1955 Oklahoma Sooners football team

The 1955 Oklahoma Sooners football team was an American football team that represented the University of Oklahoma in the Big Seven Conference (Big 7) during the 1955 college football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Bud Wilkinson, the Sooners compiled an 11–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 385 to 60, won the Big 7 and national championships, and defeated No. 3 Maryland, 20–6, in the 1956 Orange Bowl.[1] In the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma trailed by six at halftime, and then outscored Maryland, 20–0, in the second half.[2] Oklahoma's 1955 season was the school's tenth consecutive conference championship and part of a record-setting 47-game winning streak that lasted from October 10, 1953, through November 9, 1957.[3]

1955 Oklahoma Sooners football
Consensus national champion
Big 7 champion
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 20–6 vs. Maryland
ConferenceBig Seven Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record11–0 (6–0 Big 7)
Head coach
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium
(capacity: 55,647)
1955 Big Seven Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Oklahoma $ 6 –0 –011 –0 –0
Nebraska 5 –1 –05 –5 –0
Colorado 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Kansas State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0
Kansas 1 –4 –13 –6 –1
Iowa State 1 –4 –11 –7 –1
Missouri 1 –5 –01 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The Sooners played their home games at Owen Field in Norman, Oklahoma.

National championship

In the final AP Poll released on November 28, 1955, Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 with 3,581 points, more than 300 points ahead of No. 2 Michigan State.[4] The Sooners also finished with the No. 1 ranking in the final UPI coaches poll.[5][6] The team was also recognized as the 1955 national champion in rankings and analyses issued by Berryman (QPRS), Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Dunkel System, Football Writers Association of America, Helms Athletic Foundation, International News Service, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling System, Sagarin Ratings, and Williamson System.[7]: 113 

Honors and statistical leaders

Guard Bo Bolinger was a consensus first-team pick on the 1955 All-America college football team.[8]

Halfback Tommy McDonald led the team with 102 points scored, 715 rushing yards, and 284 passing yards.[9] McDonald received first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press.

Three of the coaches and two of the players on the 1955 Sooners were later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: coach Wilkinson (inducted 1969);[10] assistant coach Gomer Jones (inducted 1978);[11] Tommy McDonald (inducted 1985);[12] assistant coach Pete Elliott (inducted 1994);[13] and center Jerry Tubbs (inducted 1996).[14]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 24at North Carolina*No. 3
W 13–626,638[15]
October 1No. 12 Pittsburgh*No. 5
W 26–1456,907[16]
October 8vs. Texas*No. 3
W 20–075,504[17]
October 15KansasNo. 3
  • Owen Field
  • Norman, OK
W 44–639,789[18]
October 22No. 14 ColoradoNo. 3
  • Owen Field
  • Norman, OK
NBCW 56–2157,663[19]
October 29at Kansas StateNo. 2
W 40–718,263[20]
November 5at MissouriNo. 1
W 20–032,289[21]
November 12Iowa StateNo. 1
  • Owen Field
  • Norman, OK
W 52–046,455[22]
November 19at NebraskaNo. 1
W 41–036,576[23]
November 26Oklahoma A&M*No. 1
W 53–040,182[24]
January 2, 1956vs. No. 3 Maryland*No. 1
CBSW 20–676,561[2]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[25]

Personnel

Players

Coaches

Rankings
See also: 1955 NCAA football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
( ) = First place votes.
Week
PollPre12345678910Final
AP2 (32)3 (10)5 (12)3 (13)3 (21)3 (29)2 (53)2 (54)1 (115)1 (103)1 (114)1 (218)

After the season

NFL Draft

The following Sooners were selected in the 1955 NFL Draft following the season.[26] [27]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
444Cecil MorrisGuardGreen Bay Packers
668Bob BurrisBackGreen Bay Packers
13149Bo BolingerGuardChicago Cardinals
20241Joe MobraEndCleveland Browns

References
  1. "1955 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. Jimmy Burns (January 3, 1956). "Oklahoma Takes the Merry Out of Maryland: The Sooners The Better, 20-6: Terrapins Grab 6-0 Lead, Then Lose Their Snap". The Miami Herald. pp. 1A, 2A – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Irish snap Sooners' streak, 7-0". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 17, 1957. p. 1C.
  4. Hugh Fullerton Jr. (November 29, 1955). "Oklahoma Voted Nation's Top Grid Team". The South Bend Tribune. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Final UP poll". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. November 29, 1955. p. 2B.
  6. Miller, Norman (December 4, 1956). "Oklahoma voted grid champion in final AP and UP polls". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 23.
  7. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  8. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  9. "1955 Oklahoma Sooners Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  10. "Bud Wilkinson". National Football Foundation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  11. "Gomer Jones". National Football Foundation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  12. "Tommy McDonald". National Football Foundation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  13. "Pete Elliott". National Football Foundation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  14. "Jerry Tubbs". National Football Foundation. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  15. Wayne Bishop (September 25, 1955). "Third-Ranked Sooners, In Spite Of Carolina Goal Line Defense, Topple Tar Heels, 13-6 In Rough, Tough Second Half Performance". The Daily Tar Heel. pp. 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Jerry Magee (October 2, 1955). "58,000 See OU Smack Ponderous Pitt 26-14: McDonald Earns Spot With Greats". The Norman Transcript. pp. 1, 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Flem Hall (October 9, 1955). "Oklahoma Storms Past Longhorns, 20-0". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. Jerry Magee (October 16, 1955). "Sooners Slap Kansas 44-6 in Big 7 Opener: Jayhawks Fade After Scoring 1st Touchdown". The Norman Transcript. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Jerry Magee (October 23, 1955). "Sooners Fell Buffaloes In 56-21 Bombardent: Colorado Wilts After Storming Into 14-0 Lead". The Norman Transcript. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Dick King (October 30, 1955). "Relentless Oklahoma Pulverizes K-State". The Manhattan Mercury. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Sooners Slap Mizzou 20-0 To Run Longest Winning Streak to 26: 51st Big Seven Victory Features Rough Tackling". The Norman Transcript. November 6, 1955. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. Jerry Magee (November 13, 1955). "Big Red Knocks Wind Out of Cyclones 52-0: Long McDonald Run Highlights Scoring Parade". The Norman Transcript. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. Dick Becker (November 20, 1955). "Terrifying Sooners, Rip Huskers 41-0, for Title: Bill Glassford's Finale, Tremendous Effort Not Enough for Game N.U." Lincoln Journal and Star. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
  24. Jerry Magee (November 27, 1955). "OU Warms Up for Bowl By Chilling A&M 53-0: Sooners Show Confidence With Aerial Attack". The Norman Transcript. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "1955 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball".
  26. "1955 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  27. "Oklahoma Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
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