The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team, under the leadership of head coach Bob Stoops in only his second year at the helm, delivered a stunning and flawless campaign, finishing the season with a perfect 13-0 record.
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team delivered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history. Just one year removed from a modest 7-5 season, head coach Bob Stoops—only in his second year in Norman—transformed the Sooners into an unstoppable force that marched through a grueling schedule undefeated and ultimately claimed the national championship. With a perfect 13-0 record, Oklahoma reestablished itself as a college football powerhouse, capturing the program’s first national title since 1985 and restoring a sense of pride and dominance to one of the sport’s most storied traditions.
When Bob Stoops took over the Oklahoma program in 1999, the Sooners were coming off a decade of mediocrity. The days of Barry Switzer’s dominance in the 1970s and 1980s had faded, and the program had cycled through multiple head coaches without any lasting success. Stoops arrived from Florida, where he had served as Steve Spurrier’s defensive coordinator, and immediately injected a new energy and direction. His 1999 campaign showed flashes of promise, but no one could have anticipated just how quickly Stoops would elevate the team to national prominence.
The 2000 season began with tempered optimism. Oklahoma opened the year ranked outside the top 15, and expectations were relatively modest. Quarterback Josh Heupel, a cerebral lefty from Utah, returned as the leader of the offense after a strong first season under Stoops. While Heupel didn’t possess elite arm strength or blazing speed, his leadership, poise, and mastery of offensive coordinator Mark Mangino’s spread system made him the perfect field general. Surrounding Heupel was a cast of under-the-radar talent that would soon make its mark on the national stage.
The Sooners opened the season with convincing wins over UTEP and Arkansas State, but it was a 45-13 dismantling of then-No. 11 Texas in the Red River Rivalry that truly announced Oklahoma’s arrival as a contender. Heupel threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and the Sooners’ defense suffocated the Longhorns from the opening snap. The lopsided victory marked a seismic shift in the Big 12 landscape and signaled that Oklahoma was no longer a rebuilding team—it was a juggernaut in the making.
That momentum carried into the following week as Oklahoma hosted No. 2 Kansas State in Norman. The Wildcats had one of the most feared defenses in the nation, but Stoops’ squad matched them punch for punch. Heupel once again led the offense with efficiency, while linebacker Rocky Calmus and the defense stymied Kansas State’s attack. The Sooners emerged with a gritty 41-31 victory, vaulting themselves into the top five in the national rankings.
As if that gauntlet wasn’t enough, the Sooners faced yet another enormous test the next week: a trip to face No. 1 Nebraska in front of a raucous crowd in Norman. The Cornhuskers struck first and led 14-0 in the first quarter, but the Sooners responded with 31 unanswered points. Heupel threw for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Oklahoma defense forced three turnovers in a statement-making 31-14 win. With the victory, Oklahoma took over the No. 1 spot in the national polls and put the rest of the country on notice.
Even with a target on their back, the Sooners refused to stumble. They dispatched Baylor, Texas A\&M, and Texas Tech with relative ease and closed the regular season with a convincing 12-7 win over Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series. At 11-0, the Sooners advanced to the Big 12 Championship Game, where they would meet Kansas State again in a rematch of their October clash.
This time, the stakes were even higher. A win would not only earn Oklahoma its first conference title under Stoops but also secure a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. The Sooners’ defense turned in another stellar performance, limiting the Wildcats to just 17 points. Heupel did enough to guide the offense, and Oklahoma claimed the Big 12 crown with a 27-24 victory, setting up a date with Florida State in the Orange Bowl for the national title.
Florida State entered the game as the defending national champion and featured Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at quarterback. The Seminoles were considered by many to be the more talented team, and oddsmakers made them slight favorites. But Stoops and the Sooners came in with a quiet confidence and a chip on their shoulders. What followed was one of the most impressive defensive performances in college football championship history.
The Sooners harassed and confused Weinke all night, holding the high-powered Florida State offense to just 27 rushing yards and a mere 13 first downs. Oklahoma’s defense recorded three sacks and forced three turnovers, effectively neutralizing every weapon the Seminoles had. On offense, Heupel didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he orchestrated enough sustained drives to control the clock and put points on the board. Quentin Griffin’s touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Sooners breathing room, and a late safety made the final score 13-2.
It wasn’t a flashy win, but it was a masterpiece of physical, disciplined football. The Sooners hoisted the national championship trophy, completing a 13-0 season and sending a resounding message that Oklahoma was once again at the top of the college football mountain.
Heupel finished second in Heisman Trophy voting that season and cemented his legacy as one of the most important players in Oklahoma history. His accuracy, leadership, and unshakeable calm under pressure were central to the Sooners’ success. Quentin Griffin emerged as a reliable and explosive running back, while receivers like Antwone Savage and Curtis Fagan provided dependable targets. But it was the defense, led by Calmus, safety Roy Williams, and linemen Tommie Harris and Corey Callens, that gave Oklahoma its identity. They were relentless, fast, and punishing—everything Stoops had envisioned when he took over the program.
The championship season also served as a validation of Stoops’ philosophy. In just two years, he had taken a program that had been languishing in the middle of the Big 12 and turned it into a national champion. His recruiting efforts, especially in Texas, began to yield dividends, and his aggressive, innovative approach on both sides of the ball made Oklahoma a destination for elite talent once again.
The impact of the 2000 season extended far beyond the trophy. It revitalized a fanbase that had grown frustrated with years of underachievement. It reestablished Oklahoma as one of the premier programs in the country. And it laid the foundation for a decade of sustained success under Stoops, who would go on to win 10 Big 12 titles and consistently keep the Sooners in the national conversation.
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners didn’t just win games—they changed the narrative. They reminded the college football world that tradition, when matched with the right leadership and belief, could still produce greatness. Every player on that roster contributed to a journey that seemed improbable at the outset but turned into a defining chapter in college football lore. The Sooners weren’t the biggest, flashiest, or most hyped team that season. But they were the best—undeniably, unbreakably, and unforgettably.
