Oklahoma’s offense deserves real credit for dragging itself back to life, but Saturday’s game against Ole Miss still comes down to one familiar question: can Brent Venables’ defense hold up for four quarters?
That’s been the problem with this season, and really with Venables’ tenure so far. The Sooners have been all over the map.
They lost at home to Kentucky and South Carolina, then went on the road and handled Florida and Mississippi State. They beat No.
1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl, then followed that with a flat loss at Michigan. The one result that never shocked anyone was the blowout at No.
2 Georgia.
Since then, Oklahoma has been impossible to pin down. The Sooners enter the home matchup with Ole Miss at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the SEC, still trapped in that win-lose-win-lose rhythm that has defined too much of the year.
There are reasons for optimism, though. The running game was better last week.
The pass protection held up. More receivers got involved.
And John Mateer looked mostly comfortable, especially during the 20-play touchdown drive that sealed the game. The offense, which had been a step away from the grave, suddenly has some pulse again.
Jason Witten deserves a lot of the credit for that. His rise from retired NFL star to high school coach to college position coach to blue blood offensive coordinator has been fast, and whatever the long-term story turns out to be, he’s helped wake up an offense that badly needed it.
Still, Oklahoma’s path to a second straight win - something it hasn’t done since last November - runs through the defense.
That unit showed its swagger again in Gainesville, and now it has to carry that edge into a matchup with a dangerous Ole Miss attack. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss can make plays at a high level, even with four touchdowns and five interceptions over his last three starts. The Rebels also bring a deep backfield, with three running backs averaging more than 5.0 yards per carry, though star Kewan Lacy is reportedly out for the season.
And then there’s the receiver group. Ole Miss has production everywhere, including tight end Luke Hasz and wideout Johntay Cook, both of whom were once actively pursued by Oklahoma as recruits.
Three Rebels receivers have at least 30 catches, and eight have double-digit receptions. By comparison, only two Sooners have more than 30 catches, and five have reached double figures.
That makes the Ole Miss offense a serious problem, no matter how much Oklahoma’s own offense has improved.
So yes, give Witten and the Sooners’ offense their due. But if Oklahoma is going to stop the home losing streak and finally string together back-to-back wins, Venables’ defense has to show up from the first snap to the last.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Suddenly Faces Game Day Uncertainty With Ole Miss Stuck Traveling
A nationwide FAA ground stop tied to a telecommunications outage has thrown a fresh layer of uncertainty onto game day, and Oklahoma is feeling the ripple effects with Ole Miss among the teams caught in the travel mess. The issue has halted departing flights across the country, with the FAA and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy confirming that planes are staying grounded until further notice.
For the Sooners, the immediate concern is simple: an opponent that is supposed to be on the road may not be able to move on schedule, and the disruption could affect everything from arrival timing to the usual pregame routine. Even after flights begin moving again, delays are expected, leaving this matchup with an unusual amount of waiting attached to it before anyone gets to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Witten Just Got A Massive Vote Of Confidence At Oklahoma
Jason Wittens move into coaching has already drawn plenty of attention, and Jon Gruden just added another layer of credibility to it. Gruden, who coached Witten with the Raiders, spoke glowingly about the former tight ends work ethic, preparation and leadership, pointing back to the habits that made Witten such a dependable player in the first place.
For Oklahoma, that kind of endorsement matters because it reinforces the idea that Wittens coaching path is built on more than name recognition. Grudens praise also underscored how smoothly Witten has carried those traits into coaching roles at the high school and college levels, giving the Sooners a familiar football voice with real respect from one of his former NFL coaches. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Landed A Huge In-State Recruiting Win Again
Oklahoma kept a prized in-state talent home again, landing a commitment from Kamieon Compton-Nero, the consensus No. 1 player in Oklahoma in the Class of 2028. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound safety from Owasso High School gives the Sooners another early recruiting victory in a cycle that already had plenty of national attention around his name.
Compton-Nero was rated No. 42 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings and had narrowed his list to a heavyweight group that included Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Alabama and SMU. For Oklahoma, the commitment is more than just another addition to the board - it is the kind of in-state win that can shape a class and send an early message about how the Sooners are approaching the next wave of recruiting. [Read more 🡒]