Bye Master
Bob Stoops is the greatest football coach in Oklahoma history... coming off a bye week during the regular season among coaches with more than one year coaching in Norman.
In his 13 years as the Sooners' skipper, Stoops has won 16 of 20 games coming off a bye week. John Blake was the worst coach with an 0-3 record coming off an open date.
The Sooners have two bye weeks this year. Last week and again following this weekend's game against the Kansas State Wildcats before OU goes to Lubbock to challenge Texas Tech.
Prior to Stoops' arrival in 1999, OU had not fared very well during open dates. Between 1902 (when they began playing more than five games a year) and 1998, the Sooners had a record of 36-32-4 following an off date. Stoops bumped the overall record to 50-36-4. Since 1902, Oklahoma has beaten its opponents by an average score of 25-15 in games following an open date.
| Coach | Record | Percentage |
| Mark McMahon | 2-0 | 1.000 |
| Bennie Owen | 14-6 | .700 |
| Adrian Lindsay | 1-2-2 | .400 |
| Lewie Hardage | 0-1 | .000 |
| Biff Jones | 1-0 | 1.000 |
| Dewey Luster | 1-2 | .333 |
| Bud Wilkinson | 2-2 | .500 |
| Gomer Jones | 0-2 | .000 |
| Jim Mackenzie | 2-0 | 1.000 |
| Chuck Fairbanks | 1-5 | .200 |
| Barry Switzer | 5-4-2 | .500 |
| Gary Gibbs | 5-4 | .556 |
| Howard Schnellenberger | 0-1 | .000 |
| John Blake | 0-3 | .000 |
| Bob Stoops | 16-4 | .800 |
| Overall | 50-36-4 | .578 |
Nebraska and Texas have been the two of the more common opponents, and both have the upper hand on the Sooners when playing OU following an open date. OU and the Longhorns have met 17 times under such circumstances: Texas has won 11, OU has won 5 and they tied once. Nebraska was the foe following 15 byes and the Cornhuskers hold a 9-6 lead.
The Sooners might want to think about scheduling Iowa State after an open date in the future. OU is a perfect 5-0 against the Cyclones coming off a bye.
Kansas State, this week's opponent, has met the Sooners four times following a week off. OU holds a 3-1 advantage. The Sooners beat the Wildcats, 33-21 in 1928, 38-37 in 2001 and 43-21 in 2005. K-State beat OU 35-7 in the Big 12 Championship game in 2003.