OU football: Most shocking defeats

We’re about seven hours from kickoff of the only thing that can soothe fans’ shock of OU’s loss to Texas Tech: another ballgame. But before OU-Tech is not the most recent game in Sooner history, let’s try to put it into context for the most stunning defeat in Sooner history. Here’s my list of the 10 biggest shockers in Sooner history:

1. 2001: OSU 16, OU 13, at Norman. Sooners were on course for the national title game until this Thanksgiving Saturday loss to a 3-7 team.

2. 1957: Notre Dame 7, OU 0, at Norman. The idea of defeat — to anyone — long had left Norman during what became a 47-game winning streak. Then Dick Lynch scored around right end late in the game, and the Sooners returned to reality.

3. 1975: Kansas 23, OU 3, at Norman. It wasn’t so much that KU wasn’t capable — the Jayhawks were 5-3 — but the Sooners had a 28-game winning streak and Barry Switzer never had lost as a head coach.

4. 1959: Northwestern 45, OU 13, at Evanston, Ill. The Wildcats had gone 9-17-1 in Ara Parseghian’s first three years as coach. The Sooners had seven losses total the previous 10 years, by a combined 30 points. Then Northwestern won by 32.

5. 1977: Arkansas 31, OU 6, at Miami. Strange to think you couldn’t lose an Orange Bowl, but the Razorbacks suspended three marquee players for the game, the Sooners were on a roll and in national championship contention, and OU was a 19-point favorite back when 19 points was a lot.

6. 1976: OSU 31, OU 24, at Norman. The Cowboys proved to be an excellent team, tying for the Big Eight title, but nobody knew it then. They were 3-2; the Sooners were 37-1-2 under Switzer coming into this game. But the Cowboys scored the game’s final 18 points.