How Bob Stoops’ Second-Year Masterpiece in 2000 Resurrected Oklahoma Football and Delivered a Perfect Season and National Championship
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team delivered one of the most remarkable and unexpected national championship runs in college football history. Led by head coach Bob Stoops, who was only in his second year at the helm in Norman, the Sooners completed a perfect 13-0 season, capturing the BCS National Championship and restoring Oklahoma football to the elite ranks of the sport after a prolonged period of mediocrity.
Stoops inherited a proud program that had fallen on hard times since its last national title in 1985. Prior to his arrival, the Sooners had suffered five consecutive non-winning seasons and had become a shadow of the powerhouse that had once ruled the college football landscape under legends like Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer. But in just two seasons, Stoops engineered a complete cultural and competitive transformation. His 2000 squad did not just win—they dominated, announcing the full-fledged return of Oklahoma football.
At the center of Oklahoma’s resurgence was senior quarterback Josh Heupel, a cerebral and poised leader who ran the Sooners’ high-octane spread offense to near perfection. A junior college transfer who had joined the team in 1999, Heupel blossomed under offensive coordinator Mark Mangino’s guidance. He threw for 3,606 yards and 20 touchdowns that season, finishing as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting to Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke. Heupel’s quick decision-making, accurate arm, and calm presence gave the Sooners the edge they needed to execute Stoops’ vision for an aggressive and relentless offense.
But it wasn’t just Heupel’s offense that powered Oklahoma’s run—it was a defense that played with ferocity, speed, and swagger. Linebacker Rocky Calmus, a hard-nosed native Oklahoman, and safety Roy Williams, whose instinct and physicality would later become NFL trademarks, led a unit that often overwhelmed opponents with its intensity. Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, Bob’s brother, constructed a fast and attacking scheme that kept quarterbacks on edge and punished teams that dared to test the secondary or run between the tackles.
Oklahoma’s season began with relatively modest expectations but quickly turned into a campaign of growing momentum. The Sooners opened with three non-conference wins before entering a brutal three-game stretch that would test their legitimacy. First came the Red River Rivalry against No. 11 Texas in Dallas—a matchup that turned into an unforgettable display of dominance. The Sooners dismantled the Longhorns 63-14, making a loud national statement. It was not only the biggest margin of victory over Texas in the rivalry since 1908, but also a turning point in the perception of Stoops’ team. Oklahoma was not just good; it was a national title contender.
Next came back-to-back wins over top-ranked Nebraska and No. 2 Kansas State, cementing the Sooners’ status as the best team in the country. Against Nebraska, Oklahoma rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to win 31-14, shutting out the Cornhuskers over the final three quarters. The victory catapulted the Sooners to No. 1 in the polls, a position they would not relinquish for the rest of the season. One week later, in a raucous environment in Manhattan, Kansas, the Sooners edged Kansas State 41-31 in a back-and-forth thriller that tested their grit and endurance. Surviving that gauntlet confirmed that Oklahoma’s success was no fluke.
The rest of the regular season played out with the Sooners taking care of business, not overlooking any opponents despite their rising fame and pressure. They closed the regular season undefeated and then beat Kansas State again in the Big 12 Championship Game, 27-24, in another tight contest. That victory set up a BCS title showdown in the Orange Bowl against Florida State—a program with unmatched pedigree at the time, coached by Bobby Bowden and led by the Heisman-winning quarterback Weinke.
Pundits widely expected a shootout between two high-powered offenses, but what unfolded was a defensive masterclass by Oklahoma. The Sooners completely stifled the Seminoles, holding them without an offensive point in a stunning 13-2 victory. Florida State’s only score came on a safety after a bad snap by Oklahoma’s punter. The Sooners’ defense harassed Weinke into two interceptions and constant discomfort, while the offense did just enough to maintain control. Oklahoma’s lone touchdown came in the third quarter on a Quentin Griffin run, but it was the defense that etched its place in history that night. Florida State, which entered the game averaging more than 42 points per game, was shut out for the first time in over a decade. The win not only secured the national title but also capped one of the most impressive defensive performances ever seen in a BCS bowl.
The significance of Oklahoma’s 2000 season extended far beyond the trophy they lifted in Miami. It was a symbolic return to national prominence for a program that had long been among the sport’s most prestigious but had fallen into irrelevance during the 1990s. Bob Stoops’ revival of the Sooners was not built on shortcuts or gimmicks but on a foundation of disciplined coaching, smart recruiting, and a modernized approach to the game. He reconnected the program with its tradition while propelling it into a new era.
In the years that followed, Stoops maintained Oklahoma’s position among the national elite, winning multiple Big 12 titles and appearing in several BCS bowls and College Football Playoff games. The 2000 championship laid the groundwork for two decades of consistent excellence. And for fans in Norman and across the state, it provided a moment of pride and unity that still resonates. It was more than a perfect season—it was a rebirth.
Josh Heupel, whose performance that season would eventually lead him into coaching, later returned to Oklahoma as an assistant and is now the head coach at Tennessee, continuing to spread the offensive philosophy that helped him thrive in 2000. Roy Williams went on to become one of the NFL’s hardest-hitting safeties, and Rocky Calmus also played at the next level, though injuries limited his professional career. But no matter what came afterward, their legacy was cemented in that magical season.
The 2000 Sooners are remembered not just for what they won, but for how they won. They were fast, physical, and fearless. They didn’t rely on past glories or settle for moral victories. They went out and beat the best, week after week, culminating in a championship that restored Oklahoma’s name to the top of the college football mountain.
In the rich history of college football, few stories are more dramatic or more satisfying than Oklahoma’s perfect 2000 season. From the ashes of decline rose a champion, and from the vision of a young head coach came a team that captured the hearts of its fans and the attention of the nation. The Sooners weren’t just back—they were better than ever.
