Since its inception, Oklahoma has dominated the Big XII. No other school in the conference can compare with the success the Sooners have enjoyed. Clearly, this is backed up with statistics and championships. Now, let’s look at the reasons behind the Oklahoma Sooners domination of the Big XII.
Oklahoma Sooners Domination of the Big XII
Conference Championships
Oklahoma has dominated the Big XII Conference and championships are where the Sooners separate themselves from the rest of the conference. The Sooners have won or shared 12 conference titles since the Big XII was formed. Texas has three conference titles, while no other team has more than two. Kansas State, Nebraska, and Baylor each have two conference titles. Texas A&M, TCU, and Oklahoma State each have one title. It’s a no-contest as far as championships are concerned.
| School | Championships | Years |
| Oklahoma Sooners | 12 | 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2012 2015 2016 2017 2018 |
| Texas Longhorns | 3 | 1996 2005 2009 |
| Baylor Bears | 2 | 2013 2014 |
| Kansas State Wildcats | 2 | 2003 2012 |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers‡ | 2 | 1997 1999 |
| TCU Horned Frogs | 1 | 2014 |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | 1 | 2011 |
| Colorado Buffalos‡ | 1 | 2001 |
| Texas A&M Aggies‡ | 1 | 1998 |
Conference Records
Obviously, Oklahoma’s record speaks for itself. Not just in championships but also overall conference wins as well as winning percentage. Oklahoma leads the conference with a winning percentage of .756 and a conference record of 146-47. The next closest in winning percentage is Nebraska at .675. But of course, Nebraska is well behind in wins with only 81 due to an early exit with conference realignment. Texas trails Oklahoma in every statistical category. Texas is second with a conference record of 130-63, a winning percentage of .674. No other school is really very close.
The Reason for Oklahoma’s Domination
There are several conditions that have factored into the Sooner’s success during the Big XII era. The major factor is the stability of the coaching staff, primarily the head coach. Bob Stoops took over as the head coach at Oklahoma in 1999, the fourth year of the Big XII. Lincoln Riley succeeded Stoops in 2017. In the 20 years under these two coaches, Oklahoma has garnered 12 Big XII championships.
The University of Oklahoma has done a good job of upgrading facilities, including training areas, dorm facilities, and numerous stadium upgrades.
All of this ties into the lifeblood of college football…recruiting. In the last 10 years, Oklahoma has consistently produced top 10 recruiting classes. The lowest-ranked class during this time was 16. However, they had several top-five classes. Texas has consistently ranked higher than Oklahoma in recruiting. So, why does Oklahoma consistently outperform Texas on the field? Clearly, it boils down to a number of factors. The first factor obviously is coaching and player development once they get on campus. Another factor is player evaluation, by coaches and or recruiting services.
Quarterback play is crucial in college football. More importantly, Oklahoma has had great success when it comes to developing great quarterbacks. Oklahoma has won a lot of games under the direction of great quarterbacks like Josh Heupel, Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray to name a few. Conversely, the years Oklahoma has struggled they had injuries or simply had subpar play from the quarterback position.
Who Can Challenge Oklahoma and Change the Current Trend?
Clearly, Oklahoma’s most serious rival is Texas. Oklahoma has a record of 14-10 against Texas in all Big XII games.
Many Oklahoma State followers feel Oklahoma’s biggest rival are the Cowboys. The record of these two schools during the Big XII is 17-7 in favor of the Sooners. That’s not really a challenger on a consistent basis.
The only other consistent challenger in recent years has been TCU, primarily due to good coaching from head coach Gary Patterson and the talent-rich area surrounding TCU.
Two other schools that could be challengers in the near future are Iowa State and Baylor. Both of these Universities have young, energetic, well-respected coaches. Most importantly, the key for both schools is if they be able to keep coaches Matt Campbell at Iowa State and Matt Rhule of Baylor. Because both of these coaches will be hot commodities in the near future if they continue to have success at their respective universities.
Is There Hope for Other Conference Members
There is always hope, that’s what’s great about college football. “There’s always next year!” Everything runs in cycles. It only takes one or two injuries at a key position, usually quarterback to change a season.
Therefore, it appears Oklahoma is still the team to beat in the Big XII. They are solidified at the top. There’s depth at the skilled positions, a lot of talent on offense, and hope for an improved defense.
Finally, the rest of the conference is just in a wait till next year mode until something changes at Oklahoma.
