The Sooners had come into the season riding high on expectations after beating Alabama the previous year in the Sugar Bowl. They began the year ranked No. 4 and in great shape to make the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Things started strong enough. Oklahoma routed Tennessee at home 34-10 and beat up on West Virginal 45-33, but a narrow loss to TCU on the road was the first sign that not all was right in Norman.
After a harder-than-expected win over Texas, the Sooners’ special teams imploded in a 31-30 loss to Kansas State. Two weeks later came one of the most embarrassing home losses of the Stoops era as Baylor humiliated Oklahoma 48-14.