Paul Finebaum: Brent Venables Faces Pivotal Season at Oklahoma
As Brent Venables enters his fourth season at the helm of Oklahoma football, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum believes the head coach is treading dangerous waters. With expectations sky-high in Norman, another disappointing season could put Venables’ job security in question.
Since taking over in 2022, Venables has overseen a roller-coaster ride for the Sooners. His first season resulted in a 6-7 record, but Oklahoma rebounded in its final Big 12 season, finishing 10-3. However, the transition to SEC football in 2024 proved brutal, as the Sooners stumbled to another 6-7 finish, including a 2-6 mark in conference play—good for 13th place in the league standings.
For Finebaum, those results simply don’t cut it for a program with Oklahoma’s pedigree.
“You can’t continue to have subpar seasons at a school like Oklahoma, especially while your biggest rival is in the Playoff two years in a row,” Finebaum told On3 Sports.
Oklahoma’s Standards Are Higher Than Ever
Finebaum’s point is well-founded. From 2000-2021, Oklahoma never won fewer than eight games in a season. The last time the program endured such struggles was 1999, the first season under Bob Stoops. Since then, OU has built a reputation as one of the nation’s most consistent powerhouses.
Now, under Venables, the Sooners have posted two losing seasons in three years, a stark contrast to the stability Oklahoma fans have come to expect. With the SEC proving to be a much tougher battleground, 2025 could be a defining season for Venables and his future with the program.
With rival Texas reaching the College Football Playoff twice in a row, the pressure is mounting in Norman. If Venables can’t turn things around quickly, Oklahoma could be looking for a new leader sooner rather than later.
