"Oklahoma has excelled since the early 80s, and the only conference team with more success is Kansas."
Since the early 80's they may have a case. It's a fact they have more FF appearences including making the championship game. All years during that time frame count equally. The horns far greater success over the last 7-8 years is at least matched by what OU accomplished under Tubbs while we had Weltlich. I'm pretty sure they won more conference titles and tournaments as well.
It's largely been overshadowed due to the success in football, but the hoops program has been as good as anybody in the league in that time frame, sans KU ( minus the last couple of seasons, obviously). Here's a study ESPN did a couple of years ago on the top teams from '84 to '09
Also, one stat that isn't mentioned in that article is that coming into this year (I apologize for not doing the homework since, & the numbers have obviously taken a hit) OU had at least a 12 game series lead over every team in the conference not named KU, who has flat owned us over the years (dangit
), & they also held the longest active post-season play streak in the nation at the end of '09. That's what makes the current situation as difficult to accept as it is. If they'd been mired in mediocrity before, it'd be one thing, but that hadn't been the case.