Oklahoma’s rough ride this season doesn’t appear to be leading to a coaching change.
The Sooners are sitting at 5-4 after nine games, a year that has been defined by inconsistency. They opened the season ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, then dropped out of the rankings entirely after only three games.
That turbulence has followed a 2025 campaign that ended with Oklahoma in the playoff field as the No. 8 seed before a first-round loss to No. 9 Alabama.
Even with the uneven results, Brent Venables is not being pushed out, according to a report from On3. Oklahoma Board of Regents chair Rick Nagel has reportedly made it clear that Venables is not on the hot seat this season. Venables also signed a six-year extension with the Sooners in late August, which means he’s safe for at least another year.
Venables has already made one major in-season change in an effort to shake things up. He fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and handed the play-calling duties to first-year tight ends coach and VFL Jason Witten.
The move paid off immediately, with Witten’s first game running the offense ending in a 23-7 win over No. 24 Florida in Gainesville.
This is Venables’ fifth season in Norman, and the results have followed a strange pattern. He went 6-7 in Year 1, then 10-3 in Year 2.
Year 3 brought another 6-7 finish, followed by another 10-3 season in Year 4. Now, at 5-4 in Year 5, Oklahoma still has Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri left on the schedule.
That leaves open the possibility that the odd alternating pattern could continue.
For now, though, Oklahoma is not expected to enter a coaching search this offseason. If it ever did, one name that would naturally surface is Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel.
There’s no sign Oklahoma is planning to make that move, and no indication Heupel wants out of Knoxville. But given his ties to the program, it would not be a shock to see his name pop up on any speculative list of candidates.
Heupel was the starting quarterback on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship team.
Heupel’s Tennessee and Venables’ Oklahoma have already crossed paths twice during their tenures. Tennessee won in Norman in 2024, while Oklahoma answered with a win in Knoxville in 2025. The two programs are scheduled to meet again in Oklahoma in 2027 and in Tennessee in 2029.
Heupel was also mentioned last season as a rumored candidate on Penn State’s hot board. He pushed back on that talk in a statement to On3’s Chris Low, saying he believes he’ll “win big” at Tennessee.
“I wouldn’t want low expectations,” Heupel said. “That’s part of why I want to be here. We’ll win big.”
Tennessee enters the stretch run at 7-2 and still has a clear path to the College Football Playoffs. If the Vols win their final three games, they’re in.
If they go 2-1, their chances are a little better than a coin flip. If they finish 1-2, they’re out.
Texas A&M, now 4-5, will host No. 8 Tennessee at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, TX.
In Other News...
Tennessee Suddenly Has An O-Line Problem Before Texas A&M
Tennessees offensive line took an unexpected hit Thursday night when starting left guard Nic Moore appeared on the SEC Availability Report as out after not being listed the day before. Moore has been a productive presence at left guard, so his sudden absence adds a real layer of uncertainty heading into a matchup with Texas A&M, where protecting the pocket and keeping the run game on schedule will matter plenty.
The Volunteers are now weighing lineup adjustments to cover the vacancy on the interior, and that kind of shuffle can ripple through the whole front five. For a team trying to stay steady in a conference game of this size, losing a reliable starter at the last minute is the sort of problem that can force changes in both communication and chemistry up front. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Heads Into Texas A&M With A New Concern Up Front
Tennessees trip to Kyle Field brings the usual SEC road-test pressure, but the Volunteers are also dealing with a fresh issue up front. Starting left guard Nic Moore is out because of injury, a notable blow for an offensive line that already has to handle one of the leagues toughest environments, while defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby is also sidelined.
There is at least one bit of good news for Tennessee with tight end DaSaahn Brame available, but the availability report on both sides still matters as kickoff approaches. Texas A&M has its own list of concerns, including wide receivers Terry Bussey and Kelshaun Johnson and offensive lineman Trovon Baugh, leaving both teams to sort through personnel questions before a game that could hinge on who is healthiest in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Made A Strong New Push For Four-Star DL RJ Wyms
Tennessees 28-point win over Kentucky gave the Volunteers plenty to feel good about on the field, but it also served as a showcase for one of the programs biggest recruiting targets. Four-star defensive lineman RJ Wyms was in the stands for his first Tennessee football game day, getting a firsthand look at a defense that kept Kentucky to just 6 points in the first half and none after halftime.
Wyms came away with positive impressions of the Volunteers defensive performance and the coaching staff, and his connection with Rodney Garner remains a key part of the picture. He is still working through the rest of his recruitment and is considering visits to other schools, so Tennessee has made a strong impression without closing the door on a longer process. [Read more 🡒]