Tag: Brian Bosworth

Oklahoma Sooners ranked as a top 5 college football program of all-time by Sports Illustrated

The Sooners are considered apart of the elite in college football. So much so they are ranked in the top 5 according to Sports Illustrated.

The Oklahoma Sooners have long been thought to be among the elite in college football. Where they rank exactly depends on who you ask, but nonetheless, they are a true “blue blood” of the sport.

Sports Illustrated created a list of the top 10 college football programs of all-time, and the Sooners came in at No. 3.

OU is also 1st all-time with 7 Heisman Trophy winners in addition to a record 50 conference championships, while posting the 3rd most weeks in the AP poll (898), and 4th most NFL Draft selections (414), and is 5th in win percentage and 6th in all-time wins and All-Americans. – James Parks

But even still, Oklahoma has been great historically. They’ve only had one down decade since the 1950s. Outside of that, they’ve been a team near the top just about every single season.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t susceptible to a bad season, but overall, they are a model of consistency within the sport. Now, we’ll see if they can get back to the top of the mountain.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

The Boz among those who would have benefitted the most from NIL

With NIL being as massive as it is now, CBSSports looks back at what former players could have benefitted the most.

The name, image and likeness (NIL) era has taken over college football. Some fans love it but others hate it and are ready for it to be gone.

Unfortunately for those fans, NIL appears to be here for the long haul. This offseason particularly proved to be a wild ride with NIL. You are seeing teams like [autotag]Ole Miss[/autotag] or [autotag]Missouri[/autotag] using NIL heavily to plug some holes to try to make a deep run next year.

We know about the stars today and can usually get a rough estimate about how much they are getting from NIL but that got CBSSports thinking. What former stars would have benefitted the most from NIL? One of those is Oklahoma Sooners legend, [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag].

The conversation mostly focused on those years in the 1990s and 2000s that tracked with college football’s explosion in the national consciousness, but Tom Fornelli delivered an excellent assessment of how the two-time All-American from Oklahoma could have benefited from the NIL era. “Brian Bosworth was a social media superstar 40 years before social media existed,” Tom Fornelli said. Yes, with wild hair and vocal opposition to the NCAA, you could say that “The Boz” created trending topics before we were tracking such things. He controlled the conversation, created intrigue in his off-field endeavors as well his on-field success, and he would have gotten plenty of financial opportunities through NIL throughout the state of Oklahoma. – Chip Patterson CBSSports

Bosworth was a marketing genius. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it. I’d argue he might have benefitted the most from NIL because we really haven’t seen anyone be able to market themselves as well as he did. He would have been in just about every local commercial as would have had a number of public appearances. Just think about the amount of “the sight of burnt orange makes me puke” shirts that would be sold.
I know I’d buy one.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Social Media Reacts: Danny Stutsman announces return to Sooners for 2024

Danny Stutsman broke the internet with the announcement of his return to the Oklahoma Sooners for 2024 and here’s how social media reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners got huge news on Monday when Danny Stutsman announced his return for the 2024 season. With Stutsman and Billy Bowman returning for 2024, the Sooners have their two best defenders from 2023 coming back.

Stutsman, a first-team All-Big 12 selection and AP third-team All-American will anchor a defense that improved dramatically in 2023 and has the young talent that could help it take another step in 2024.

In his announcement, Stutsman fully leaned into his relationship with Sooners legend [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag], who made a cameo in his announcement video that took social media by storm.

As the Sooners prepare for the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag] and then the offseason, they can feel even more confident about the direction the team is heading as it embarks on its first season in the SEC.

Danny Stutsman was one of the best linebackers in college football in 2023 and will be on the shortlist for every major defensive award in 2024.

As we revel in Stutsman’s return, let’s take a look at some of the best social media reactions from his announcement.

Danny Stutsman named to the 2023 Butkus Award watch list

Oklahoma’s heart and soul of its defense has made the watch list for one of the most prestigious awards in college football.

Danny Stutsman had one of the more positive seasons for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022.

He was playing his best football at the end of the season but due to lack of depth, he would wear out late in games. Stutsman led the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] in tackles.

Part of that was running away with the snaps lead as well. That should change with the “competitive depth” at that position.

Stutsman has also stepped into a leadership role. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said he’s led several player-led practices before fall camp.

Many people think a big year is in store and anything short of an All-Big 12 team would be a disappointment. Stutsman finished with 125 tackles, 10.5 for loss and three sacks. He also added two interceptions.

Those numbers have him on the [autotag]2023 Butkus Award[/autotag] preseason watch list given to the nation’s top linebacker. He would be the first Sooner to win the award since 2003.

The Sooners have four winners in its program’s history. [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] and [autotag]Rocky Calmus[/autotag] won the award once and [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag] was the first winner in 1985. He won the award twice and remains the only two-time winner ever.

So, with a great season, Stutsman has the chance to join an elite group of players. But it’s something many think he could accomplish.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Where did Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s decade rankings since 1920?

ESPN’s Bill Connelly took a look back over the last 100 years using SP+ to determine the teams of each decade. How did the Sooners fair?

A new offseason ranking is just another example of how good Oklahoma’s football program has been each decade since the 1920s.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly went back and ranked the top 10 programs (ESPN+) of each decade and the Sooners faired fairly well, finishing in the top 10 six out of the 11 decades.

Starting with the 1920s, I looked at which teams most thoroughly dominated the sport from decade to decade, using SP+ percentile averages for each team and each decade. How much do these lists change over the decades? What can these averages tell us about how things have evolved over the past 100 years and how much things are evolving now? – Connelly, ESPN

But where did they finish in each decade?

Brian Bosworth loves the new Oklahoma Sooners defense

Oklahoma legend Brian Bosworth thinks highly of the new and improved Sooners defense under Brent Venables

The Boz is a big fan of the direction Brent Venables is taking the Oklahoma Sooners on the defensive side of the ball.

Brian Bosworth, the two-time Butkus Award winning linebacker and member of the 1985 national champion Sooners, has always had a lot to say, and he had nothing but good things to say about OU’s new head coach.

They Are swarming. I have not seen that in an Oklahoma football game since Brent Venables was the defensive coordinator back in the early 2000s. It just makes me giggle because I just love it. – Brian Bosworth

While it’s difficult to picture Bosworth openly giggling at anything, that’s just how much fun this new and improved Oklahoma defense is.

Last week, Bosworth made an appearance on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff where he, of course, trolled Nebraska fans.

When asked what he remembers about coming to Lincoln in his playing days, Bosworth gave a simple answer.

“Winning.”

The Huskers fans in the background gave a hearty “go big red” chant in the background along with a “we want Urban” chant during Bosworth’s segment.

During Lincoln Riley’s tenure as Oklahoma’s head coach, OU became known more for their offense as opposed to the punishing defenses of the past, particularly the ones that Bosworth was a part of.

For alumni like Bosworth to speak so positively of the direction the program is going so soon into Venables’ tenure is a testament to how well-respected Venables is along with the–so far–good results on the field.

[listicle id=71943]

[mm-video type=video id=01gdgcdbx3vd0nyemrta playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gdgcdbx3vd0nyemrta/01gdgcdbx3vd0nyemrta-084b401e9709775ada8ba3a8da822507.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

A look back at Oklahoma-Nebraska through the years in fantastic still images

A look back at the Oklahoma-Nebraska matchup through some fantastic still photos.

It’s a rivalry that, at one point in time, was as big as any in college football. Though conference realignment put a damper on the once-great matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Nebraska Cornhuskers, the fervor and excitement are still strong.

The two teams, along with several other Big 8 members, joined forces with the Texas Longhorns and a contingent from the old Southwest Conference to form the Big 12. The Sooners and Cornhuskers went from playing annually (from 1921 to 1997) to a rotating schedule as the two teams were placed in different divisions.

The Sooners and Cornhuskers renew a rivalry that dates back to the first matchup, a 12-9 Nebraska win in 1912. From 1919 to 1941, the Cornhuskers held a commanding edge in the rivalry with a record of 15-3-3. Oklahoma’s gone 42-23 since 1943, which happened to be the start of the longest win streak in the series. Overall, Oklahoma holds a 46-38-3 record.

2021 saw the renewal of one of the great rivalries in all of college football with Oklahoma’s 23-16 win over the Cornhuskers. Now, Oklahoma makes its first trip to Lincoln since a 10-3 loss in Bo Pelini’s second season as the Cornhuskers head coach.

Get set for Oklahoma’s return trip to Lincoln as we go Behind Enemy Lines with Cornhuskers Wire to learn more about Nebraska and take a look through these fantastic photos below.

Oklahoma football all-time roster: Defensive starters and backups

See which legends of defense made the cut in our all-time Oklahoma Sooners football roster.

The Oklahoma Sooners have put together some of the more vaunted defenses in college football history. In addition to having some of the best units in the nation, the Sooners had some of the more iconic players in the sport run roughshod over their opponents.

From Lee Roy Selmon to Roy Williams, Oklahoma’s been a terror on the gridiron throughout the years.

As it was choosing the Oklahoma Sooners’ all-time offense, narrowing down defensive linemen and linebackers was a challenge as the Sooners have produced some incredibly talented players in the front seven.

For more coverage on the Oklahoma Sooners, check out SoonersWire.com. Many of the historical stats can be found at SoonerSports.com.

Check out our other College Wire all-time defenses: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC

Oklahoma linebacker David Ugwoegbu named to Butkus Award watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, linebacker David Ugwoegbu was named to the 2022 Butkus Award watch list. Oklahoma is tied with Alabama for the most all-time.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a rich tradition at the linebacker position and in 2022 have a chance to add to their history of [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] winners as David Ugwoegbu was named to the award watch list for 2022.

Legend from the 1980s, [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag], was the first recipient of the collegiate award and the only two-time winner of the Butkus. Since the award was first handed out to “The Boz” in 1985, the Oklahoma Sooners are tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the most Butkus Award winners at four.

[autotag]Rocky Calmus[/autotag] and [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] also received the award as part of Oklahoma’s dominant defensive teams of the early 2000s.

[autotag]Caleb Kelly[/autotag], now a member of the program’s S.O.U.L. Mission, was a high school recipient of the Butkus Award.

Heading into 2022, Ugweogbu will be relied upon to fill the void left by Brian Asamoah, who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2021, Ugwoegbu played just the 11th-most snaps on the Oklahoma Sooners defense yet finished sixth in tackles.

The Linebacker room for the Oklahoma Sooners is deep heading into 2022, and Ugwoegbu will have to find a way to differentiate himself from a group featuring DaShaun White, Danny Stutsman, and T.D. Roof. Incoming freshman Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie, and Kip Lewis might also factor into the linebacker rotation, especially early in the season.

With Ugwoegbu’s length and athleticism, he has the potential to be fantastic for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022. With Brent Venables and Ted Roof coaching the linebackers, this could be Ugwoegbu’s best season as a Sooner.

[vertical-gallery id=60787]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Oklahoma Sooners football helmets through the years

A look at the helmets that the Oklahoma Sooners have worn over the years.

The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the most storied histories in college football. They’ve been one of the most successful teams in the sport with seven national championships, 50 conference championships, and seven Heisman trophy winners.

Their interlocking “OU” is one of the more iconic logos in college football as well, but it hasn’t always been adorned on the side of Oklahoma’s helmets. The first iteration of the interlocking logo showed up in 1966. However, the style that we’ve all known made its debut in the 1967 season.

Though here have been slight alterations, the crimson helmet with the interlocking “OU” has been the primary look for the Oklahoma Sooners for nearly 60 years.

During the Bob Stoops era, Oklahoma began toying around with alternate uniforms and throwbacks with varying degrees of success.

In the 2003 season opener, the Sooners wore a white throwback helmet, a look from the early 1960s, against UNT and won 37-3 to start the season. The only other time Oklahoma used that throwback helmet was in a 2009 road game against Texas Tech. That matchup didn’t fair so well for the Sooners who were blown out in Lubbock 41-13. We haven’t seen the throwback helmet since.

Instead, the Sooners have taken the white helmet look and added the interlocking “OU” to the throwback helmet. That debuted in 2014 along with a metallic crimson and cream look.

The white helmet with crimson stripe is what the Sooners were wearing on that magical night in Waco where Jalen Hurts led them back from a 28-3 second-quarter deficit to beat the Bears and stay in playoff contention.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had some fantastic looks over the years, but nothing beats the traditional crimson helmet with the interlocking “OU.” It’s a look as identifiable as college football itself and will stand the test of time.

Let’s take a look at Oklahoma helmets over the years.