Oklahoma’s recent 21-20 loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl marked a disappointing end to the 2024 season, leaving the Sooners with a 6-7 record. For Brent Venables, who is now three seasons into his tenure as head coach, this season represents a significant setback, being Oklahoma’s second losing season under his guidance. The last time the Sooners finished with a losing record before Venables was in 1998, during a difficult period under John Blake.
Since then, Oklahoma fans have been accustomed to success, as Bob Stoops and later Lincoln Riley forged a legacy of 23 straight winning seasons. However, Venables finds himself in a precarious position, as the expectations of improvement in 2025 loom large; his role may not extend to a fifth year without showing a turnaround. The Sooners’ inability to build upon their 10-win season in 2023, especially during their inaugural SEC campaign, underscores the challenges faced this past year.
Brent Venables joins a rare club among Oklahoma coaches since 1925 with multiple losing seasons—his company limited to John Blake. The challenges of SEC play were no secret, but self-inflicted wounds, particularly a lack of strategic focus on the lines of scrimmage and a revolving door at quarterback, compounded the difficulties.
Looking forward, the question remains: How does Venables pivot from here? Despite this past season’s disappointments, there are promising aspects to build upon, such as a defense that ranks among the nation’s finest. Ironically, as fans reminisced about pairing Lincoln Riley’s offensive prowess with stout defense, Venables has brought the latter, but offensive struggles have plagued the team.
Venables has acknowledged the need for offensive revitalization. Following Seth Littrell’s midseason departure, Ben Arbuckle was brought on board from Washington State to steer the offense, along with former Cougars quarterback John Mateer, a highly sought-after talent in the transfer portal.
The task, however, extends beyond new offensive schemes and personnel. The offensive line, a weak spot, needs urgent attention. Reinforcements have been acquired via the portal, showcasing additions such as Stanford’s Luke Baklenko and Western Carolina’s Derek Simmons, yet their impact on a line that struggled in protecting the quarterback is to be determined.
Luck, or the lack thereof, has also played its part, particularly in the receiver corps, where injury woes hindered the depth that was expected to be a strength.
Next season’s schedule offers little respite. The Sooners face a challenging nonconference game against Michigan, the traditional clash with Texas, plus daunting SEC matchups at Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Home games include the likes of Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, and potentially revitalized Auburn. The scale of their challenge is clear, with the eight SEC foes collectively posting a 40-24 conference record, with multiple teams eyeing College Football Playoff spots.
The path to redemption is fraught with obstacles, yet not insurmountable. Should Venables and Oklahoma fail to rise to the occasion, a coaching search may very well dominate the winter headlines in Norman.
This topic is explored by the Boomer Backfield Podcast. If you’re interested in hearing more, the podcast is hosted by 3 OU Alum with strong ties to OU Football. They’re on Social Media and All Podcast Platforms.
