The Undefeated

Between 1954 and 1956, the Oklahoma Sooners took the field three full seasons without a loss, winning at home and on the road alike. Across five years their run reached 47 consecutive victories. Credit goes to Bud Wilkinson, the coach who designed those teams, and to the young players who executed his plans.

This account covers the games themselves, along with the strain and off-field turmoil that accompanied the streak. The author also profiles Wilkinson in depth: a precise, buttoned-up public figure whose private life held many secrets, and who treated the Sooners' football program with the devotion of a faith.

The book also looks at Oklahoma, a state still struggling with the lingering effects of the Depression and uncertain about its own identity. Throughout, the players who achieved this run emerge as vivid, living individuals.