Take a moment to reflect on the weight of history in Oklahoma’s Heisman Park. In just this century, four Heisman-winning Sooner quarterbacks — Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray — have been immortalized in bronze outside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. They are the gods of OU football.
Yet, despite their Heisman accolades, those legends might gladly trade their trophies for Josh Heupel’s more elusive prize. Heupel, a less-heralded figure in the Sooner pantheon, holds a legacy that transcends individual accolades — he is the last quarterback to lead Oklahoma to a national championship, an accomplishment that’s hard to overlook as it comes into focus this week.
As Brent Venables and the No. 13 Sooners prepare to host Heupel’s seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a highly anticipated matchup, Heupel’s remarkable past in Norman takes center stage. Saturday’s game will not only mark OU’s SEC debut, but it will also reignite the memories of Heupel’s role in delivering the Sooners’ 2000 national championship.
Now in his fourth season as Tennessee’s head coach, Heupel has transformed the Vols into legitimate College Football Playoff contenders. While he’s done a remarkable job building Tennessee’s program, his connection to OU runs deep, making Saturday’s game particularly special.
“Winners know how to win,” said Venables of Heupel’s success at Tennessee, “and that’s what he’s done.”
But Venables made it clear that Oklahoma fans will have no problem seeing Heupel suffer a loss at the hands of his former team this weekend. “Make no mistake, Oklahoma fans are gonna wanna see Coach Heupel take a loss on Saturday night, and there will be nobody that feels bad if they don’t do well,” Venables said with a smile. “But people pull for people. I think this is one of those times that you put the logo aside.”
Since Heupel’s departure, OU quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman conversation, with one taking home the trophy about every six years. But none of those winners—despite their individual greatness—reached the heights Heupel did when he was lifted on the shoulders of his teammates after leading OU to a 13-2 Orange Bowl win over Florida State, securing the national title.
It’s important to remember that OU’s success in 2000 wasn’t solely on Heupel’s shoulders. The Sooners’ defense, led by standout players like Torrance Marshall, was a dominant force. However, Heupel was the face of that championship team, guiding them through an unexpected and magical season.
Heupel, along with head coach Bob Stoops, helped restore the Sooner program from a period of mediocrity. “We really felt Sooner magic was reignited, and he was a catalyst of that,” Venables said. “People won’t forget that.”
Both Venables and Heupel arrived in Norman in 1999, recruited by Stoops during his first year as head coach. Heupel, originally from Aberdeen, South Dakota, had transferred to OU from Snow College in Utah, while Venables came over as co-defensive coordinator from Kansas State, his alma mater.
Before Stoops’ arrival, the Sooners had endured four straight seasons without a bowl appearance. In Stoops’ first season, they finished 7-5. But in 2000, they completed a perfect 13-0 campaign, culminating in their national title victory.
While Heupel didn’t win the Heisman in 2000, finishing second to Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke, it was his teammate Torrance Marshall who famously reminded Weinke before the Orange Bowl coin toss, “You got my boy’s trophy.”
Heupel may not have taken home the Heisman that year, but as history shows, he walked away with the ultimate prize — the national championship trophy. And that’s the one all of Oklahoma’s Heisman winners would love to trade for.
