Oklahoma football notebook: Josh Heupel compares 2000, 2012 teams

The quarterback on that national championship Oklahoma team, Josh Heupel, is now the Sooners' co-offensive coordinator, and he was asked after Oklahoma's 52-7 rout of Kansas to compare the 2000 team with this year's squad.

“That team in 2000 struggled early and was fortunate enough to find ways to win ball games,” Heupel said. “Got better as the year went along. Got hot. Was highly competitive throughout the year in the way they approached practice every day and how they performed on Saturdays.

“This team, we are getting better every week. We've made strides.”

When Nebraska visited Norman in late October 2000, it was ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings, and Oklahoma was second. The Cornhuskers quickly took a 14-0 lead, but Oklahoma scored 24 second-quarter points and added a defensive score in the third to win 31-14.

Saturday's Notre Dame game has a similar feel — late October, top-10 matchup and a traditional power visiting OU.

Plus, the Irish represent one of Heupel's losses he never had an opportunity to avenge. Oklahoma lost 34-31 at Notre Dame in 1999, Stoops' first season as coach and Heupel's junior season, his first as OU's quarterback.