CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1980 Oklahoma

10–⁠2 (7–⁠0 Big Eight), coached by Barry Switzer, finished No. 3 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Oklahoma in 1980, game by game: won vs. Kentucky 29–7; lost vs. Stanford 14–31; won at Colorado 82–42; lost vs. No. 3 Texas 13–20; won vs. Kansas State 35–21; won at Iowa State 42–7; won vs. No. 6 North Carolina 41–7; won at Kansas 21–19; won vs. Missouri 17–7; won at No. 4 Nebraska 21–17; won vs. Oklahoma State 63–14; won vs. No. 2 Florida State 18–17+49−17Won 29–7 vs. Kentucky+22KentuckyLost 14–31 vs. Stanford-17StanfordWon 82–42 at Colorado+40ColoradoLost 13–20 vs. No. 3 Texas-7No. 3 TexasWon 35–21 vs. Kansas State+14Kansas StateWon 42–7 at Iowa State+35Iowa StateWon 41–7 vs. No. 6 North Carolina+34No. 6 North CarolinaWon 21–19 at Kansas+2KansasWon 17–7 vs. Missouri+10MissouriWon 21–17 at No. 4 Nebraska+4No. 4 NebraskaWon 63–14 vs. Oklahoma State+49Oklahoma StateWon 18–17 vs. No. 2 Florida State+1No. 2 Florida State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 13vsKentuckyW 29–⁠777%
Sep 27vsStanfordL 14–⁠3179%
Oct 4atColoradoW 82–⁠4277%
Oct 11vs3TexasL 13–⁠2048%
Oct 18vsKansas StateW 35–⁠2185%
Oct 25atIowa StateW 42–⁠763%
Nov 1vs6North CarolinaW 41–⁠756%
Nov 8atKansasW 21–⁠1978%
Nov 15vsMissouriW 17–⁠769%
Nov 22at4NebraskaW 21–⁠1739%
Nov 29vsOklahoma StateW 63–⁠1487%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs2Florida StateOrange BowlW 18–⁠1748%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Florida State 18–⁠17 in the Orange Bowl; No. 3 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 30th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 5
  2. Wk 2: 4
  3. Wk 3: 3
  4. Wk 4: 4
  5. Wk 5: 12
  6. Wk 6: 12
  7. Wk 7: 17
  8. Wk 8: 17
  9. Wk 9: 16
  10. Wk 10: 11
  11. Wk 11: 10
  12. Wk 12: 9
  13. Wk 13: 6
  14. Wk 14: 5
  15. Wk 15: 4
  16. Final: 3

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 1980.

Big Eight champions7–⁠0 in the conference

Led the nationBuster Rhymes: yards per carry (7.7)

Consensus All-AmericanLouis Oubre, OG

Record
10–⁠2
Conference
7–⁠0 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 3 peak No. 3
Points
396–⁠209
Coach
Barry Switzer
Elo
1775 +76 this season
SP+ rating
25.5 No. 8 of 133; offense No. 3, defense No. 28
SRS
23.9 No. 5 of 138 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Galen Hall
Defensive coordinator
Rex Norris
Captains
Louis Oubre, David Overstreet, Steve Rhodes, Richard Turner and J.C. Watts
Offense
Wishbone

Drafted in 1981

The 1981 draft
Rd 1David Overstreet RBMiami Dolphins
Rd 1Keith Gary DEPittsburgh Steelers
Rd 4Steve Rhodes WRSt. Louis Cardinals
Rd 4Richard Turner DTGreen Bay Packers
Rd 5Louis Oubre OTNew Orleans Saints

All-Big Eight

4 first team, 6 second team

First team

Second team

  • J.C. WattsQBAP-2; UPI-2
  • David OverstreetRBAP-2
  • Don KeyOGAP-2; UPI-2
  • Bob Ed Culver Jr.OTAP-2
  • Keith GaryDTAP-2; UPI-2
  • Johnnie LewisNGUPI-2

From Wikipedia’s 1980 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1980 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma7–⁠010–⁠23
Nebraska6–⁠110–⁠27
Missouri5–⁠28–⁠4
Kansas3–⁠3–⁠14–⁠5–⁠2
Oklahoma State2–⁠4–⁠13–⁠7–⁠1
Iowa State2–⁠56–⁠5
Kansas State1–⁠63–⁠8
Colorado1–⁠61–⁠10

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