Sooners Top 5 Wins of the Bob Stoops Era: Where Does Saturdays Win at FSU Rank?

Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops doesn't get a nickname like "Big Game Bob" without winning some big games. Since he arrived in Norman in 1999 there have been plenty.

The Sooners 23-13 victory Saturday night over No. 5 Florida State was no different. In fact it may prove to be one of the biggest wins Stoops has ever enjoyed as a head coach.

Some wins are big because of the impact it has on the future of a program. That may be the case with Oklahoma's win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee.

Does Saturday nights win over FSU make the list of the top five wins in the Bob Stoops era at Oklahoma?

No. 5: September 2011 at Florida State 23-13

The Sooners victory in Tallahassee was big because it showcased two top five teams and Florida State had hopes of making a return to national prominence.

For Oklahoma, it meant much more.

The Sooners proved they could win a big game on the road. Bob Stoops actually thought he proved that at the end of the 2010 season with a win in Stillwater against a solid Oklahoma State team, but this time there was a national championship run at stake.

Perhaps the biggest thing to be taken out of this game was that the Sooners defense surprisingly showed they possess a championship caliber pedigree.

No. 4: December 2000 vs Kansas State in Big 12 Championship Game 27-24

The 2000 season was a magical ride and it took a second victory over Kansas State to get the Sooners into the BCS Championship game.

The 3-point win over Bill Snyder and the Wildcats would mark the beginning of Big 12 dominance for Bob Stoops and Oklahoma. Since that victory, Oklahoma has yet to go consecutive seasons without winning a Big 12 championship.

A 46-yard field goal by K Tim Duncan proved to be the difference as the Sooners held off a rally by the Wildcats to win their first Big 12 title.

No. 3: October 2000 at Kansas State 41-31

Bill Snyder was in the midst of one of college football's greatest rebuilding jobs. Kansas State came into the game with their own hopes of playing for a national championship.

Oklahoma was coming off of a huge 63-14 win over Texas and a huge road win over the Wildcats would vault the Sooners into the national title picture.

Josh Heupel was impressive with 374 yards through the air. Antwone Savage accounted for 116 of those yards with his seven catches.

Heupel was already showing the characteristics needed to one day become a great offensive coordinator.

No. 2: October 2000 vs No. 1 Nebraska 31-14

Oklahoma fell behind 14-0 early but would go on to score 31 unanswered points to take down the Cornhuskers, who came to Norman ranked number one.

Sooner fans could finally believe the hype after Bob Stoops led his team through a three game gauntlet that included wins over three highly ranked teams in consecutive weeks.

The stadium in Norman only held about 80,000 fans, but there are still about 120,000 fans who say they were there. When it was all over the Sooners had earned the nations' top ranking and the nickname "Big Game Bob" was given to the second-year coach.

No. 1: 2001 BCS Championship Game vs Florida State 13-2

Nothing beats a national championship. The 2000 title is the only national championship for the Sooners under Bob Stoops.

Oklahoma came in as an underdog against Florida State and their Heisman winning quarterback Chris Weinke. It was the Sooners defense that stole the show, holding the powerful Seminole offense scoreless.

It was possibly the greatest defensive performance college football has ever seen. The win put the Sooners back where they belonged as a national powerhouse.

It's just a little hard to believe it's been over a decade since that championship and Stoops has gone 0-3 in BCS title games since.