Oklahoma’s national title drought has stretched to 25 years, and Brent Venables isn’t backing away from the challenge. He thinks this Sooners team can be the one to snap it.
The Sooners last claimed a national championship in 2000, and that gap now stands as the longest in program history since the school won its first title in 1950. Along the way, Oklahoma has had more than a few chances to break through.
The Sooners reached the national championship game in 2003, 2004 and 2008, only to lose each time. They’ve also made the College Football Playoff five times and still haven’t won a game there.
Venables says that doesn’t change his belief in what’s possible this season.
"Yeah, absolutely," Venables said via 'Oklahoma's Own.'" Without question.
There's probably, whatever it is, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 teams, give or take, that can win it all from a roster standpoint, a coaching standpoint. Now, you've got to put it all together.
We've got a great schedule that's set up. That will be a worthy schedule when it's all said and done...
But you don't play them all at once. You play them one at a time."
The path won’t be easy. Oklahoma’s road schedule includes Michigan, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Missouri, a lineup that gives the Sooners one of the toughest slates in college football.
Still, Venables’ larger point is the one that matters: nobody has to run the whole gauntlet in a single afternoon. Oklahoma only has to keep stacking wins, week after week, long enough to put itself in position for the postseason.
That’s where the standard has shifted in Norman. After five CFP trips without a victory, making the field is no longer enough.
Oklahoma wants to win the whole thing. And if Venables is right about this roster and this staff, the Sooners could finally have a real shot at ending the longest championship drought in school history.
In Other News...
Sooners May Have Landed A Backfield Difference Maker After All
Jonathan Hatton Jr.s recruiting path was winding even by modern standards, but Oklahoma never really stopped being part of the conversation. The four-star running back first committed to the Sooners in October 2023, backed off that pledge in December 2024 and later chose Texas A&M in March 2025 before flipping back to Oklahoma in November 2025, just ahead of signing day. For a program trying to keep building out its offense, landing a player with that kind of track record matters almost as much as the talent itself.
Brent Venables recently shared a story from Hattons recruiting process and made clear why the staff kept pushing. The Oklahoma coach praised Hattons physical and mental traits, and the Sooners believe he can become a key offensive piece once he gets on campus. The only question left now is how quickly that promise turns into production. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Freshman Back Is Giving Sooners A New Reason To Watch This Battle
Jonathan Hatton Jr. is making one of the quieter but more important kinds of preseason progress for Oklahoma, the sort that usually decides whether a freshman back gets on the field or spends his first fall learning from the sideline. In practice, he has been showing early growth in recognizing protections and reading defensive fronts, a key step for any young running back trying to earn trust in a system that demands more than just carrying the ball.
John Mateer has noticed the work Hatton is putting in, pointing to his work ethic and his willingness to pick up blocking assignments, both of which matter when coaches are sorting out playing time in the backfield. With the Sooners also dealing with concerns about the health of other running backs, Hattons development adds another layer to a competition worth watching as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Brent Venables Is Closing In On A Recruiting Win Nobody Expected
The early work in Oklahomas 2028 class has started to draw attention, and Jay Schell is a big reason why. The four-star linebacker from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in Georgia has become one of the more intriguing national targets on the Sooners board, with recruiting experts now projecting Oklahoma as the likely landing spot even as Clemson and Georgia stay heavily involved. He has picked up offers from a long list of major programs, which is part of what makes this feel like the kind of battle that can swing quickly once a prospect starts narrowing things down.
For now, Schell has not released a final list of schools or made a decision, so there is still plenty of time for the picture to change. But if Oklahoma can finish this one, it would be an eyebrow-raising win for Brent Venables and a meaningful one for a class that currently has just one commitment. The Sooners are expected to add more recruits soon, and this is the type of name that can give an emerging group some real national credibility early. [Read more 🡒]