Oklahoma’s 42-25 loss to South Carolina on Saturday did more than drop the Sooners to 4-4. It put the spotlight squarely on a program that looks stuck, and on an offense that may be headed for change.
Head coach Brent Venables did not want to get into staff changes after the game, but the possibility is clearly there. Under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, Oklahoma sits No. 100 or worse nationally in several offensive categories in 2026, including points per play and rushing yards per game. Last season, the Sooners were No. 94 in yards per game.
That kind of production does not match the standard in Norman. Oklahoma spent years living near the top of the sport offensively under former head coach Lincoln Riley from 2017-21, finishing inside the top 12 in points per game every season in that stretch.
The Sooners were No. 3 in 2017 and No. 1 in 2018. They also had a dominant run under Kevin Wilson from 2002-10, capped by the 2008 offense that featured a 3,500-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same year.
The pressure around the offense was impossible to miss inside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Fans chanted, "Fire Arbuckle" in the first half of the loss.
When asked by The OU Daily why he should remain Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, Arbuckle pointed to his belief in the program and the people around it.
“I believe in what this place is. I believe in these players,” Arbuckle said.
“I love these players. I love this university.
I love the standards and expectations that this place has. I love that they want a really good product.
I want a really good product, and I want to strive relentlessly to deliver that.”
While the offense has drawn the loudest criticism, junior wide receiver Ivan Carreon provided one of the few bright spots for Oklahoma. He finished with a career-high 88 receiving yards and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a breakout showing against South Carolina.
Carreon entered the game without a reception in 2026. He had only 35 receiving yards in 2025 and 89 in 2024, but he turned in a big performance against an SEC opponent on Saturday. He has flashed before in difficult moments, too, including a 72-yard receiving day in Oklahoma’s 2024 loss to Navy.
Venables said he was glad to see Carreon deliver again.
“He's practicing every day and had an opportunity, got in there (and) did some really good things,” Venables said.
The bigger issue, though, was the defense finally giving way. Oklahoma came in with a top-10 defense, but South Carolina broke through for 521 total yards. Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for 301 yards and ran for 96 more, and the Sooners fell from No. 8 in opposing yards per game to No. 19 in a single game.
Venables did not hide from that performance afterward.
“We didn't play clean, tough physical football like we have on defense all year,” Venables said, “and so, obviously, didn't count on that happening.”
The loss also ended whatever hope remained for a College Football Playoff push. Oklahoma entered the day still thinking a run was possible if it could win out and finish 9-3, but that path is gone now. A four-loss team is not making the field, and the Sooners still need two more wins just to reach bowl eligibility.
“(I can) sit here and act like, oh yeah, they'll be fine. What's fine?”
Venables said. “There ain't (anything) fine.”
What’s left is a season that already feels well below Oklahoma’s standard, and a final stretch that won’t get any easier. The Sooners have four games remaining, three of them against ranked opponents, and they need at least two wins to get to a bowl.
That kind of mediocrity has become part of the conversation during Venables’ tenure. Oklahoma has already posted 6-7 finishes in 2022 and 2024, and even the two 10-3 seasons under Venables fell short of what the program expects. The Sooners rank No. 3 all-time in AP-recognized national titles.
And while the results have been rough, the financial reality makes any change complicated. If Venables were fired on Dec. 1 of this year, his buyout would be $51.67 million.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Offensive Collapse Just Raised A Bigger Brent Venables Question
Oklahomas offense never found its footing in the 42-25 loss to South Carolina, and the frustration around the program only deepened as the game wore on. The Sooners were outplayed by a Gamecocks team led by LaNorris Sellers, who carved up the defense through the air and on the ground in one of the more complete performances Oklahoma has faced this season.
Brent Venables was left to answer for the result afterward, but he declined to get into any possible coaching changes in the wake of the defeat. With the offense sputtering and the margin for error shrinking, the bigger concern now is whether this was just a bad night or a sign that Oklahomas issues run much deeper than one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Boganowski Sends Oklahoma A Blunt Message After Defensive Collapse
Michael Boganowski had a milestone moment in Oklahomas 42-25 loss to South Carolina, picking off his first pass as a defensive back, but the play was buried in a rough afternoon for the Sooners defense. The unit missed a season-high 27 tackles and gave up multiple long touchdown passes, turning a breakthrough individual moment into a footnote in a game that slipped away.
Boganowski didnt try to soften the bigger picture afterward, pointing to the defenses poor execution and the need to clean it up quickly with more games ahead. For Oklahoma, the interception offered a small bright spot, but the larger concern is whether the Sooners can turn that kind of effort into something more reliable before the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Fans Turned On The Offense As Pressure Mounted Fast
The frustration inside Norman showed up early and never really let go, as Oklahomas offense spent much of the afternoon searching for answers in a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina. The Sooners were booed by their own fans as the pressure mounted, a sharp turn for a team that had hoped to steady itself at home after a rough stretch. John Mateer finished 26 of 43 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, but the production never fully matched the urgency of the moment.
South Carolinas LaNorris Sellers kept the game moving in the other direction, making plays as both a passer and runner while Oklahoma tried to keep pace. The loss marked the Sooners second straight home defeat for the first time since 2024, a troubling note for a team still trying to find its footing in front of its own crowd. The schedule does not offer much breathing room either, with Florida up next on Nov. 7. [Read more 🡒]