Passing has become the norm in modern football.
Over the last decade, the spread offense has taken college football by storm. In 1987, the average points per game scored in college football was 23.2. By 2013 it had already risen to 29.17, primarily due to the increase in throwing the football.
ESPN recently released their 25 most important games in revolutionizing the spread offense. Oklahoma held five of those spots.
The Sooners first game pivotal to the emergence of the spread offense was the Red River Rivalry in 2000. Newly hired offensive coordinator Mike Leach helped his quarterback to 275 passing yards, and running back Quentin Griffin scored six touchdowns to lead Oklahoma over Texas 63-14.
In 2008, Oklahoma had another big performance using the spread against Texas Tech. With Kevin Wilson at offensive coordinator, the 2008 Sooners averaged 48 ppg, and hit their stride against the Red Raiders beating them 65-21.
Oklahoma first loss on the list comes in 2009, when Florida beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the orange Bowl to claim the national championship. Both the Gators and Sooners were early adopters of the spread, but a seven minute 76-yard touchdown drive sealed the game for Florida.
In 2013, Baylor handed Oklahoma its worst loss in their series history with a 41-12 smackdown. The Bears came into the game averaging an astounding 69 points per game and 9.0 yards per play.
Oklahoma’s matchup against Texas Tech in 2016 will long live in the annals of offense. Oklahoma ended up on top 66-59, but the teams combined for 1,702 yards. Baker Mayfield threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns, and Patrick Mahomes, a now-NFL MVL and Super Bowl MVP, completed 52 of his whopping 88 attempts.