Oklahoma Sooners head football coach Brent Venables has spent four seasons working hard to get the Sooners into a deep run in the College Football Playoff. The Sooners did reach the College Football Playoff last season, but ended up losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide 34-24 in the first round.
With Venables feeling the heat in Norman, Okla., is there a possibility that the Sooners might make a change at the head coaching position?
Would Oklahoma Replace Brent Venables As HC?
On Thursday, on the “College Football Insiders” show from CBS Sports, Brandon Marcello, Chris Hummer, John Talty, Richard Johnson, and Shehan Jeyarajah discussed a number of issues in the college football world. One of those was the situation surrounding Venables and his job security at Oklahoma.
“This is a prove-it year for the University of Oklahoma,” Jeyarajah said. “If their offense doesn’t come along, like, you just have to start writing obituaries about what that unit’s going to be. You have to start making major staff changes, including at the offensive line coach. This is the year that all that has to come together.
“We know what they can do defensively,” Jeyarajah said. “Offensively, with John Mateer back, it is time.”
Venables, in four seasons at Oklahoma, has a 32-20 overall record. Oklahoma has been to bowl games in all four seasons under Venable’s leadership. But the Sooners have lost in the Cheez-It Bowl, Alamo Bowl, and Armed Forces Bowl.
Venables also has a 1-3 record against the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry, a game that Sooners fans put a lot of emphasis on every college football season.
As Jeyarajah points out, this upcoming season is one that could seal the fate of Venables at Oklahoma. If Venables can get the Sooners deeper into the College Football Playoff and, potentially, into the College Football Playoff Championship Game, then his future would be looking much, much brighter.
According to the PFSN CFB Offense Impact metrics, measured throughout the regular season, the Sooners’ offense had an impact score of 76.7 and graded out to a C.
But Oklahoma doesn’t want to see any kind of reversal from the Sooners next season. In Venables’ first and third seasons with the Sooners, his teams posted 6-7 records. In his third and fourth seasons, though, Oklahoma finished 10-3 in the regular season.
Should Venables follow this path, his future would likely include a pink slip from Oklahoma officials. The Sooners’ football program has a proud tradition, and Sooners fans and observers want to see a modicum of success. So, Venables is under a lot of pressure from himself and his coaching staff before next season kicks off.
