Earlier in his career at Oklahoma, Bob Stoops was often referred to as “Big Game Bob.” A Big 12 championship in his second season (2000) that led to a national championship, owning Texas and beating in-state rival Oklahoma State got Stoops that moniker.

Then came the losses.

After years in the wilderness, OU had become a power again. However, the Sooners weren’t going to win every game. Nobody is invincible.

The Sooners remain a top 10 power and have won five of the last eight Big 12 championships, yet BCS bowl victories have suddenly become hard to come by.

The Sooners have lost their last three.

It started with the 2003 Sugar Bowl, When LSU edged the Sooners 21-14 in the national championship game.

Then came the nightmare of the 2005 Orange Bowl. OU finished the ’04 season unbeaten. So did USC. It was supposed to be a game for the ages. Instead, it was a laugher: USC 55, OU 19.

Stoops’ reputation as a big game coach took a hit.

Last season, also at the Fiesta Bowl, the Sooners came up short, falling 43-42 to mid-major darling Boise State after one of the craziest finishes in the history of the sport.

OU’s last BCS victory was a 34-14 whipping of Washington State at the 2003 Rose Bowl.

The third-ranked Sooners get another chance at 7 p.m. Wednesday when they face No. 11 West Virginia in the Feista Bowl

How did the program get here?

From best to worst, here’s a review of the Sooners’ BCS performances since Bob Stoops’ arrival.

Jan. 3, 2001