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Bob Stoops' Recruiting Gamble Is Changing the Core of Oklahoma Football

When Bob Stoops captured the national title early in his tenure at Oklahoma, he did so with just four players from the state of Texas in the starting lineup back in 2000. That, more than anything that happened that year, might have been the biggest anomaly in Norman during a season for the ages.

Four years later, when the Sooners lost to USC in the BCS National Championship Game, Adrian Peterson and Rhett Bomar paced a group of 13 Texans who started for the team that season. 2008’s team, which also made it to the title game and set a host of school, conference and FBS records on offense, featured eight players from the Lone Star State in the lineup.