601 points while only allowing 214 by opponents . This season included seven games of 50 points or more , a 77 – 0 win over Texas A & M and a 65 – 13 victory against Texas , both schools ' biggest loss . The team was beaten 35 – 7 in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game by a Kansas State Wildcat team that all the experts thought had no chance against what some were calling one of the greatest teams in college football history . The Sooners eventually lost to LSU in the BCS title game . That year , Jason White became OU ' s fourth Heisman Trophy winner . Game notes . Alabama . Texas Tech . 2004 . In 2004 the Sooners opened up as pre – season number 2 . They went 12 – 0 during the regular season and went on to play USC in the BCS National Championship game . USC and Oklahoma were ranked # 1 and # 2 , respectively . The game received an immense amount of build up . Both teams featured a Heisman Trophy Winner , in quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Jason White , and both teams featured a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back in Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson . The game was claimed by some to be " the game of the century . " Despite considerable hype for the game , however , it ended up being completely one - sided : USC defeated Oklahoma 55 – 19 . However , on June 10 , 2010 , USC was forced to vacate two wins from the 2004 season including the National Championship game , effectively turning the match into a no contest . This has led to a dispute with undefeated Auburn and Utah over the 2004 season ' s national championship . Some believe Oklahoma has the title for being in the championship game . Some have Auburn as the champion . 2005 . The Sooners finished the season with an 8 – 4 record , the worst season since 1999 . In 2005 , redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar beat out Jason White ' s backup quarterback , Paul Thompson , for the starting job . Thompson was moved to the wide receiver spot for the rest of the season . They lost their opening game against TCU and went on to open the season 2 – 3 with additional losses at UCLA and against Texas . During the second quarter of the game against Kansas State , a nearby bomb exploded that was heard at the game . The team won their next four games before losing at Texas Tech . Tech ' s running back Taurean Henderson scored as time expired . The play was reviewed by replay officials who confirmed that Henderson broke the plane with possession of the football . The Sooners finished third in the Big 12 behind the Longhorns ( who went on to win the 2005 BCS National Championship ) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders ( Oklahoma and Texas Tech both had conference records of 6 – 2 , but Texas Tech won the heads up match and thus held the tie - breaker ) . The unranked Sooners would represent the Big 12 in the Holiday Bowl where they would play the sixth - ranked Oregon Ducks . OU defeated the Ducks 17 – 14 ; Bomar was named the Bowl MVP and the Sooners finished the season ranked # 22 . On July 11 , 2007 the NCAA announced the Sooners would have to vacate every game from 2005 due to NCAA violations relating to Rhett Bomar and J . D . Quinn receiving money from a car dealership for work they did not perform . The punishment effectively gave the team a 0 – 4 record , however , on appeal , those wins were reinstated in early 2008 . 2006 . 2006 was a very tumultuous year for the Sooners . One week before fall practice began , returning quarterback Rhett Bomar and J . D . Quinn , a projected starter on the offensive line , were kicked off the team for violating NCAA rules when they received payment for work they did not do . Paul Thompson , who had not practiced in the quarterback role for nearly a year , was asked to move back to quarterback which he did . In mid - September , OU played the University of Oregon for the third time in three years . The Sooners lost this game 33 – 34 . During the game a controversy arose when game officials awarded an onside kick to the Ducks when it should have been Oklahoma ' s ball . Following the game , all officials were suspended for one game but replay official Gordon Riese said he would take the year off ; later in the year , he would quit completely . Gordon Riese later acknowledged that he knew OU recovered the onside kick but replay rules prevented him from correcting the on - field officials . A few weeks later , OU lost to rival Texas . Following these setbacks , the team regrouped and the defense vastly improved . Following the Oregon game , the defense was ranked 97th nationally but by the end of the regular season , they were ranked 17th . Following the Texas game , OU played Iowa State and soundly defeated them 34 – 9 . However , on the final touchdown drive for the Sooners , star running back Adrian Peterson suffered a broken collar bone when he dove into the end zone . The Sooners would turn to two untested running backs to replace the Heisman - hopeful Peterson : Allen Patrick , a junior , and Chris Brown , a freshman . The Sooners did not miss a step . The team went on a seven - game winning streak to finish Big 12 conference play 11 – 2 . This streak included road wins over two ranked opponents : Texas A & M and Missouri . The defending national champion Texas Longhorns were favored to win the Big 12 , but they suffered two losses to finish their regular season , which sent OU to the Big 12 Championship game against a former rival , the Nebraska Cornhuskers . The Sooners defeated the 19th - ranked Cornhuskers 21 – 7 to win the Big 12 title for the fourth time under Bob Stoops . The Sooners lost in overtime by a score of 43 – 42 to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl . 2007 . The 2007 Oklahoma team opened up with a home game against the University of North Texas and soundly beat them 79 – 10 . The 79 points scored by OU was the most in the country for Week 1 . In Week 2 the Sooners played a much tougher opponent in the University of Miami . However , the results seemed to show a mismatch , as OU easily defeated the Hurricanes 51 – 13 . In Week 3 the Sooners got the best of Utah State with a 54 – 3 thrashing . Week 4 matched OU up with an in – state foe , the Tulsa Golden Hurricane . Just as it has been all season ( expect for the September 29 loss at unranked Colorado ) , the Sooners put up another dominant performance with a 62 – 21 victory . In Week 5 ( September 29 , 2007 ) , the # 4 Sooners saw their National Championship hopes take a hit as they lost to unranked Colorado in Boulder 27 – 24 after leading in the second half by a score of 24 – 7 . The Sooners only had 234 net yards compared to Colorado ' s 379 net yards . The 2007 match – up between Oklahoma and Texas on Oct . 2007 was predicted to be the # 3 game to watch in 2007 by SI . com ' s " Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007 " list . The University of Oklahoma football team proved itself worthy of the top ten rankings when it defeated Texas 28 – 21 at the Red River Rivalry . The Texas Longhorns played up to their potential when they answered almost every point during the October 6 game . In the end Colt McCoy along with Jermichael Finley and the Longhorns could not withstand the adamant pressing of Sam Bradford , Demarco Murray and the Sooners . After losing quarterback Sam Bradford to a concussion , Oklahoma would go on to lose to an unranked Texas Tech team in an upset , although this was not enough to keep them from the Big 12 championship . They would go on to defeat Missouri in the Big 12 championship game and win the Big 12 ' s automatic BCS berth , playing West Virginia University in the Fiesta Bowl . For the second consecutive year Oklahoma would lose in a BCS bowl game , although this game was not as close as the previous year . Oklahoma was down 14 points at halftime and never pulled closer than 20 – 15 , eventually losing 48 – 28 . Legacy . Many of Oklahoma ' s players under Coach Stoops went on to play in the NFL . Some of these include , Sam Bradford ( St . Louis Rams ) , Tommie Harris ( Chicago Bears ) , Jammal Brown ( Washington Redskins ) , Adrian Peterson ( Minnesota Vikings ) , Curtis Lofton ( Atlanta Falcons ) , Mark Clayton ( St . Louis Rams ) , Jermaine Gresham ( Cincinnati Bengals ) , Dan Cody , Teddy Lehman , Dusty Dvoracek , Davin Joseph ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) , Brodney Pool , Mark Bradley , and Garrett Hartley ( New Orleans Saints ) . Several coaches who were assistants under Stoops are currently head coaches at FBS schools , such as Kevin Sumlin , Bo Pelini and Kevin Wilson .