Steve Sarkisian isn’t treating Oklahoma’s 2-2 start like a throwaway line heading into the Red River Rivalry.
With the Sooners and No. 1 Texas both on bye before the 2026 matchup, Sarkisian spent part of his Monday press conference sizing up a team that has looked uneven but dangerous in its own way. Oklahoma has stumbled out of the gate under Brent Venables, but the Texas coach made it clear he isn’t reading that record as a sign of weakness.
“We were in the same situation a year ago. We were just coming off losing to Florida.
We were a two-loss team,” Sarkisian said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “We were a desperate football team and found a way to win and played a really good second half.”
That win helped Texas climb back into the picture, even if the Longhorns ultimately fell short of a College Football Playoff berth.
For Oklahoma, the challenge now is getting the offense to match what the defense has already been doing. Sarkisian had plenty of praise for that side of the ball, while pointing out the issues that have dragged the Sooners down.
“I’d say this about Oklahoma. I don’t know that necessarily they haven’t played well,” Sarkisian said.
“I think, first of all, defensively, they’ve played exceptional. I mean, these guys are a phenomenal defensive football team.
“I think, unfortunately, offensively, they’ve had some untimely turnovers that have just hurt them. But I do think there’s some things they’re doing offensively - now they’ve played some tough games.
They played at Michigan, which is not easy. They’ve played at Georgia, which we know is not easy.”
Those turnovers have been especially costly for John Mateer and the Sooners. Against Georgia, he gave the ball away on three straight possessions, and those mistakes turned into 14 points for the Bulldogs.
Through four games, Oklahoma sits at minus-six in turnover margin, which ranks 136th out of 138.
Texas has been cleaner, but not dominant in that area either. The Longhorns have both forced and surrendered five turnovers, leaving them even on the year. Still, Sarkisian knows one rough stretch with the ball can flip a game in a hurry, especially in a rivalry like this one.
Last year, Texas won the turnover battle 3-0 in a 23-6 win over the No. 6 Sooners.
“We know what it is,” Sarkisian said. “We’re gonna need to find a way to put together four quarters of good football.”
In Other News...
Oklahomas Early Losses Are Raising An Even Bigger 2026 Fear
The early part of Oklahomas 2026 season already looked shaky, and it has only gotten harder to frame those losses in a flattering way. The Sooners lone notable win was a shutout of UTEP, but that result has lost some shine as the Miners have continued to struggle and have been beaten by wide margins on average.
More troubling for Oklahoma is what the rest of the schedule is saying about those defeats to Michigan, Georgia and New Mexico. As those teams have shown their own flaws since facing the Sooners, the concern around Norman is not just about a rough start, but about what those games might be revealing about Oklahomas level of competitiveness this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Arbuckle May Need A Drastic OU Offensive Rethink
Josh Heupel showed against Auburn that an in-game reset can change the feel of an offense in a hurry. Tennessee moved away from freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, turned to sophomore George MacIntyre to steady the operation and leaned heavily on DeSean Bishop as the running game took over. It was the kind of practical adjustment that can make a staff look decisive in real time, especially when the original plan is not producing much rhythm.
For Oklahoma, that kind of flexibility is the conversation point around Ben Arbuckle. John Mateers struggles have left the Sooners searching for a cleaner path on offense, and the Tennessee example is a reminder that a coordinator sometimes has to be willing to reshape the plan instead of waiting for it to click on its own. Whether Arbuckle goes that far is the unanswered question, but the pressure to find something more workable is only growing. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Biggest Red River Problem Could Decide Everything
When Oklahoma heads into the Red River showdown with Texas, the rushing battle looms as one of the clearest indicators of which side will control the afternoon. History in this rivalry has leaned heavily toward the team that runs the ball better, and that makes the Sooners ground game a central concern after recent struggles on both sides of the line.
John Mateer gives Oklahoma a different kind of answer because his legs can change the math even when the traditional run game is stuck. Against a Texas defense that has been stout enough to make every yard work, the Sooners may need Mateers scrambling and designed runs to keep the offense balanced and give themselves a chance to win the most important matchup on the field. [Read more 🡒]