All Sooners

Official: Oklahoma Headed to the Cheez-It Bowl

After going 6-6 this season, the Sooners will play 9-3 Florida State on Dec. 29 in Orlando, FL.

John E. Hoover

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Oklahoma is heading back to Orlando.

The Sooners on Sunday accepted an invitation to the Cheez-It Bowl, where they’ll play Florida State of the ACC on Thursday, Dec. 29, at Camping World Stadium.

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. CT.

The news was first reported by Action Network's Brett McMurphy and later confirmed by the bowl.

"What an honor," OU coach Brent Venables said Sunday afternoon. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to play against the great football team in Florida State on December 29." 

OU finished the regular season with a 6-6 record. FSU is 9-3 in coach Mike Norvell’s third season. The Seminoles started 4-0 but but then experienced a three-game losing streak before winning five in a row to close the regular season.

It’s the same bowl — with a new title sponsor — that Oklahoma played in 2014, when the Sooners were routed 40-6 by Clemson. In what was then called the Russell Athletic Bowl, the Tigers’ defensive coordinator was Venables.

Venables is now wrapping up his first season as OU’s head coach.

There’s a direct trajectory between that game — arguably OU’s worst bowl loss in history — and this one.

After the season went south, Bob Stoops shuffled his staff, firing offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. Heupel’s replacement was Lincoln Riley, who replaced Stoops as head coach from 2017-2021 before leaving last year for USC. That opened the door for Venables to return to Norman, where his first season has been rocky.

In that game, backup quarterback Cole Stoudt — in for injured Deshaun Watson — threw for three touchdowns and 319 yards and ran for another score as the Sooners were on the verge of being shut out before Alex Ross scored on an 11-yard touchdown run with 6:57 left to play.

The Sooners committed five turnovers and managed just 275 yards total offense. Quarterback Trevor Knight completed 17-of-37 passes for 103 yards with three interceptions, including a 47-yard pick-six by Ben Boulware. Samaje Perine led Oklahoma with 134 rushing yards on 23 carries, and Eric Striker led the Sooners with 12 tackles.

OU has a rich history of bowl games against Florida State.

  • In 1964-65, the Sooners lost 36-19 to FSU in the Gator Bowl.
  • In 1979-80, the Sooners beat FSU 24-7 in the Orange Bowl.
  • In 1980-81, the Sooners beat FSU 18-17 in the Orange Bowl.
  • In 2000-01, the Sooners beat FSU 13-2 in the Orange Bowl to win the BCS National Championship.

In the most recent bowl meeting with FSU, a dominant defensive performance against college football's most prolific offense, Heupel was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates after undefeated OU was installed as a 10.5-point underdog. Heupel went 25-of-39 for 214 yards, and Quentin Griffin sealed the game with a late touchdown run that put OU up 13-0. Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

OU is also 3-0 against the Seminoles in regular-season games, with the most recent game a 23-13 OU victory in Tallahassee in 2011. The Sooners also won 47-17 in Norman in 2010, and 24-9 in Norman in 1976.

Oklahoma has played a total of 26 bowl games in the Sunshine State — by far the most of any state. Most of those have been in the Orange Bowl in Miami, but they have played in Orlando twice (2014 against Clemson and the 1989 Citrus Bowl, a 13-6 loss to Clemson) and Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl three times (1947, a 34-13 win over N.C. State, 1965, a 36-19 loss to the Seminoles, and 1991, a 48-14 win over Virginia).

OU is 14-12 all-time in bowl games in Florida.

The Sooners have to deal with the loss of 15 members of the roster since mid-November so far, including leading rusher Eric Gray and both starting offensive tackles, Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris.

"We got a great opportunity sitting in front of us," Venables said. "And again, that group of guys, that'll get on the on the airplane to go down to Orlando can't be more excited about this opportunity."

Norvell echoed Venables' sentiments.

"It's a great matchup," Norvell said. "It's a great opportunity with the two of the storied programs in all of college football history to be able to link up in a great game and a great place. Great atmosphere. I'm glad we're being able to play here in our home state."

The Cheez-It selecting the Sooners — 3-6 in conference play and seventh in the Big 12 standings — was a surprise. They picked OU over the likes of fourth-place Texas Tech (5-4), fifth-place Oklahoma State (4-5) and sixth-place Baylor (4-5). The Sooners lost their games this year to both Tech and Baylor.

Earlier in the day, TCU landed the No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff, opening the door for Big 12 champ Kansas State to take the Big 12’s Sugar Bowl berth. Texas (6-3) went to the Alamo Bowl with the next pick, and the Cheez-It Bowl surprisingly snatched up Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State went to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix (against Wisconsin), Texas Tech went to the Texas Bowl in Houston (vs. Ole Miss), Baylor went to the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth (against Air Force), and Kansas went to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis (vs. Arkansas).

The Sooners don’t often play in second-tier bowls, so their worldwide brand and championship pedigree make them an attractive property when it does happen. OU’s 690 wins since the end of World War II is the most of any program, and their winning percentage of .771 going into this season was the best among any Power 5 school in that stretch.

OU ranks second all-time with 41 seasons of at least 10 wins (Alabama just broke a tie with its 42nd), and its 50 conference championships leads all of college football.

In postseason play, OU’s 24-year active bowl streak trails only Georgia (26). The Sooners’ 56 bowl appearances ranks in the top four all-time, and OU’s 31 bowl victories is tied for fourth in college football history.

"This is a team that obviously has a great tradition and has been among the elite and college football over the over the last decade-plus," Norvell said. "... This is going to be a game that's going to be well-viewed.

"We're definitely excited about it. And you know, we've taken a lot of positive steps as a football team this year. And now to be able to go against another very talented football team and a great brand and great logo, it will be a showcase game."

While this is no doubt a down year for Oklahoma, it's a significant uptick for FSU after failing to make a bowl game in three of four years following Jimbo Fisher's exit to Texas A&M.

"Coach Norvell has done a terrific job," Venables said. " ... What a transformation that Mike and his staff have done. What a terrific job of building the program foundationally the right way."

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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