Bob Stoops' 4 Title Game Appearances****asterisk

The announcing tonight was as awful as we have come to expect from Fox. But I was impressed Brennaman actually DARED to comment that Bobby Stoops would be criticized tomorrow morning (really? after three double digit losses in four years to Texas and five straight BCS losses he will take some heat?). Of course Charles Davis countered that it was impossible to rip a guy who had gone to 4 title games in 9 years.

I had to concede that while he has been a big-game disaster for years, 4 for 9 is an impressive streak. Oh wait, actually since I have moderate ability to recall something called "history" it took me no time at all to conclude this admittedly impressive feat is more the result of luck+chance than a coaching affirmation. Obviously you need to do well to even position your team to contend for 4 title games. However, let's take a closer look....

2000- OU completes a remarkable season by spanking Florida State. Arguably Miami should have been the opponent by virtue of their head to head victory over FSU, but the Okie victory was thorough and convincing. Little do we know that this is the perhaps the height of the Bob Stoops era. Verdict: Miami may have been more deserving than FSU, but by all appearances OU was the best team in the land.

2003- OU is hailed as perhaps the best team in CFB history while destroying everyone to reach the Big 12 title game. Going in a substantial favorite, they lose to an unheralded KSU team by a whopping 35-7 margin. Despite this shellacking they are sent to the title game over USC who is ranked #1 by both the AP and Coaches. Somehow they are still a touchdown favorite over LSU, but are dominated in a 21-14 loss that was not nearly as close as the score. USC by contrast plays very well in a Rose Bowl victory to gain the AP title. Verdict: USC should have gone over OU.

2004- OU adds freshman phenom Adrian "Plays For Titles" Peterson to an already excellent passing offense, presumably adding the dominant rushing player they previously lacked. OU again rolls to 12-0 with a slightly less dominant, but perhaps more complete squad than the 2003 unit. Auburn fights through the Best Conference Evah undefeated but gets squeezed out of the big game. OU rewards their supporters by going on the receiving end of one of the biggest beatdowns in the history of college football with a national title on the line. Auburn finishes 13-0. Verdict: Auburn should have gone over OU.

2008- We're all well aware of the facts here, no need to rehash. Suffice it to say that the Sooners play for the national title when at least three other teams - Texas, Utah, and USC - are equally or better qualified for a title shot. They play respectably but lose by 10 going away, while all three comparable teams win their bowls, with USC and Utah doing so in particularly impressive fashion. Verdict: Texas, USC, or Utah should have gone over OU.

There is no doubt that Bob Stoops has had an impressive run at Oklahoma, but he has struggled mightily against euqally talented teams in recent years. And his greatest accomplishment, 4 title game appearances is largely the result of poor voter decisions (2004, 2008) and quirky computer algorithms (2003, 2008).