Alabama Crimson Tide

Oklahoma Football: Sugar Bowl Fun Facts No. 4

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:52 p.m. ET

Fansided, Chip Rouse/FanSided via Stormin in Norman

Oklahoma football is making its 50th postseason bowl appearance this year and its eighth appearance all-time in the Sugar Bowl.

Dec 3, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners coaches and players take a team photo with the Big 12 championship trophy after the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama has appeared more times in the Sugar Bowl than any other school. The Crimson Tide have been to the Sugar Bowl 15 times, twice more than the next best team, LSU.

As good as Alabama has been over the years, the Crimson Tide are a very modest 8-7 in their 15 trips to the Sugar Bowl. And Ole Miss has been even less successful in the Sugar Bowl, at 6-7.

No team not affiliated with the Southeastern Conference has been to the Sugar Bowl more times than the Oklahoma Sooners, who after this season will have made eight Sugar Bowl appearances.

Of the teams who have made at least five Sugar Bowl appearances – there are only 11 such teams and eight of them are from the SEC – the Sooners have the best winning percentage (5-2, .714).

Three different Oklahoma coaches have taken the Sooners to the Sugar Bowl. Bud Wilkinson led two OU teams to Sugar Bowl wins in three trips; Chuck Fairbanks won twice in back-to-back appearances, both in 1972, and Bob Stoops took two teams to the Sugar Bowl, in 2001 and 2014, winning one (vs. Alabama in 2014) and losing one (vs. LSU in 2004).

Five Sooner players have been named Most Outstanding Player in Oklahoma’s seven previous Sugar Bowl appearances.

1949 – Jack Mitchell, QB (Oklahoma 14, North Carolina 6)

1950 – Leon Heath, FB (Oklahoma 35, Louisiana State 0)

1972 – Jack Mildren, QB (Oklahoma 40, Auburn 22)

1972 – Tinker Owens, WR (Oklahoma 14, Penn State 0)

2014 – Trevor Knight, QB (Oklahoma 45, Alabama 31)