Oklahoma didn’t have the year they wanted to have by any stretch of the imagination. They lost to their in-state rival, failed to make a NY6 bowl game, and lost the bowl game they ended up playing against a future Big 12 school.
Despite the last two years not meeting their expectations, to pretend that they’re going to the SEC will not affect the Big 12 is unrealistic. Also, Oklahoma and Texas indirectly caused the fall of the Pac 12, which strengthened the Big 12’s overall position.
With that, below is just some of the legacy and impact the Sooners will leave on the Big 12.
Oklahoma Dominated Conference Titles
The Big 12 has had 27 conference championships, and Oklahoma has won 14. Most recently, the Sooners won six straight championships from 2015 to 2020. Even more impressive, the Sooners went 10-1 in Big 12 Conference Championship games (from 2011 to 2016, there was no conference championship game).
Most recently, fans will remember the 2019 Big 12 Championship Game that featured Oklahoma (11-1) and Baylor (11-1) going against each other in a rematch that had already seen the Sooners beat the Bears following a 25-point comeback. The game went as one would think a game between two 11-1 teams would go and was decided in overtime.
The Sooners Became a QB Factory
The Big 12 conference is known for prolific offenses, and Oklahoma tops the list. The first big name was Josh Heupel, who played from 1999 to 2000 and is credited for ushering in the air-raid system under Bob Stoops. He was followed by Jason White, who won the Heisman as a quarterback for the Sooners.
The Sooners continued their outstanding QB play with Sam Bradford from 2007-2009, which saw them go to the National Championship Game and lose to Tim Tebow in the 2008-09 season.
Later, other OU greats, including Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and most recently, Dillon Gabriel, continued leading the Big 12 in passing statistics and many different offensive categories.
In total, four quarterbacks have won the Heisman trophy (White, Bradford, Murray, and Mayfield) since they joined the Big 12.
Post Season Success
Oklahoma won the first National Championship for the Big 12 in 2000 when they beat Florida State in a low-scoring 13-2 game. The Sooners also played in the National Championship game in 2003, 2004, and 2008 and played in the College Football Playoff in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020, although they never advanced past the semi-final stage.
For some, they may view Oklahoma as unable to get over the hump, considering they were only one for eight in opportunities to win a national championship, but at the same time, the fact they even had eight chances to win, says a lot and shows how good they were in the regular season.
Aside from playing for National Championships, the Sooners went on to win 11 bowl games, including winning the Sugar Bowl twice, the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Cotton Bowl.
Future of the Big 12
There is not a single brand coming into the Big 12 that will be able to cover the space that Oklahoma will be leaving individually. When people think of Big 12 football, they think of Oklahoma Football. The conference hopes that the addition of the eight new teams will collectively make up for the loss of Oklahoma and Texas. With the new rivalries and national reach these eight teams will bring, they likely will make up the difference.
The fact it takes eight teams to make up that difference goes to show how big of brand Oklahoma is.