CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1959 Oklahoma

7–⁠3 (5–⁠1 Big Eight), coached by Bud Wilkinson, finished No. 15 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Oklahoma in 1959, game by game: lost at No. 10 Northwestern 13–45; won vs. Colorado 42–12; lost vs. No. 4 Texas 12–19; won at Missouri 23–0; won vs. Kansas 7–6; lost at Nebraska 21–25; won at Kansas State 36–0; won vs. Army 28–20; won vs. Iowa State 35–12; won vs. Oklahoma State 17–7+36−32Lost 13–45 at No. 10 Northwestern-32No. 10 NorthwesternWon 42–12 vs. Colorado+30ColoradoLost 12–19 vs. No. 4 Texas-7No. 4 TexasWon 23–0 at Missouri+23MissouriWon 7–6 vs. Kansas+1KansasLost 21–25 at Nebraska-4NebraskaWon 36–0 at Kansas State+36Kansas StateWon 28–20 vs. Army+8ArmyWon 35–12 vs. Iowa State+23Iowa StateWon 17–7 vs. Oklahoma State+10Oklahoma State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 26at10NorthwesternL 13–⁠4572%
Oct 3vsColoradoW 42–⁠1279%
Oct 10vs4TexasL 12–⁠1959%
Oct 17atMissouriW 23–⁠058%
Oct 24vsKansasW 7–⁠677%
Oct 31atNebraskaL 21–⁠2580%
Nov 7atKansas StateW 36–⁠081%
Nov 14vsArmyW 28–⁠2057%
Nov 21vsIowa StateW 35–⁠1274%
Nov 28vsOklahoma StateW 17–⁠773%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Oklahoma State 17–⁠7; No. 15 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 48th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 2
  2. Wk 2: 2
  3. Wk 4: 13
  4. Wk 6: 18
  5. Wk 7: 19
  6. Wk 11: 17
  7. Wk 12: 15
  8. Final: 15

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 1959.

Big Eight champions5–⁠1 in the conference

Record
7–⁠3
Conference
5–⁠1 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 15 peak No. 2
Points
234–⁠146
Coach
Bud Wilkinson
Elo
1699 −8 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
14.2 No. 14 of 112 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captains
Bobby Boyd and Gilmer Lewis

Drafted in 1960

The 1960 draft
Rd 2Prentice Gautt RBCleveland Browns

All-Big Seven

3 first team, 4 second team

First team

Second team

  • Wahoo McDanielEAP-2; UPI-2
  • Gilmer LewisOTUPI-2
  • Karl MilsteadOGAP-2
  • Jerry PayneOGAP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1959 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1959 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma5–⁠17–⁠315
Missouri4–⁠26–⁠518
Iowa State3–⁠37–⁠3
Kansas3–⁠35–⁠5
Colorado3–⁠35–⁠5
Nebraska2–⁠44–⁠6
Kansas State1–⁠52–⁠8

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