Brent Venables didn’t just survive last season at Oklahoma - he flipped the entire conversation.
That’s the takeaway from SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum, who said the Sooners’ late surge was enough to change how Venables’ tenure in Norman looked. Oklahoma finished 10-3, reached the College Football Playoff for the first time under Venables, and did it after a stretch that looked headed for trouble.
The Sooners opened 6-2, with both losses coming against their two best opponents at that point. But the schedule only got harder from there.
Oklahoma still had to go on the road to face Tennessee and Alabama, while also dealing with home games against Missouri and LSU. If the season had unraveled, Venables’ future could have been in real danger.
Instead, Oklahoma finished 4-0, and that’s what caught Finebaum’s attention.
"The fact that Venables cobbled together that record was pretty remarkable," Finebaum said on WWLS The Sports Animal." I remember being in Norman for the Ole Miss game and felt like the season was over.
Felt like maybe Venables was over. And what did he do?
Went to Tennessee and Alabama and won."
That finish did more than keep the Sooners afloat. It reshaped the perception of Venables’ work in Norman and gave Oklahoma real momentum heading into 2026. Winning at Tennessee and Alabama, then closing the year with a College Football Playoff berth, put the program back in a place where confidence feels justified.
Now the pressure shifts to what comes next. Oklahoma has to show that last season was more than a hot streak - that it was the start of something lasting. If the Sooners can build on that finish, they’ll be right back in the SEC championship and College Football Playoff mix.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A Huge New Roster Question This Offseason
A federal judges latest ruling could create an unexpected layer of uncertainty around Oklahomas offseason roster, opening the door for some players to pursue a fifth college season even after exhausting four years of eligibility. The decision applies to athletes from the 2022 recruiting class and arrives despite the NCAAs planned five-in-five rule, which was not supposed to take effect until the 2027 recruiting class, giving programs across the country another potential round of roster movement to monitor.
For the Sooners, the issue is especially notable because several players on the 2025 roster could fall into that window and suddenly have a choice to make after the 2026 NFL Draft. If any of those players decide college is still the better move, Oklahoma could be dealing with a fresh wave of roster decisions well after the usual offseason business is supposed to be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Enters Camp With One Huge Question Up Front
Fall camp is about to open for Oklahoma, and with Brent Venables heading into his fifth year, the Sooners still have a familiar source of intrigue up front. The defensive tackle room has been reshaped by NFL departures, graduation and transfers, but Jayden Jackson and David Stone are back as the anchors, giving Todd Bates at least a proven starting point in a unit that was among the better-regarded parts of the defense a year ago.
What comes next is the real test, because the Sooners need that group to hold up after losing so much experience. Oklahoma has blended in transfers and freshmen to help fill the gaps, and the early weeks of camp will go a long way toward showing whether the new-look interior line can match the standard the program expects, or whether this becomes the kind of spot that takes time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2026 Offense Hinges On One Long Awaited Change
Fall camp has arrived in Norman, and with it comes a familiar offseason priority for the Sooners: making the run game and offensive line sturdier before the 2026 season gets underway. Oklahoma has spent the buildup adding experience on both fronts, bringing in offensive lineman EMarion Harris and running backs coach Deland McCullough as part of a broader push to add physicality and depth. The goal is clear enough, even if the work is just getting started, with the opener against UTEP serving as the first chance to see whether the changes are showing up where they matter most.
For Oklahoma, this is about more than just shoring up one phase of the offense. The Sooners have returning players mixed with new additions, and the challenge now is turning that blend into a line and backfield that can hold up over a full season. The identity they are chasing is a more dependable, more physical attack, and fall camp will reveal how close they are to getting it before the spotlight tightens in September. [Read more 🡒]