The Greatest Tradition In All Of College Football

da wiz

New member
Dec 22, 2002
28,192
3,377
0
Impressive, JJ!

Every School has their own Special Tradition...For Oklahoma, we are partial to this one...



If you get a chance, look for this Big Bad Boy...He's headed your way! Another of OUr Traditions we are proud of...

 
Last edited:

Raysor

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2002
633
7,442
93
What does UTenn have? Three national championships? I know that Bama claims one every time they lost less than three games,, but not counting what is claimed, but actually was universally considered, I figure Tennessee has one since 1951, which btw, was the year I was born.

How can that equal "the best tradition" of anything?
 

RumphSquatch

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2006
37,554
1,049
113
Pretty cool video - thanks for sharing that.

The stadium and crowd seemed very loud - be interesting to see how we handle it, how we play early in the game.

One thing I have always loved about your stadium is the checkered end zones - I have always liked seeing those.
 

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
What does UTenn have? Three national championships? I know that Bama claims one every time they lost less than three games,, but not counting what is claimed, but actually was universally considered, I figure Tennessee has one since 1951, which btw, was the year I was born.

How can that equal "the best tradition" of anything?
Well we do have the Lady Vols if that sport turns you on...now you want to talk humble people...you won't find any coach of any gender of any sport any more humble and approachable than Pat Head Summit.
 

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
Pretty cool video - thanks for sharing that.

The stadium and crowd seemed very loud - be interesting to see how we handle it, how we play early in the game.

One thing I have always loved about your stadium is the checkered end zones - I have always liked seeing those.
Pretty cool video - thanks for sharing that.

We will be doing this Saturday...my ticket says wear "White"...
 
  • Like
Reactions: phillinois

Raysor

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2002
633
7,442
93
I like women's basketball. My third favorite college sport behind Sooner football and softball. UTenn has been an elite women's program forever. But you were talking about football traditions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bdshull2001

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
I like women's basketball. My third favorite college sport behind Sooner football and softball. UTenn has been an elite women's program forever. But you were talking about football traditions.
Agreed and OU has one of the elite programs ever in college football. I'm not sure where you guys rank in all time wins but we are in the top 10 all time. Now I am not denigrating what you guys have done...your record and titles speaks for themself...however I think you will have to admit the SEC was/is top to bottom a much stronger league than the old Big 8 was. Now as I said it has nothing to do with your great and very proud tradition but it is tougher to win national championships when you consistently play the teams we have played...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ETU and phillinois

bdshull2001

New member
Dec 21, 2005
2,352
5,150
0
Pretty cool indeed.
We couldn't pull that off.

Our guys would get plum dizzy running th
Agreed and OU has one of the elite programs ever in college football. I'm not sure where you guys rank in all time wins but we are in the top 10 all time. Now I am not denigrating what you guys have done...your record and titles speaks for themself...however I think you will have to admit the SEC was/is top to bottom a much stronger league than the old Big 8 was. Now as I said it has nothing to do with your great and very proud tradition but it is tougher to win national championships when you consistently play the teams we have played...


Any chance you could list or link the original SEC teams so we can compare?
 
  • Like
Reactions: mojo1fan

Raysor

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2002
633
7,442
93
I disagree with your summation of the SEC. Two reasons primarily. Your teams don't play everybody else, and historically, it was a lot less than now. And secondly, a huge percentage of your teams never leave the nice weather. Ever. To UTenn's credit, there are one of two or three in your conference that will.

You guys play virtual home games in most bowl games and when you don't the SEC record isn't great. Teams in the big ten have to use an offense that will function in horrible weather. So when they play an SEC team in their home state, the SEC team has a huge advantage in style of play and home crowd.

Under Bob Stoops, OU has lost only one game to an SEC team not playing in their home state, and that was to Ole Miss playing in their adjacent state in Bob's first Sooner season. Lost four games to SEC teams. The other three were to LSU in Baton Route, to Florida in Miami and to A&M indoors in Dallas.

A&M had less advantage than the Gators had, and the Gators had a lot less advantage than LSU had.

The new format, so long as the biased selectors don't load up the brackets with SEC teams because of the propaganda from ESPN and elsewhere, will find it much more difficult than their home games in the past. Not an SEC team, but it's the same dynamic as when Miami had all those NCs.

Miami was clearly the best team in 2001, when they got to play Nebraska who didn't even make it to the Big XII CCG. And they beat Alabama in Nawlins in 1989. But their other three they got to play in their home stadium which is profoundly unfair, when it is unearned. The one that started it all in 1983 was absurdly unfair. Get them in a bowl elsewhere against top competition, not too good. Penn State wasn't close to as good in 1986, but they won in the Fiesta for the NC. And UTenn in 1985 in Nawlins.

Same thing playing LSU and their most boorish fans in America, in Nawlins. Sooner fans have never been so horribly treated at any venue. Florida beat OU's best team of the Stoops era, missing OUr elite running back and our top two injured middle linebackers. And playing in their home state. Auburn beat Oregon on a fluke play. No, he wasn't down. But stuff happens. Alabama plays Texas without the key to their offense after the fourth snap, and the true freshman, who proved to be a less than stellar college quarterback, still made a game of it in the second half. Texas was better, but not without McCoy.

Combine the dumb luck and the home advantage, and I am not willing to concede at all that the SEC is better. You do have more schools. But A&M has fared better in the SEC than they did in the XII. And MIzzou has fared a lot better. They've dominated the East recently. Mizzou hadn't won a title in the XII or the Big Eight since a co title in 1969, my freshman year at OU. They did win a couple of north division titles, but they got smoked in the CCG's.

I guess you saw Vandy last weekend. And perhaps you saw what TCU did to Ole Miss last season. That was Ole Miss, who beat Alabama. UTenn is the one SEC program who will play anywhere. Georgia will some. And a 9-4 OSU beat 8-5 Georgia in Stillwater in the last ten years, while a Georgia team that went to the Sugar Bowl beat a 7-6 Cowboy team two years later.

OU has beaten Alabama the last three times we've played in the Stoops era, one in Norman, one in Tuscaloosa and one in New Oreans. So no, I don't concede your point.
 

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
Original SEC teams
1. Tenessee
2. Alabama
3. Ole Miss
4. Auburn
5. Miss State
6. LSU
7. Ga Tech- dropped out in the early 60's.
8. Georgia
9. Kentucky
10. Florida
11. Vanderbilt
12. Tulane-dropped out 1963

1992 SEC expansion
1. Arkansas
2. South Carolina

2012 SEC expansion
1. Texas A&M
2. Missouri
 
  • Like
Reactions: bdshull2001

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
I disagree with your summation of the SEC. Two reasons primarily. Your teams don't play everybody else, and historically, it was a lot less than now. And secondly, a huge percentage of your teams never leave the nice weather. Ever. To UTenn's credit, there are one of two or three in your conference that will.

You guys play virtual home games in most bowl games and when you don't the SEC record isn't great. Teams in the big ten have to use an offense that will function in horrible weather. So when they play an SEC team in their home state, the SEC team has a huge advantage in style of play and home crowd.

Under Bob Stoops, OU has lost only one game to an SEC team not playing in their home state, and that was to Ole Miss playing in their adjacent state in Bob's first Sooner season. Lost four games to SEC teams. The other three were to LSU in Baton Route, to Florida in Miami and to A&M indoors in Dallas.

A&M had less advantage than the Gators had, and the Gators had a lot less advantage than LSU had.

The new format, so long as the biased selectors don't load up the brackets with SEC teams because of the propaganda from ESPN and elsewhere, will find it much more difficult than their home games in the past. Not an SEC team, but it's the same dynamic as when Miami had all those NCs.

Miami was clearly the best team in 2001, when they got to play Nebraska who didn't even make it to the Big XII CCG. And they beat Alabama in Nawlins in 1989. But their other three they got to play in their home stadium which is profoundly unfair, when it is unearned. The one that started it all in 1983 was absurdly unfair. Get them in a bowl elsewhere against top competition, not too good. Penn State wasn't close to as good in 1986, but they won in the Fiesta for the NC. And UTenn in 1985 in Nawlins.

Same thing playing LSU and their most boorish fans in America, in Nawlins. Sooner fans have never been so horribly treated at any venue. Florida beat OU's best team of the Stoops era, missing OUr elite running back and our top two injured middle linebackers. And playing in their home state. Auburn beat Oregon on a fluke play. No, he wasn't down. But stuff happens. Alabama plays Texas without the key to their offense after the fourth snap, and the true freshman, who proved to be a less than stellar college quarterback, still made a game of it in the second half. Texas was better, but not without McCoy.

Combine the dumb luck and the home advantage, and I am not willing to concede at all that the SEC is better. You do have more schools. But A&M has fared better in the SEC than they did in the XII. And MIzzou has fared a lot better. They've dominated the East recently. Mizzou hadn't won a title in the XII or the Big Eight since a co title in 1969, my freshman year at OU. They did win a couple of north division titles, but they got smoked in the CCG's.

I guess you saw Vandy last weekend. And perhaps you saw what TCU did to Ole Miss last season. That was Ole Miss, who beat Alabama. UTenn is the one SEC program who will play anywhere. Georgia will some. And a 9-4 OSU beat 8-5 Georgia in Stillwater in the last ten years, while a Georgia team that went to the Sugar Bowl beat a 7-6 Cowboy team two years later.

OU has beaten Alabama the last three times we've played in the Stoops era, one in Norman, one in Tuscaloosa and one in New Oreans. So no, I don't concede your point.
You misunderstood me...I never said OU didn't win their titles on the field...they most certainly did...and deserved them. What I insinuated that playing teams like KSU, Kansas, OSU. Iowa St, Missouri, Colorado was much easier and set them up with their annual season ending game with Nebraska which was almost always for the Big 8 title and the trip to the Orange Bowl...they most certainly earned their way into national titles but even you will agree the road was much easier.
 

phillinois

New member
Mar 10, 2003
39,047
7,368
0
You misunderstood me...I never said OU didn't win their titles on the field...they most certainly did...and deserved them. What I insinuated that playing teams like KSU, Kansas, OSU. Iowa St, Missouri, Colorado was much easier and set them up with their annual season ending game with Nebraska which was almost always for the Big 8 title and the trip to the Orange Bowl...they most certainly earned their way into national titles but even you will agree the road was much easier.

You're probably right. It was a whole different animal then.
OU and all the other rich schools could have 130 guys on full schollys, not because we necessarily wanted them all as much as we wanted to keep them from going to Texas, Nebraska, USC, et al.

What a glorious time that was.
 

Bigred91

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2005
30,719
1,351
113
Jake, until around 10 yrs ago, the SEC wasn't anything special. Certainly no better than the Big XII with OU, Texas, and Nebraska headlining.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mojo1fan and da wiz

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
Jake, until around 10 yrs ago, the SEC wasn't anything special. Certainly no better than the Big XII with OU, Texas, and Nebraska headlining.
No it wasn't...but then again neither was anyone else. Game has changed...it is now the era of the "super conference".
 

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
You're probably right. It was a whole different animal then.
OU and all the other rich schools could have 130 guys on full schollys, not because we necessarily wanted them all as much as we wanted to keep them from going to Texas, Nebraska, USC, et al.

What a glorious time that was.
Colorado was only relevant while Bill McCartney was there...KSU only since the Old Man...OSU just in the Big 12 days...Iowa State has never been relevant at all. Mizzou since Pinkle. Kansas was horrible but was starting to come on when they had Fat Man...his firing was a PC joke. I mean for yelling at kids? Geez Butch would have already been gone...so would Saban. I mean how do you get rid of a coach that takes a pathetic doormat to an Orange Bowl win?
 

phillinois

New member
Mar 10, 2003
39,047
7,368
0
Colorado was only relevant while Bill McCartney was there...KSU only since the Old Man...OSU just in the Big 12 days...Iowa State has never been relevant at all. Mizzou since Pinkle. Kansas was horrible but was starting to come on when they had Fat Man...his firing was a PC joke. I mean for yelling at kids? Geez Butch would have already been gone...so would Saban. I mean how do you get rid of a coach that takes a pathetic doormat to an Orange Bowl win?

Man, you are well read on Big 8, Big 12 material.
 
  • Like
Reactions: da wiz and azjimbo

Raysor

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2002
633
7,442
93
There is no doubt that in the 50s, the Big 8 wasn't a great conference. (post edit: In the 50s, it was called the Big 7. In 1960, when OSU joined, it became the Big 8) It's part of why OU went a decade without a single conference loss. But that ended as soon as Bob Devaney got to Nebraska. My junior year, the Big 8 with fewer teams had the top three teams in the final voting. OU played Nebraska on Thanksgiving day, both undefeated and in the Game of the Century, lost 35-31. That Saturday, Alabama beat Auburn when both were undefeated. OU killed Auburn and their Heisman winner in the Sugar Bowl. It was 40-22, but 31-0 at half and we were playing third team guys in the fourth quarter. The Huskers beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl 40-6. Colorado, who lost by four touchdowns to both of us, won that year in Baton Rouge and Columbus Ohio, part of the reason they ended up third in the final poll. The SEC hasn't done that.

And again, we play every team in OUr conference still. UTenn this season doesn't play Auburn, LSU, A&M or either Mississippi school. So while your conference has a lot of tough teams, you play less than half of the best teams.

Alabama plays Louisiana Monroe, Middle Tennessee and Charleston Southern. They don't play South Carolina, Florida or Mizzou. Still a quality schedule, but lots of breathing room too. The idea that the schedules are killers just is a bit of an overestimation. And then you go play a home game in a bowl game. So with all due respect, I believe the SEC is severely overrated.
 
Last edited:

mojo1fan

New member
Apr 28, 2002
7,496
2,688
0
Mizzou since Pinkle.

I appreciate your Big 8 / Big 12 analysis. But this is the 2nd time you've lifted Pinkle up on a pedestal in the past week. Do you realize that poor old Mizzou could never get over the hump in the Big XII and never dazzled the national sportswriters until going to the SEC? I think that says more about playing the lower 70% of the SEC than it does Pinkle's greatness.
 

ETU

New member
Feb 5, 2003
58,648
4,720
0
I appreciate your Big 8 / Big 12 analysis. But this is the 2nd time you've lifted Pinkle up on a pedestal in the past week. Do you realize that poor old Mizzou could never get over the hump in the Big XII and never dazzled the national sportswriters until going to the SEC? I think that says more about playing the lower 70% of the SEC than it does Pinkle's greatness.


This is a curious fact. However, I feel Missouri's success in the SEC has run it's course. Back to the Future!
 

azjimbo

New member
Feb 27, 2011
80,032
169
0
I appreciate your Big 8 / Big 12 analysis. But this is the 2nd time you've lifted Pinkle up on a pedestal in the past week. Do you realize that poor old Mizzou could never get over the hump in the Big XII and never dazzled the national sportswriters until going to the SEC? I think that says more about playing the lower 70% of the SEC than it does Pinkle's greatness.
I think Pinkle has done a great job but his 2 SEC East championships occurred while UT and FL were both down. Georgia year in and year out has great talent but Mark Richt always manages to lose games he should win...thus he has allowed Mizzou to win with what I consider to be better and more opportunistic coaching.
 

csregor

New member
Oct 18, 2005
44,992
957
0
If I'm not mistaken there has only be one occasion when a single conference was rated First, Second and Third Nationally at the end of a season....about 73 or so...Nebraska, OU and Colorado.
 
  • Like
Reactions: phillinois

phillinois

New member
Mar 10, 2003
39,047
7,368
0
If I'm not mistaken there has only be one occasion when a single conference was rated First, Second and Third Nationally at the end of a season....about 73 or so...Nebraska, OU and Colorado.

Actually Scottsdale, you're thinking of 1974, where OU ran the table at 11-0, Nebraska 10-2 and Colorado went 9-3. The Big 8 was a beastly thing then.

Would have had an easy bowl game to win but alas, OU was on probation.
Eff that, we still got credit for the Natty title.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mojo1fan

csregor

New member
Oct 18, 2005
44,992
957
0
Thanks fitty...I'm actually surprised I only missed it by one year. Those were blurry years for me.
 

hbilskie

New member
Jul 3, 2012
3,540
64
0
I like women's basketball. My third favorite college sport behind Sooner football and softball. UTenn has been an elite women's program forever. But you were talking about football traditions.

He was referring specifically to the "Running Through the T," as it is known. It is a great tradition. I don't believe any program has a better entrance for its team to take the field to start the game.

As for overall football tradition, one reason we are so excited about tomorrow is that you all are one of the handful of teams (around 8) that has a better tradition than we do. I've been attending games in Neyland Stadium since '77 and the only visitors we've had on your level are Alabama and Notre Dame. It should be fun.
 

bdshull2001

New member
Dec 21, 2005
2,352
5,150
0
He was referring specifically to the "Running Through the T," as it is known. It is a great tradition. I don't believe any program has a better entrance for its team to take the field to start the game.

As for overall football tradition, one reason we are so excited about tomorrow is that you all are one of the handful of teams (around 8) that has a better tradition than we do. I've been attending games in Neyland Stadium since '77 and the only visitors we've had on your level are Alabama and Notre Dame. It should be fun.

How about the cadets and midshipmen marching into the Army/Navy game? Now that's a tradition we can all live with..................
 

hbilskie

New member
Jul 3, 2012
3,540
64
0
Here is one of my few YouTube uploads. The Running Through the T last week. Awesome, but it will be incredible tomorrow.

 

Bushman

New member
Aug 5, 2001
2,815
135
0
Actually Scottsdale, you're thinking of 1974, where OU ran the table at 11-0, Nebraska 10-2 and Colorado went 9-3. The Big 8 was a beastly thing then.

Would have had an easy bowl game to win but alas, OU was on probation.
Eff that, we still got credit for the Natty title.
Actually it was 1971 when NU ended the year #1, OU was #2 and Colorado was #3.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bdshull2001

hbilskie

New member
Jul 3, 2012
3,540
64
0
BTW, regarding our T, way back in the day when we had our locker room on the 50, the Vols would take the field through the base of the T and flow out both sides of the cross bar. (There is video on You Tube!) It's not as spectacular anymore, but it is still the best in the biz!
 

Raysor

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2002
633
7,442
93
Colorado was only relevant while Bill McCartney was there...KSU only since the Old Man...OSU just in the Big 12 days...Iowa State has never been relevant at all. Mizzou since Pinkle. Kansas was horrible but was starting to come on when they had Fat Man...his firing was a PC joke. I mean for yelling at kids? Geez Butch would have already been gone...so would Saban. I mean how do you get rid of a coach that takes a pathetic doormat to an Orange Bowl win?

Not at all. Long after McCartney left, Gary Barnett had them in the XII title game multiple times and they won one, in 2001, when a Colorado loss would have sent their opponent, Texas, to the NC game.

And the year I referenced earlier, 1971, Colorado was number three in the country and the Buffs were coached by for OU quarterback, Eddie Crowder. Colorado came the closest during OUr 47 game winning streak, but ending it, but Bud's team came from more than two touchdowns behind to win. I think it was 27-19, over OU's NC beat team of Bud's era. A year later, three weeks before the Domers broke the streak, OU beat Colorado by a point in Norman. Yet a fourth different head coach.

And they've had some other years when they were good with other HC's, which I think is the real measure. Now in the last decade, they've sucked. And in the PAC ##, they figure to, for a while. Pretty foolish for you to say that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: da wiz

da wiz

New member
Dec 22, 2002
28,192
3,377
0
Not at all. Long after McCartney left, Gary Barnett had them in the XII title game multiple times and they won one, in 2001, when a Colorado loss would have sent their opponent, Texas, to the NC game.

And the year I referenced earlier, 1971, Colorado was number three in the country and the Buffs were coached by for OU quarterback, Eddie Crowder. Colorado came the closest during OUr 47 game winning streak, but ending it, but Bud's team came from more than two touchdowns behind to win. I think it was 27-19, over OU's NC beat team of Bud's era. A year later, three weeks before the Domers broke the streak, OU beat Colorado by a point in Norman. Yet a fourth different head coach.

And they've had some other years when they were good with other HC's, which I think is the real measure. Now in the last decade, they've sucked. And in the PAC ##, they figure to, for a while. Pretty foolish for you to say that.

October 31, 1958...The OU Players Wives were bussed to the Santa Fe Depot, in OKC, where we boarded a train bound for Denver. It was an overnight trip and none of us had ever taken one, before, so the Pullman Compartments were quite a novelty. We arrived on a beautiful, sunny November morning, then were bussed to Boulder, to Folsom Field, an awesome facility, carved out of stone. Contrary to traditional stadiums, we entered Folsom on ground level, then walked DOWN to our seats.

There was CONSIDERABLE Concern, among the Coaches and Players about the '58 Buffs...They had Boyd Dowler, and John Wooten, both highly touted players, who could potentially lead Colorado to a 'W' over the Sooners. The Stakes were high...The Winner of this game would also be the Big 7 Champs and would be rewarded with a trip to the Orange Bowl. All of the wives were dreaming of that trip...10 Days on Miami Beach in the middle of an Oklahoma Winter would be Heaven for us...

The Game got off to a favorable start with a quick TD, and then another. The fans relaxed, sat back and enjoyed a 27-3 Victory and the Coveted Big 7 Championship Trophy!

The flight to Miami, first flight for many of us, the Holiday in Miami and an OB Victory, over Syracuse, was a 'Honeymoon' for several couples who had gotten married just in time for the wives to make the trip...

That Season, Colorado was the most 'Feared' opponent on the schedule...Victory was Sweet!