Blog Article
Here’s Why Oklahoma’s Brent Venables Is About To Get Fired (And It’s Not What You Think)
Everyone thinks they know what’s happening in Norman.
They don’t.
This Is What Happens When You Try To Live Someone Else’s Legacy
Oklahoma didn’t hire Brent Venables to be the next Bob Stoops or Lincoln Riley.
But that’s exactly what everyone expects him to be. Bob Stoops restored glory in two years. Lincoln Riley inherited greatness and delivered playoff seasons with Heisman quarterbacks—Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. These aren’t just names; these are monuments to what Oklahoma football used to represent.
Venables knew this when he took the job.
The SEC Doesn’t Care About Your Participation Trophies
History gives you banners—not victories.
Their SEC debut finished 6–7, with echoes of frustration, as scoreboards rarely showed domination. They weren’t just losing, they were getting outclassed by teams built for speed, power, and grit week after week. This isn’t the Big 12 anymore, where you could survive recruiting misses or down weeks.
The SEC punishes every mistake.
In the Big 12, you could survive:
- A few recruiting misses
- A down week and still win your division
- Occasional lapses in execution
The SEC punishes every mistake. One bad quarter against LSU or Alabama can erase months of preparation.
Venables faces eight projected Top 25 opponents in 2025: Michigan, LSU, Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee. These aren’t just games on a schedule.
These are programs that measure their success by crushing teams exactly like Oklahoma.
When Your Offense Can’t Score, Nothing Else Matters
24 points per game in 2024.
Their lowest since the 1990s, a stark contrast to the Stoops and Riley eras when offensive fireworks weren’t hoped for, they were expected. A stagnant attack means drives stall, frustration builds, and even solid defense can’t save your season.
This is why Venables brought in Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator.
Defense Wins Championships (But Not Alone)
Venables carved his name as Clemson’s defensive architect.
His Oklahoma defenses showed real improvement in 2024, with a mark of just over 21 points per game, a top-third mark in the SEC. However, when your offense sputters, defensive stops create more pressure. Venables has begun calling defensive plays himself, betting on his strengths for survival, yet in the SEC, that’s not enough.
You can’t defend your way to championships when everyone else has elite talent on both sides.
The Transfer Portal Is Oklahoma’s Last Hope
Championship teams don’t just reload.
They evolve. Oklahoma attacked the 2025 offseason with desperation disguised as urgency. The transfer portal delivered:
- New offensive linemen
- Defensive backs
- Skill weapons
Arbuckle is reengineering the offense, searching for any combination that can score with efficiency and speed. At quarterback, the job is wide open. They’re not chasing ghosts like Mayfield or Hurts anymore.
The pressure is on, and the storyline hasn’t been written.
But here’s what no one talks about: every SEC program is fighting for the same elite athletes. Stoops and Riley won because they recruited SEC-level talent before joining the conference.
Now, Oklahoma is playing catch-up in an arms race.
This Is What Desperation Looks Like At The Highest Level
National outlets—including 247Sports—rank Venables as college football’s most embattled coach entering 2025.
Vegas sportsbooks project the Sooners to finish in the middle tier of the SEC. Job security is a myth at this level. Athletic director Joe Castiglione has put the pieces in place.
The fans are demanding results, not explanations.
Anything less than a winning season, given the resources and tradition, could end Venables’ tenure. This isn’t speculation.
This is reality.
Here’s What Has To Happen (And Why It Probably Won’t)
Oklahoma must:
- Score 30+ points per game
- Beat Texas in Dallas
- Compete physically every week in the SEC
- Build depth everywhere on the roster
A 7–5 or 8–4 record in 2025 may not match the glory years, but it would prove the Sooners are trending upward.
Anything less? The program will be searching for its next leader.
The Truth About Greatness
Greatness at Oklahoma isn’t negotiable.
It never has been. Brent Venables has one chance to deliver, one schedule to prove his worth, and one fanbase to restore. Every drive, every play, every lineup decision will be scrutinized.
Because in Norman, nobody gets remembered for coming close.
The clock is ticking, and everyone knows it.
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