Five Ways 2021 is the year of the national championship

NORMAN, OK APRIL 24: Runner Jaden Knowles # 25 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrated his finish during the teams ’spring game at the Gaylord Family at the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on April 24, 2021 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)

The Oklahoma football programs are the fourth to all-time fourth, and feature seven national championships held in the modern age of college football (the end of World War II to the present day).

But the Sooners have not added a national championship to the trophy case at the Barry Swiss Center in 21 years.

The OU has come close several times over the last two decades, but has not been able to stop working. Bob Stoops the teams played in three BCS championships in the eight years since the 2000 championship season, but became short all three times, and Lincoln Riley has made three playoffs in college football in his four seasons as head coach, but has not made it over the first game.

Six times since 2000, the Sooners have been able to play and win the second national crown. Most schools in the country that are not named Alabama, Clemson, or the state of Ohio would give their best to be in this position. The problem is that no one remembers who ranks second, third, or fourth. Its national champion gets all the attention and historical references.

Oklahoma is in the top four based on most 2021 pre-season college football preview publications and pre-season media polls, and several national sources have Sooners No. 1 or 2 to start season 2021, including No. 2 ranking Associated Press Preseason Top-25 the survey was released this week.

Of course, no team ever won a national championship without playing a game, and we all know it’s not your starting point, but how you finish.

Several college football experts and future journalists have said that the 2021 Oklahoma team is Rileys ’best chance to finally get over the pit and reel in the difficult eighth national crown. At the same time, there are still some critics who admit that Sooners is good again, but argue that the OU does not yet have the perfection needed to drop an SEC, ACC, or Big Ten champion.

Later, however, recent history is the journey Oklahoma will have to take until it shows otherwise. The following are five reasons why we believe the 2021 version of OU football will finally bring home bacon this season in the form of the eighth national championship. And ironically, after 21 years of absence as the last team.