Bedlam Series
| First meeting | 1900 (track and field) 1904 (football) |
|---|---|
The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys of the Big 12 Conference. Both schools were also members of the Big 8 Conference before the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, and both were divisional rivals in the Big 12 South Division prior to 2011.
History
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The Bedlam Series is, like most other intrastate rivalries, a rivalry that goes beyond one or two sports. Both schools also have rivalries with other schools, though most of those rivalries are limited to one or two sports at the most. The rivalry is all the more intense since their games often decide the conference championship.
While the football and basketball games stand today as the marquee events in the Bedlam Series, the term "Bedlam" actually began with the rivalry between the schools' prestigious wrestling programs,[2] more particularly the raucous crowds that attended the matches held at Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena.[3]
When the Bedlam Series gained Ford and the Bank of Oklahoma as corporate sponsors, the series became much more formalized. A points system was adopted in order to award a winner of the all athletic competitions combined between the two schools. A crystal bell trophy is awarded to individual Bedlam game winners (such as football), in addition to a trophy for the overall series champion for that year. The "Bedlam Bell" is modeled after the bell clapper in Old Central, the oldest building on Oklahoma State's campus. For a time, the actual bell clapper was a traveling trophy for the two schools, until the popularity of this tradition waned.
Football
The first Bedlam football game was held at Island Park, now known as Mineral Wells Park, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It was a cold, and very windy day with the temperatures well below the freezing mark. At one moment in the game when the Oklahoma A&M Aggies were punting, the wind carried the ball backwards behind the kicker. If the Oklahoma A&M squad recovered the ball it would be a touchback and if the University of Oklahoma squad recovered it, it would be a touchdown. The ball kept going backwards and rolled down a hill into the half-frozen creek. Since a touchdown was at stake, members of both teams dove into the icy waters to recover the ball. A member of the OU team came out with the ball and downed it for a touchdown, eventually winning the game 75–0.[4] Though this was not the source of the name "Bedlam",[2][3] the scene was clearly an apt beginning for the Bedlam Series in football.
Author Steve Budin, whose father was a New York bookie, has recently publicized the claim that the 1954 Bedlam Game was fixed by mobsters in his book Bets, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (ISBN 1-60239-099-1).[5] Allegedly, the mobsters threatened and paid off a cook to slip laxatives into a soup eaten by many OU Sooner starting players, causing them to fall violently ill in the days leading up to the game. OU was victorious in the end, but their 14–0 win did not cover the 20-point spread they had in their favor. However, many people involved in the 1954 contest do not recall any incident like the one purported by Budin to have occurred.[6]
Oklahoma currently leads the series 86–18–7. [7] The series has historically been very lopsided in the Sooners' favor; Oklahoma State has defeated OU twice in a row just three times since World War II, and has never done it three times in a row.
Game results
| Oklahoma victories | Oklahoma State victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Losing team | Score | Series | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 6, 1904 | Guthrie | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 75–0 | Oklahoma 1–0 | |
| 2 | October 19, 1906 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 23–0 | Oklahoma 2–0 | |
| 3 | November 9, 1907 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 67–0 | Oklahoma 3–0 | |
| 4 | October 3, 1908 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 18–0 | Oklahoma 4–0 | |
| 5 | October 21, 1910 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 12–0 | Oklahoma 5–0 | |
| 6 | October 20, 1911 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 22–0 | Oklahoma 6–0 | |
| 7 | November 16, 1912 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 16–0 | Oklahoma 7–0 | |
| 8 | November 21, 1913 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 7–0 | Oklahoma 8–0 | |
| 9 | November 6, 1914 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 28–6 | Oklahoma 9–0 | |
| 10 | November 25, 1915 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 26–7 | Oklahoma 10–0 | 5,000 |
| 11 | November 30, 1916 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 41–7 | Oklahoma 11–0 | |
| 12 | November 29, 1917 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 9–0 | Oklahoma 11–1 | |
| 13 | November 28, 1918 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 27–0 | Oklahoma 12–1 | |
| 14 | November 27, 1919 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 33–6 | Oklahoma 13–1 | |
| 15 | November 13, 1920 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 36–0 | Oklahoma 14–1 | |
| 16 | October 15, 1921 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 6–0 | Oklahoma 15–1 | |
| 17 | November 25, 1922 | Stillwater | Tie | 3–3 | Oklahoma 15–1–1 | ||
| 18 | October 27, 1923 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 12–0 | Oklahoma 16–1–1 | |
| 19 | November 1, 1924 | Stillwater | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 6–0 | Oklahoma 16–2–1 | |
| 20 | November 26, 1925 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 35–0 | Oklahoma 17–2–1 | |
| 21 | November 25, 1926 | Stillwater | Tie | 14–14 | Oklahoma 17–2–2 | ||
| 22 | November 19, 1927 | Norman | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 13–7 | Oklahoma 17–3–2 | |
| 23 | November 24, 1928 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 46–0 | Oklahoma 18–3–2 | |
| 24 | November 23, 1929 | Norman | Tie | 0–0 | Oklahoma 18–3–3 | ||
| 25 | November 22, 1930 | Stillwater | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 7–0 | Oklahoma 18–4–3 | |
| 26 | November 26, 1931 | Norman | Tie | 0–0 | Oklahoma 18–4–4 | ||
| 27 | October 29, 1932 | Stillwater | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 7–0 | Oklahoma 18–5–4 | |
| 28 | November 23, 1933 | Norman | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 13–0 | Oklahoma 18–6–4 | |
| 29 | November 22, 1934 | Stillwater | Tie | 0–0 | Oklahoma 18–6–5 | ||
| 30 | November 28, 1935 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 25–0 | Oklahoma 19–6–5 | 10,000 |
| 31 | November 26, 1936 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 35–13 | Oklahoma 20–6–5 | |
| 32 | November 25, 1937 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 16–0 | Oklahoma 21–6–5 | |
| 33 | November 24, 1938 | Stillwater | #6 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 19–0 | Oklahoma 22–6–5 | |
| 34 | October 28, 1939 | Norman | #6 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 41–0 | Oklahoma 23–6–5 | |
| 35 | October 5, 1940 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 29–27 | Oklahoma 24–6–5 | |
| 36 | October 4, 1941 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 19–0 | Oklahoma 25–6–5 | 25,453 |
| 37 | September 26, 1942 | Stillwater | Tie | 0–0 | Oklahoma 25–6–6 | ||
| 38 | October 2, 1943 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 22–13 | Oklahoma 26–6–6 | |
| 39 | November 25, 1944 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 28–6 | Oklahoma 26–7–6 | |
| 40 | November 24, 1945 | Norman | #6 Oklahoma A&M | Oklahoma | 47–0 | Oklahoma 26–8–6 | 33,000 |
| 41 | November 30, 1946 | Stillwater | #17 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 73–12 | Oklahoma 27–8–6 | 18,500 |
| 42 | November 29, 1947 | Norman | #20 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 21–13 | Oklahoma 28–8–6 | 33,945 |
| 43 | November 27, 1948 | Stillwater | #6 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 19–15 | Oklahoma 29–8–6 | 30,000 |
| 44 | November 26, 1949 | Norman | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 41–0 | Oklahoma 30–8–6 | 47,937 |
| 45 | December 2, 1950 | Stillwater | #1 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 41–14 | Oklahoma 31–8–6 | 28,530 |
| 46 | December 1, 1951 | Norman | #10 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 41–6 | Oklahoma 32–8–6 | 33,103 |
| 47 | November 29, 1952 | Stillwater | #4 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 54–7 | Oklahoma 33–8–6 | 21,408 |
| 48 | November 28, 1953 | Norman | #4 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 42–7 | Oklahoma 34–8–6 | 50,524 |
| 49 | November 27, 1954 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 14–0 | Oklahoma 35–8–6 | 38,000 |
| 50 | November 26, 1955 | Norman | #1 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 53–0 | Oklahoma 36–8–6 | 40,182 |
| 51 | December 1, 1956 | Stillwater | #1 Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M | 53–0 | Oklahoma 37–8–6 | 36,500 |
| 52 | November 30, 1957 | Norman | #5 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 53–6 | Oklahoma 38–8–6 | 52,366 |
| 53 | November 29, 1958 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 7–0 | Oklahoma 39–8–6 | 37,014 |
| 54 | November 28, 1959 | Norman | #17 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 17–7 | Oklahoma 40–8–6 | 59,136 |
| 55 | November 26, 1960 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 17–6 | Oklahoma 41–8–6 | 32,381 |
| 56 | December 2, 1961 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 21–13 | Oklahoma 42–8–6 | 52,598 |
| 57 | December 1, 1962 | Stillwater | #8 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 37–6 | Oklahoma 43–8–6 | 35,757 |
| 58 | November 30, 1963 | Norman | #10 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 34–10 | Oklahoma 44–8–6 | 50,678 |
| 59 | November 28, 1964 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 21–16 | Oklahoma 45–8–6 | 36,987 |
| 60 | December 4, 1965 | Norman | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | 17–16 | Oklahoma 45–9–6 | 54,876 |
| 61 | December 3, 1966 | Stillwater | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | 15–14 | Oklahoma 45–10–6 | 36,581 |
| 62 | December 2, 1967 | Norman | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 38–14 | Oklahoma 46–10–6 | 62,038 |
| 63 | November 30, 1968 | Stillwater | #11 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 41–7 | Oklahoma 47–10–6 | 38,515 |
| 64 | November 29, 1969 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 28–27 | Oklahoma 48–10–6 | 41,315 |
| 65 | November 28, 1970 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 66–6 | Oklahoma 49–10–6 | 60,300 |
| 66 | December 4, 1971 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 58–14 | Oklahoma 50–10–6 | 36,571 |
| 67 | December 2, 1972 | Norman | #3 Oklahoma | #20 Oklahoma State | 38–15 | Oklahoma 51–10–6 | 62,363 |
| 68 | December 1, 1973 | Stillwater | #2 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 45–18 | Oklahoma 52–10–6 | 50,964 |
| 69 | November 30, 1974 | Norman | #1 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 44–13 | Oklahoma 53–10–6 | 62,619 |
| 70 | November 1, 1975 | Stillwater | #2 Oklahoma | #19 Oklahoma State | 27–7 | Oklahoma 54–10–6 | 49,358 |
| 71 | October 23, 1976 | Norman | Oklahoma State | #5 Oklahoma | 31–24 | Oklahoma 54–11–6 | 72,041 |
| 72 | November 5, 1977 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 61–28 | Oklahoma 55–11–6 | 50,088 |
| 73 | November 18, 1978 | Norman | #4 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 62–7 | Oklahoma 56–11–6 | 72,339 |
| 74 | November 3, 1979 | Stillwater | #7 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 38–7 | Oklahoma 57–11–6 | 51,453 |
| 75 | November 29, 1980 | Norman | #6 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 63–14 | Oklahoma 58–11–6 | 75,681 |
| 76 | November 28, 1981 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 27–3 | Oklahoma 59–11–6 | 51,100 |
| 77 | October 23, 1982 | Norman | #20 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 27–9 | Oklahoma 60–11–6 | 76,406 |
| 78 | October 15, 1983 | Stillwater | #15 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 21–20 | Oklahoma 61–11–6 | 50,440 |
| 79 | November 24, 1984 | Norman | #2 Oklahoma | #3 Oklahoma State | 24–14 | Oklahoma 62–11–6 | 76,198 |
| 80 | November 30, 1985 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | #17 Oklahoma State | 13–0 | Oklahoma 63–11–6 | 44,000 |
| 81 | October 18, 1986 | Norman | #5 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 19–0 | Oklahoma 64–11–6 | 76,022 |
| 82 | November 7, 1987 | Norman | #1 Oklahoma | #12 Oklahoma State | 29–10 | Oklahoma 65–11–6 | 75,004 |
| 83 | November 5, 1988 | Stillwater | #8 Oklahoma | #12 Oklahoma State | 31–28 | Oklahoma 66–11–6 | 50,440 |
| 84 | October 7, 1989 | Norman | #16 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 37–15 | Oklahoma 67–11–6 | 74,610 |
| 85 | October 6, 1990 | Stillwater | #7 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 31–17 | Oklahoma 68–11–6 | 49,800 |
| 86 | November 16, 1991 | Norman | #18 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 21–6 | Oklahoma 69–11–6 | 68,778 |
| 87 | November 14, 1992 | Stillwater | Tie | 15–15 | Oklahoma 69–11–7 | 50,440 | |
| 88 | November 13, 1993 | Norman | #17 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 31–0 | Oklahoma 70–11–7 | 65,275 |
| 89 | November 13, 1994 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 33–14 | Oklahoma 71–11–7 | 50,116 |
| 90 | November 11, 1995 | Norman | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | 12–0 | Oklahoma 71–12–7 | 75,004 |
| 91 | November 8, 1996 | Stillwater | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 27–17 | Oklahoma 72–12–7 | 51,416 |
| 92 | November 8, 1997 | Norman | #25 Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | 30–7 | Oklahoma 72–13–7 | 72,422 |
| 93 | October 24, 1998 | Stillwater | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | 41–26 | Oklahoma 72–14–7 | 50,614 |
| 94 | November 27, 1999 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 44–7 | Oklahoma 73–14–7 | 75,374 |
| 95 | November 25, 2000 | Stillwater | #1 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 12–7 | Oklahoma 74–14–7 | 48,500 |
| 96 | November 24, 2001 | Norman | Oklahoma State | #4 Oklahoma | 16–13 | Oklahoma 74–15–7 | 75,537 |
| 97 | November 30, 2002 | Stillwater | Oklahoma State | #3 Oklahoma | 38–28 | Oklahoma 74–16–7 | 48,500 |
| 98 | November 1, 2003 | Norman | #1 Oklahoma | #14 Oklahoma State | 52–9 | Oklahoma 75–16–7 | 84,027 |
| 99 | October 30, 2004 | Stillwater | #2 Oklahoma | #20 Oklahoma State | 38–35 | Oklahoma 76–16–7 | 48,837 |
| 100 | November 26, 2005 | Norman | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 42–14 | Oklahoma 77–16–7 | 84,875 |
| 101 | November 25, 2006 | Stillwater | #13 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 27–21 | Oklahoma 78–16–7 | 42,819 |
| 102 | November 24, 2007 | Norman | #10 Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | 49–17 | Oklahoma 79–16–7 | 85,238 |
| 103 | November 29, 2008 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma | #11 Oklahoma State | 61–41 | Oklahoma 80–16–7 | 49,031 |
| 104 | November 28, 2009 | Norman | Oklahoma | #12 Oklahoma State | 27–0 | Oklahoma 81–16–7 | 85,606 |
| 105 | November 27, 2010 | Stillwater | #14 Oklahoma | #10 Oklahoma State | 47–41 | Oklahoma 82–16–7 | 51,164 |
| 106 | December 3, 2011 | Stillwater | #3 Oklahoma State | #10 Oklahoma | 44–10 | Oklahoma 82–17–7 | 58,141 |
| 107 | November 24, 2012 | Norman | #13 Oklahoma | #21 Oklahoma State | 51–48 (OT) | Oklahoma 83–17–7 | 85,824 |
| 108 | December 7, 2013 | Stillwater | #17 Oklahoma | #6 Oklahoma State | 33–24 | Oklahoma 84–17–7 | 58,520 |
| 109 | December 6, 2014 | Norman | Oklahoma State | #18 Oklahoma | 38–35 (OT) | Oklahoma 84–18–7 | 85,312 |
| 110 | November 28, 2015 | Stillwater | #5 Oklahoma | #9 Oklahoma State | 58–23 | Oklahoma 85–18–7 | 58,231 |
| 111 | December 3, 2016 | Norman | #9 Oklahoma | #10 Oklahoma State | 38–20 | Oklahoma 86–18–7 | 87,527 |
Men's basketball
Oklahoma owns the all-time series record in men's basketball, 135–95. The Sooners swept the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 regular season Bedlam series for the fourth and fifth time in the last 10 seasons. OSU's last series sweep came in 2004. OU is 17–6 in the last 23 Bedlam games and is now 25–18 vs. the Cowboys since the formation of the Big 12 (135-95 all-time).[8]
Wrestling
Oklahoma State holds a large advantage in the schools' wrestling rivalry, the original "Bedlam Series".[2][3] The Cowboy wrestling program currently holds a 134–27–10 record against the Sooners, which is all the more remarkable considering that both schools have long been national powers in wrestling. Oklahoma has won seven football team national championships in its history, while Oklahoma State's wrestling program has a record thirty-four team national titles.[9]
See also
References
- ^ "The Bedlam Series – Oklahoma State Official Athletic Site". Okstate.com. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ^ a b c "Postscript: The Historic Field House" (PDF). Sooner Magazine. Summer 2011. p. 32.
- ^ a b c "Facilities: Gallagher-Iba Arena (Oklahoma State Official Athletic Site)". Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Long, Charles F. (September 1965). "With Optimism For the Morrow: A History of The University of Oklahoma". Sooner Magazine.
- ^ Bets, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Offshore Sports Gambling Empire. Skyhorse Publishing. 2007. ISBN 1-60239-099-1.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ "Book claims '54 Bedlam Game was fixed by mob". ESPN. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Game Notes". SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
- ^ "Bedlam basketball debate | Berry Tramel's Blog". Blog.newsok.com. 2009-06-29. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ^ "History – Past Champions". NCAA. Archived from the original on 17 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
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