History sets up well for K-State upset in Oklahoma

Since Bob Stoops took over the football program at The University of Oklahoma 18 seasons ago, Kansas State and the Sooners have met on the gridiron 11 times during regular season play. With the 12th incarnation of that match-up this Saturday, we thought we’d look to Bob Stoops’ history at OU as a guide to predicting the winner.

Bob Stoops has been impressive in his time at the reins of the Sooner Schooner. To date, in regular season play, he’s lost 37 times and only nine of those losses have occurred in Norman. He’s been upset 10 times by a lower ranked opponent.

He’s just once lost the game immediately following the Red River Shootout (which was last weekend if you haven’t been keeping track). He’s lost exactly two games in a row during the regular season. That was his first season as head coach so it’s been awhile. And out of 17 homecoming games at OU, he’s won 15 of them.

All of that is against any regular season team. His history against the Wildcats in regular season play is along the same dominant lines. He’s won nine of the 11 match-ups. He has always won in Manhattan and he has won 60% of the games in Norman.

With all of that as the background, it’s not looking to be a good day when several members of your Bring On The Cats staff head deep into Crimson territory looking for the ‘Cats to come away with the victory this Saturday. But, all hope is not lost!

Our beloved Wildcats have only ever beaten Stoops’ Sooners when they were the underdogs (and yes, we have been ranked higher a time or two). This week the AP ranked OU at 20 and K-State isn’t drawing any votes; so it’s safe to say we will be the underdogs this weekend which is the first step on our way to victory.

The Wildcats have never beaten Big Game Bob in Manhattan, so the game being in Norman is a second step in the right direction. Also, while a mere 24% of the regular season losses OU has experienced have been at home, there are exactly two teams who have won in Norman more than once. K-State holds 22% of the stock of winning in Norman.

In other words, if OU is going to lose at home, chances are pretty good it will be K-State doing the beating. (If you are curious, the OSU Cowboys are the only other team to win twice in Norman.) And for the record, those two Wildcat victories were the last two times the ‘Cats went south. We are on a winning streak and we have two more steps towards the win.

And this game occurring right after the Red River Shootout typically does not bode well for whoever is up next, Kansas State is the only team to ever beat Bob Stoops the weekend after his matchup with Texas. So we know it can be done, and that we can do it! While talking about that sweet, sweet 2014 victory, we should also point out that particular game is one of the two Homecoming games Bob has ever lost at OU which means it was double-unlikely for us to have won.

Even better news: this weekend is not OU Homecoming so we don’t have that bear to wrestle! Count that as two more things in our favor! With a victory secured last weekend in Texas, we don’t have to worry about OU avenging a loss since Bob Stoops and his boys haven’t lost two regular season games in a row since 1999.

Long story short, yes, the Sooners are imposing. They are a typically dominant team that can win on the road and they can defiantly defend their home field, but what history really shows is that our Kansas State Wildcats can be a thorn in their side when we venture south. There are certain things that just seem to inexplicably benefit us and those stars are aligning for more Sooner tears on Saturday!

Jon Morse, KSUEMAW!, and myself will all be at the game this weekend and we are excitedly looking forward to the ‘Cats getting the upset. If you’ll be there, let us know!