OU football never stops. At least for me it doesn’t. I grew up on OU football and I will watch OU football for the rest of my life. The Sooners have provided me with major highs after thrilling wins and the lowest of lows after some crushing defeats. I have seen them win many Big 12 Championships and many major bowl games. However, I have yet to see a national championship win in my lifetime. That game will automatically take over the number one spot on my list the day that it happens. Until that day happens however, which I do believe it will happen in the near future, here is my current top five OU football games.

Disclaimer: This list will be comprised of the top five games that I can remember and recollect. For example the “Game of the Century” will not be on this list because it happened 50 years ago last fall. So these will all be very recent games.

5. OU 44, Baylor 34, November 14, 2015

This was one of the more nervous times that I had been prior to a football game starting. The Sooners were coming into Waco as underdogs against a Baylor Bears team that had had their way against the Sooners the past two seasons. Baker Mayfield was in his first season as the Sooners quarterback and he had already taken Sooner Nation by storm. This game had all kinds of implications, from Big 12 Championship to College Football Playoff. In the end, the Sooners ultimately prevailed on that rainy night and would go on to win their first Big 12 Title in three years and earn a playoff berth at the end of the year.

4. OU 47, Oregon 32, 2021 Valero Alamo Bowl

After being completely blindsided by the departure of Lincoln Riley to USC, Sooner Nation was in shambles and wondering where the program would ultimately turn. However, the legend Bob Stoops stepped in an interim role as head coach and Athletic Director Joe Castiglione hired Brent Venables to be the next head coach at OU, and Sooner fans across the state and country would say that things have never been better for the program. The Alamo Bowl served as the ultimate culmination to a season that was a major disappointment. Coach Stoops came in and led the Sooners to one last win after retiring before the 2017 season. At the trophy presentation following the Sooners win, Stoops took his visor off and placed it on the head of Venables much to the liking of the Sooner crowd in attendance. It was extremely special for me to be apart of that and to be in attendance with my family.

3. OU 45, Alabama 31, 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl

Probably the biggest upset that I have experienced as an Oklahoma Football fan. The Sooners were coming off of a big time Bedlam win in Stillwater and were riding high into the Sugar Bowl. They were set to meet the Crimson Tide of Alabama who was coming off of a crushing defeat to Auburn which knocked the Tide out of the SEC championship and ultimately the BCS Championship. The Tide was still heavily favored and no one knew what to expect from OU. Especially considering OU was going to be starting Trevor Knight at QB for the first time all season. Knight would go on to give what I consider the best performance of his entire college football career and led the Sooners to an ultimate upset of the Crimson Tide. I remember going out into the street after the game ended and popping off leftover New Year’s Eve confetti poppers in excitement.

2. OU 31, Ohio State 16, September 9, 2017

The single biggest win that I have ever witnessed in my history as an OU football fan. Plain and simple. No debating it at all. The year before, the Sooners were completely run off of their own field by this same Ohio State team. So the Sooners were out for revenge in a crucial non-conference game that had more playoff implications than any game the Sooners had played before. The Sooners were led into the Horseshoe at Ohio State by Baker Mayfield who was playing in his final season as the Sooners quarterback. The game started out slow in the first half, but the Sooners would ultimately pull away and take home the victory in the second half. The college football world then watched in shock and awe as Mayfield gave us one of the greatest moments in College Football history. He took an OU flag and ran it around the stadium and planted the flag at the center of the Buckeye’s stadium in triumph. It was truly awesome.

1. OU 55, Texas 48, October 9, 2021

My first ever OU-Texas game. And I am officially spoiled for the rest of time and nothing will ever compare to what myself and every other person watching this game both in person and on TV experienced. For the Sooners, the game started as bad as any fan could’ve ever imagined. The Longhorns jumped out to a quick 28-7 lead in the first quarter and Sooner fans couldn’t believe their eyes. After the benching of Spencer Rattler, again, the Sooners made a small rally behind quarterback Caleb Williams and cut the deficit to 18 heading into halftime.

The third quarter was pretty lackluster, however the Sooners did cut the deficit again by 7 points and the score read 30-41 headed into the fourth. What transpired in the final 15 minutes will never be forgotten in Sooner football history.

The Sooners began the quarter with a drive that ended in a field goal and then proceeded to force a Texas punt. It is at this point where the game completely flips on its side. The Sooners march down the field in 3 minutes and score a touchdown to draw within 2 points. Rattler checks into the game again and converts the 2-point conversion so the game is now tied. On the ensuing kickoff, sixth year super-senior Caleb Kelly forces a Texas fumble and the Sooners score a touchdown one play later. After falling behind by three touchdowns in the first quarter, the Sooners were back on the high side.

It didn’t last long though. After the Longhorns and Sooners traded turnover on downs and a punt, Texas marched down the field and scored a touchdown to tie the game with 1:23 left on the clock. It proved to be too much time as the Sooners went down and scored a touchdown on a 33 yard Kennedy Brooks run with three seconds remaining. This proved to be the winning touchdown another Red River Showdown classic was etched in the history books.

This game was the greatest sporting event that I have ever been to. Not just greatest football game. Greatest sporting event. Nothing will ever top that experience. The crowd was on another level the entire game and it was the loudest thing that I have ever heard when the final touchdown was scored. This game will be my number one until the Sooners win a national championship again. Best thing that I have ever witnessed.