Even though Brent Venables led the Sooners to another disappointing season last year, Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. and athletic director Joe Castiglione both backed Venables as the head coach. “Obviously, we’d love to have more wins. But our confidence in the coach,” Harroz said of the Sooners’ HC. “It’s as steady as it’s ever been.” Yes, going into the SEC was never going to be a cakewalk, and it’s the very reason why Venables still has a strong backing from the Oklahoma prez and AD despite handing two of the worst seasons in the last 27 years of Oklahoma.
“We knew it was going to be a tough year going into the SEC… We knew there was going to be some turbulence,” Harroz added. But even Venables knows that if he doesn’t turn things around this year, the Sooners will not wait too long to part ways, especially when a potential $9 million replacement might be ready to take over.
Long before Venables was promoted to the head coach role, the 54-year-old played a crucial role in the Sooners’ last championship win in 2000. Now, while the now-Oklahoma HC’s role as a defensive coordinator can not be denied, if there is someone who the Oklahoma fans are still grateful for is Josh Heupel. A championship-winning QB for the Sooners, Heupel has a tremendous record as the Vols’ HC. Well, Heupel still has three years left in his Tennessee contract, but if the Sooners make themselves available for Heupel, the Oklahoma loyal may not say NO. And after Berry Tramel, a veteran CFB analyst, highlighted Heupel’s strong ties to Oklahoma, this seems the most ideal option for the Sooners.
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Tramel wasted no time in landing Brent with this tough admission on the Saturday Down South show. “He’d be the first call, I assume. I have no idea if Josh would entertain the notion or accept. I have no idea. I do know this: he’s got a lot of—he still has a lot of ties. You know, family still lives here. His sister married the son of David Boren, the 24-year-old OU president. Prominent president. David Boren died last year.” Tramel said. Now, family ties can play a major role in it.
“But you know, Josh’s son-in-law—his brother-in-law—is a former United States congressman prominent Oklahoma. So they got a lot of Oklahoma ties still. So he wouldn’t—I don’t think he would dismiss it.” Berry added. However, it’s weird to think that after taking Tennessee to all new heights and ending last season with an extraordinary 10-3 record, moving to Oklahoma would be big. Even Berry Tramel feels the same: “I also think it’d be a very popular choice. I don’t know that he would do it. Like I said, Tennessee is a pretty good place to coach football.”
And on top of that, Oklahoma’s history works in Brent Venables’ favor, as they often don’t hire big-name coaches from other teams; rather, they go for their own assistants and staff. “But, you know, the thing about the Sooners is, in their history, they’ve hired one head coach. They’ve always hired an assistant—often promoting from within—but also going out and getting somebody with Oklahoma ties or non-commies off another staff. And they’ve been incredibly successful with that model.” Berry said. But what might not work in his favor is Oklahoma’s last year’s run.
We all saw how Oklahoma’s offense stumbled badly from the start, failing to meet any preseason expectations. The unit quickly spiraled; quarterback changes were frequent, and by mid-season, the coaching staff panicked. They fired first-year offensive coordinator Seth Littrell after only seven games, replacing him with interim coordinator Joe Jon Finley. This change offered little improvement. The offense managed a dismal 24 points per game—the program’s worst since 1998—while the offensive line crumbled, allowing more sacks than any other FBS team.
But you can’t also brush off the fact that Oklahoma’s under Brent Venables, Oklahoma’s defense shone bright last season. The Sooners significantly strengthened this side of the ball, ranking in the top 25 nationally in run, total, and scoring defense, and 16th overall in ESPN’s SP+ rankings. They consistently disrupted opposing drives, averaging an impressive 2.69 sacks (top 25), 7.39 tackles for loss (10th nationally), and recovering 12 fumbles (tied for sixth). Their red-zone defense was particularly strong, allowing touchdowns on only 47.37% of possessions (10th nationally). Defensive coordinator Zac Alley, who has since moved to West Virginia, was instrumental in this success.
However, the pressure is still raging pretty high, especially after Paul Finebaum’s ultimatum.
Paul Finebaum’s tough admission on Brent VenablesLook, Brent Venables will begin 2025 under pressure, and he knows it. His 2023 (10-3) season gave a brief glimpse of hope, but 2024 dragged them back under .500. Oklahoma hadn’t seen a losing season since 1998 before Venables arrived. Now, with the SEC gauntlet looming again, pressure mounts early—and fast. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum sees the writing on the wall and emphasizes how critical the start of the schedule looks for Oklahoma’s chances and Venables’ long-term future.
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Finebaum is blunt about what’s at stake for Venables in 2025. On the Paul Finebaum Show, he discussed the perceived front-loading of the schedule. “I think to navigate the schedule, he has to win those first games,” Finebaum said. “He has to beat Michigan. He has to deal with Temple on the road and beat Auburn. Because otherwise it becomes overwhelming and he doesn’t need a collapse down the stretch with already a couple of losses.” That stretch before mid-season could define Oklahoma’s identity—or reveal a house of cards crumbling under the weight of SEC expectations and lingering fan impatience with the coaching staff.
Oklahoma’s brutal schedule, ranked the second-toughest nationally by Athlon Sports, intensifies the pressure on the Sooners. They face Michigan, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU at home, then travel to South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, plus the Red River Showdown against Texas. This relentless gauntlet leaves little room for error.
To survive, Coach Venables needs early momentum before the SEC onslaught. The first five games—Illinois State, Michigan, Temple, Auburn, and Kent State—before Texas are crucial. Early losses could spell disaster. Analyst Paul Finebaum highlights this stretch as a defining test. Venables needs quick wins to avoid a crisis; his reputation, built on elite defenses, is on the line. Oklahoma expects championships, not mediocrity, making these first five games pivotal for Venables’ future.
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Oklahoma’s success in the SEC hinges on immediate, decisive action. The conference offers no grace period, and Venables has already strained fan patience. His rebuilding project ended the moment they joined the SEC. Another slow start could jeopardize his tenure, potentially ending not in December, but much sooner. “He has to beat Michigan,” Finebaum repeated, circling that game as the early barometer. Facing tough opponents and high expectations, Brent Venables is already on edge. One wrong move, and the entire thing could fail before October.
