CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1952 Oklahoma

8–⁠1–⁠1 (5–⁠0–⁠1 Big Seven), coached by Bud Wilkinson, finished No. 4 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Oklahoma in 1952, game by game: tied at Colorado 21–21; won vs. Pittsburgh 49–20; won vs. Texas 49–20; won at No. 8 Kansas 42–20; won vs. Kansas State 49–6; won at Iowa State 41–0; lost at No. 10 Notre Dame 21–27; won vs. Missouri 47–7; won vs. Nebraska 34–13; won at Oklahoma State 54–7+47−6Tied 21–21 at Colorado0ColoradoWon 49–20 vs. Pittsburgh+29PittsburghWon 49–20 vs. Texas+29TexasWon 42–20 at No. 8 Kansas+22No. 8 KansasWon 49–6 vs. Kansas State+43Kansas StateWon 41–0 at Iowa State+41Iowa StateLost 21–27 at No. 10 Notre Dame-6No. 10 Notre DameWon 47–7 vs. Missouri+40MissouriWon 34–13 vs. Nebraska+21NebraskaWon 54–7 at Oklahoma State+47Oklahoma State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 27atColoradoT 21–⁠2155%
Oct 4vsPittsburghW 49–⁠2078%
Oct 11vsTexasW 49–⁠2056%
Oct 18at8KansasW 42–⁠2049%
Oct 25vsKansas StateW 49–⁠694%
Nov 1atIowa StateW 41–⁠086%
Nov 8at10Notre DameL 21–⁠2754%
Nov 15vsMissouriW 47–⁠784%
Nov 22vsNebraskaW 34–⁠1388%
Nov 29atOklahoma StateW 54–⁠780%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Oklahoma State 54–⁠7; No. 4 in the final AP poll; Big Seven champions.

In program history: The 34th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 4
  2. Wk 2: 20
  3. Wk 3: 12
  4. Wk 4: 6
  5. Wk 5: 3
  6. Wk 6: 3
  7. Wk 7: 4
  8. Wk 8: 8
  9. Wk 9: 5
  10. Wk 10: 4
  11. Final: 4

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1952.

Big Seven champions5–⁠0–⁠1 in the conference

Heisman TrophyBill Vessels, RB

Consensus All-AmericanBill Vessels, RB

Record
8–⁠1–⁠1
Conference
5–⁠0–⁠1 first in Big Seven
AP final
No. 4 peak No. 3
Points
407–⁠141
Coach
Bud Wilkinson
Elo
1757 +98 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
27.8 No. 2 of 113 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captains
Tom Catlin and Eddie Crowder

All-Big Seven

8 first team, 2 second team

First team

  • Max BoydstonEAP-1; UP-1
  • Jim DavisOTAP-1
  • Tom CatlinCAP-1; UP-1
  • Eddie CrowderBAP-1; UP-1
  • Billy VesselsBAP-1; UP-1
  • Buck McPhailBAP-1; UP-1
  • Ed RowlandOTAP-1; UP-1
  • J.D. RobertsOGAP-1; UP-1

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1952 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1952 Big Seven standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma5–⁠0–⁠18–⁠1–⁠14
Missouri5–⁠15–⁠5
Nebraska3–⁠2–⁠15–⁠4–⁠1
Kansas3–⁠37–⁠3
Colorado2–⁠2–⁠26–⁠2–⁠2
Iowa State1–⁠53–⁠6
Kansas State0–⁠61–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.