Brent Venables’ Crossroads: Can Oklahoma Overcome Its Struggles In 2025?

Oklahoma

The Sooners’ devastating 21–20 loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl marked the end of Oklahoma’s 2024 football season. Oklahoma finished with a 6-7 record with this loss, capping a dismal campaign that saw them lose for the second time in three years under head coach Brent Venables. 

After a strong 10-win season in 2023, the Sooners had high expectations, but their problems on both sides of the ball caused them to drastically deteriorate. The bowl loss was a pivotal event that sparked concerns about the program’s future under Venables, not just another setback.

This losing season is a major setback for Venables, whose tenure was already being questioned. Since the last year of John Blake’s tumultuous tenure in 1998, Oklahoma has not concluded a season with a losing record. 

Following Blake’s three-year reign, which concluded with a 5-6 record, the program has had continuous success, including an amazing 23 consecutive winning seasons under Lincoln Riley and Bob Stoops. 

The bar has been set high by the Sooners’ heritage of excellence, and many have questioned if Venables can turn things around after failing to live up to it.

The pressure is increasing as Venables gets closer to his fourth season as head coach. He will have another year to establish himself, but it’s difficult to see a fifth season without any progress. The program clearly took a step back in 2024, and the SEC transition turned out to be more difficult than expected. 

In 2025, Venables will have a difficult time getting Oklahoma back to its winning ways because of concerns about the offense, the quarterback position, and the offensive line.

Brent Venables is at a crucial turning point in his life. His choices over the course of the upcoming season might impact not only his career but also the course of Oklahoma’s once-proud football program for years to come. 

The program is at a turning point. Will Venables’ time be characterized by failure, or will he resolve the offensive problems and contend in the challenging SEC environment? Both the Sooners and their head coach will have to make a decision in 2025.

OklahomaSooners

The 2024 Season: Unfulfilled Hopes

Expectations were high going into the 2024 season after Oklahoma had a strong 10-win season in 2023. Both supporters and experts thought that under Brent Venables, the Sooners would build on their achievements and keep improving.

It looked as though Oklahoma may contend for a place among the best teams in the country, especially in their first season in the SEC, with an outstanding defense becoming a defining feature of the school. But what transpired was a season filled with disappointing outcomes and unfulfilled aspirations.

The shift to the SEC turned out to be more challenging than most people had thought. The Sooners found it difficult to adapt to the intensity and toughness of the conference, even though Venables was aware of the difficulties that might arise. Specifically, Oklahoma’s offensive line was unprepared for the heightened competition. 

A season that never fully found its rhythm resulted from the inability to resolve this crucial issue before to the start of the season and the continued uncertainty at quarterback. Throughout the season, the offensive difficulties were a recurring theme, whether it was the incapacity to protect the quarterback or the frequent changes under center.

In the meantime, Oklahoma’s defense, which Venables had predicted would be strong, delivered on its promise. The Sooners demonstrated the strength that Venables had promised when he took over, boasting one of the best defensive teams in the nation. 

Even if the defense was excellent, the team’s total performance suffered from its inability to consistently produce offensive plays. Even though Oklahoma possessed an excellent defense, it became evident that in order to compete in the SEC, it needed to figure out how to score points.

The 2024 campaign brought to light the sharp disparity between Oklahoma’s offensive difficulties and defensive prowess. The defense’s incapacity to handle crucial problems on the other side of the ball became evident as it held its own against strong SEC offenses. 

Now, Brent Venables must figure out how to assemble a well-rounded team that can compete in the SEC. Oklahoma’s chances of success are dubious until these offensive problems are fixed.

The defense is Oklahoma's strongest suit

During the 2024 season, Oklahoma’s defense, led by Brent Venables, became one of the best in the nation. Venables, who is renowned for his defensive prowess, has demonstrated his ability to create an outstanding defensive program by effectively transforming the Sooners’ defense into a powerful force.

Oklahoma’s defense was one of the finest in the country, constantly stopping strong offenses and producing big stops when it mattered most. In a season that has been otherwise disappointing, this defensive success has shown that Venables is still capable of having an influence as a defensive coach.

Oklahoma’s predicament is ironic since, despite building one of the nation’s best defenses, Venables’ offense had severe difficulties. The Sooners had a defense that could compete with the best but an offense that couldn’t keep up after years of hoping for a strong defense during the Lincoln Riley era.

The incapacity to provide reliable scoring overshadowed the defensive strength, which ought to have been the cornerstone of a championship-contending squad. Despite the defensive successes, Oklahoma’s overall performance fell far short of expectations due to a dearth of offensive output.

With great individual performances from key players and a steady ability to stop the run and pass, Oklahoma’s defense ended the season strong. The disruptive defensive line limited big plays and put pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Strong as well, the secondary constantly stopped significant gains from being made over the air. 

The Sooners were able to force turnovers and stay in games that their offense was unable to win because to these defensive advantages. It is evident that Venables’ defensive strategy has been effective, and it has a solid base upon which to grow going forward.

On the defensive end of the ball, Oklahoma has a lot to be hopeful about going forward. Venables has the chance to continuing creating a top-tier defense that can keep the Sooners competitive in the SEC now that a number of important players are back and the defensive scheme is solid. 

Oklahoma’s defense will give the team a solid foundation if the offense can catch up and improve. Venables must fix the offensive problems in the upcoming season since Oklahoma’s defensive prowess will only carry them so far until the offense finds its rhythm.

One of the main problems of the 2024 season was Oklahoma’s offensive difficulties, which prompted Brent Venables to make major adjustments to solve the issue. Restructuring the offense began with the firing of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell during the season. 

Venables replaced him with Washington State’s Ben Arbuckle, a decision that suggests a change to a more inventive and dynamic offensive strategy. Oklahoma fans have hope that Arbuckle can revitalize a team that sorely needs a new beginning because of his success creating potent offenses with the Cougars.

Another crucial step in resolving Oklahoma’s offensive problems is the signing of transfer quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. Mateer, who is among the most sought-after players on the transfer web, is a talented and capable quarterback. 

He might be just what the Sooners need to establish consistency behind center because of his propensity to flourish in Arbuckle’s offensive scheme. Oklahoma’s offensive rhythm was hampered by the 2024 quarterback carousel, and Mateer’s arrival presents an opportunity for much-needed consistency.

But without proper protection, no quarterback can be successful, and Oklahoma’s offensive line was among the worst in the nation the previous season. The Sooners’ inability to sustain drives was mostly caused by the offensive line’s troubles, which saw them rank 132nd in sack rate and 127th in pressure rate allowed nationally. 

Venables used the transfer portal to solve this problem, bringing in Derek Simmons from Western Carolina and Luke Baklenko from Stanford. Both guys are anticipated to give an instant boost to a line that needs to significantly improve in order for Oklahoma’s attack to advance.

The wide receiver position, which suffered from injuries all season long, is another source of worry. The Oklahoma receivers were more likely to be on the injury report than on the field, even if their depth chart was full of gifted playmakers. 

For Arbuckle’s offensive approach to be successful, this group’s consistency and health must be improved. The offense has the ability to support the team’s top defense and put Oklahoma back on the winning track in 2025 if the Sooners can retain their best targets on the field and foster a positive relationship between Mateer and the receiving corps.

Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma’s schedule for the 2025 season is among the most difficult in recent memory, starting with a formidable nonconference game against Michigan. The Wolverines, who are always in the running for the College Football Playoffs, will give Brent Venables’s redesigned squad an early litmus test.

The Sooners have a chance to make a statement with this game, but it also poses a big challenge for a program that is still figuring things out following a dismal 2024 season. Oklahoma’s preparations are made more urgent by the fact that they are playing such a formidable opponent so early in the season.

Oklahoma has to contend with the tough SEC schedule, which includes home games against Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, and Auburn in addition to games against Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. With almost every opponent capable of contending for conference and postseason positions, the SEC is a cruel place to play. 

The Sooners’ ability to compete in a league renowned for its depth and physicality will be put to the test in these games. Every game is a huge challenge and an opportunity for a program that is currently rebuilding.

The problem is exacerbated by the SEC clubs’ collective success on Oklahoma’s 2025 schedule. Many of the eight SEC opponents spent most of the 2024 season rated in the top 25, and seven of them had winning records at the end of the season.

The Sooners confront a roster full of playoff-caliber teams, with opponents like Alabama and LSU frequently contending for national championships and others like Tennessee and Ole Miss on the rise. Given the quality of competition, Oklahoma must perform at its peak in every area of the game.

For a team in dire need of a bounceback, the forthcoming season is intimidating, but it also offers Oklahoma an opportunity to establish itself as one of the best in the SEC. Venables will need to retain the defensive prowess that has come to define the team’s success in 2025 in addition to resolving the offensive problems.

The Sooners can rebuild their reputation and lay the groundwork for a more promising future in the SEC if they can step up to the plate and go through this difficult schedule. But if Venables doesn’t live up to the expectations of this demanding slate, Oklahoma may have to look for new leadership.

Conclusion:

In 2025, Brent Venables will have a crucial task: bringing Oklahoma football back to its former glory and assembling a competitive, well-rounded squad. If Oklahoma wants to recover its footing in the very competitive SEC, it needs to address the significant flaws that were exposed by the Sooners’ troubles in 2024, especially on the offensive side of the ball. 

Venables has an outstanding defense already in place; his task is to combine it with a rejuvenated offense that can hold drives, defend the quarterback, and score points. He will have one final opportunity to demonstrate that he is the best coach to guide the program in 2025.

Venables needs to make noticeable offensive progress and persevere through a demanding schedule if he wants to guarantee Oklahoma’s spot among the SEC’s best. Although the recruitment of quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle via the transfer portal are encouraging decisions, their effectiveness depends on how well they are carried out. 

Additionally, Venables needs to make sure that the receiving corps and offensive line—two areas of concern in 2024—are prepared for the physical demands of SEC competition. The Sooners just cannot afford to have another dismal season if these problems are not resolved.

If Oklahoma doesn’t make significant progress in 2025, Venables’ tenure will probably end. The stakes are enormous, and his future is clearly in jeopardy. Because they are used to a winning culture, the Sooners’ fan base is not very patient with mediocrity. 

Finding a new coach would probably take precedence over rebuilding the club in Norman after another disappointing season. This year is crucial for Venables, who has little margin for mistake as he tries to lead Oklahoma back to national prominence.

If all goes wrong, Norman might experience a new type of exhilaration from the coaching hunt itself. One of the most alluring jobs in college football would be with the Sooners, given their legendary history and resources. By producing results in 2025, Venables still has a chance to prevent that fate. 

For the time being, Oklahoma football’s future is in jeopardy, and Venables has one final opportunity to turn the program around. The issue yet stands: will he be able to handle the pressure, or will his tenure in Norman come to an end in 2025?

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