1970 Oklahoma Sooners football team explained

Year:1970
Team:Oklahoma Sooners
Sport:football
Conference:Big Eight Conference
Short Conf:Big 8
Coachrank:15
Aprank:20
Record:7–4–1
Conf Record:5–2
Head Coach:Chuck Fairbanks
Hc Year:4th
Off Coach:Barry Switzer
Oc Year:5th
Off Scheme:I formation (first 3 games)
Wishbone (final 9 games)
Def Coach:Larry Lacewell
Dc Year:1st
Captain:Steve Casteel
Captain2:Monty Johnson
Stadium:Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Bowl:Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
Bowl Result:T 24–24 vs. Alabama

The 1970 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season, the 76th season of Sooner football. The team was led by head coach Chuck Fairbanks in his fourth season as the OU head coach. They played their home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. They were a member of the Big Eight Conference.

Conference play began at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado on October 17, with a win over the Colorado Buffaloes, and ended on November 28 at home in Norman with a win over Oklahoma State in the annual Bedlam Series. The Sooners lost their second conference game to Kansas State; the Wildcats' next victory in the series did not occur until 1993.

Following a loss in their third game to Oregon State, the Sooners installed the wishbone offense during the open week prior to the Red River Shootout against Texas. The Sooners ran the wishbone continuously, save for a switch to the I formation in 1982 and 1983, until the early 1990s.

After finishing the regular season with a record of 7–4 (5–2 in Big 8 play), the Sooners were invited to play in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, where they tied the Alabama Crimson Tide, 24–24.

Following the season, John Watson was selected in the seventh round of the 1971 NFL draft, and Steve Casteel was chosen in the 10th.

Schedule

[1]

Rankings

See also: 1970 NCAA University Division football rankings.

NFL Draft

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.[2]

7179John WatsonTackleSan Francisco 49ers
10258Steve CasteelLinebackerCleveland Browns
17427Monty JohnsonDefensive backGreen Bay Packers

Notes and References

  1. http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1970 1970 OU Football Season Schedule – SoonerStats – Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball
  2. Web site: 1971 NFL Draft Listing. Pro-Football-Reference.com. November 29, 2020.