CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1986 Oklahoma

11–⁠1 (7–⁠0 Big Eight), coached by Barry Switzer, finished No. 3 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Oklahoma in 1986, game by game: won vs. No. 4 UCLA 38–3; won vs. Minnesota 63–0; lost at No. 2 Miami 16–28; won vs. Kansas State 56–10; won vs. Texas 47–12; won vs. Oklahoma State 19–0; won at Iowa State 38–0; won at Kansas 64–3; won vs. Missouri 77–0; won at Colorado 28–0; won at No. 5 Nebraska 20–17; won vs. No. 9 Arkansas 42–8+77−12Won 38–3 vs. No. 4 UCLA+35No. 4 UCLAWon 63–0 vs. Minnesota+63MinnesotaLost 16–28 at No. 2 Miami-12No. 2 MiamiWon 56–10 vs. Kansas State+46Kansas StateWon 47–12 vs. Texas+35TexasWon 19–0 vs. Oklahoma State+19Oklahoma StateWon 38–0 at Iowa State+38Iowa StateWon 64–3 at Kansas+61KansasWon 77–0 vs. Missouri+77MissouriWon 28–0 at Colorado+28ColoradoWon 20–17 at No. 5 Nebraska+3No. 5 NebraskaWon 42–8 vs. No. 9 Arkansas+34No. 9 Arkansas
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 6vs4UCLAW 38–⁠365%
Sep 20vsMinnesotaW 63–⁠079%
Sep 27at2MiamiL 16–⁠2845%
Oct 4vsKansas StateW 56–⁠1093%
Oct 11vsTexasW 47–⁠1274%
Oct 18vsOklahoma StateW 19–⁠082%
Oct 25atIowa StateW 38–⁠078%
Nov 1atKansasW 64–⁠384%
Nov 8vsMissouriW 77–⁠094%
Nov 15atColoradoW 28–⁠070%
Nov 22at5NebraskaW 20–⁠1752%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs9ArkansasOrange BowlW 42–⁠866%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Arkansas 42–⁠8 in the Orange Bowl; No. 3 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 6th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 1
  2. Wk 2: 1
  3. Wk 3: 1
  4. Wk 4: 1
  5. Wk 5: 6
  6. Wk 6: 6
  7. Wk 7: 5
  8. Wk 8: 5
  9. Wk 9: 4
  10. Wk 10: 4
  11. Wk 11: 4
  12. Wk 12: 3
  13. Wk 13: 3
  14. Wk 14: 3
  15. 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 1986.

Big Eight champions7–⁠0 in the conference

Heisman voteBrian Bosworth, fourth

Butkus AwardBrian Bosworth, LB

2 consensus All-AmericansKeith Jackson, TE; Brian Bosworth, LB

Record
11–⁠1
Conference
7–⁠0 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 3 peak No. 1
Points
508–⁠81
Coach
Barry Switzer
Elo
1825 +133 this season
SP+ rating
32.0 No. 1 of 101; offense No. 1, defense No. 7
SRS
29.2 No. 1 of 105 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Jim Donnan
Defensive coordinator
Gary Gibbs
Captains
Brian Bosworth, Sonny Brown and Spencer Tillman
Offense
Wishbone
Defense
5–⁠2

Drafted in 1987

The 1987 draft
Rd 5Steve Bryan DEChicago Bears
Rd 5Spencer Tillman RBHouston Oilers

All-Big Eight

10 first team, 6 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1986 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1986 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma7–⁠011–⁠13
Colorado6–⁠16–⁠6
Nebraska5–⁠210–⁠25
Oklahoma State4–⁠36–⁠5
Iowa State3–⁠46–⁠5
Missouri2–⁠53–⁠8
Kansas State1–⁠62–⁠9
Kansas0–⁠73–⁠8

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