Brent Venables among coaches with the most to prove in 2023
Year 1 in the Brent Venables era couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The Sooners started 3-0 and had a dominating performance against rival Nebraska.
From that point on, it couldn’t have been any worse. The Sooners won only three of their last 10 games. That included a three-game losing streak, something that just doesn’t happen too often at the University of Oklahoma.
How the season ended put Venables on 247Sports coaches with the most to prove in 2023 list.
The Sooners gave up 461 yards per game and 30 points per game last season, their worst marks since the 2018 season under Lincoln Riley. And to rub salt in the wound, Oklahoma fans watched Riley show substantial Year 1 success at USC, where he finished one win shy of a conference championship and College Football Playoff berth with the Trojans. You’d have to go back a couple of decades to find the last time Oklahoma was considered a dark-horse to win the Big 12, but this is where Venables stands this summer. After that, it’s off to the SEC where the matchups are only going to get tougher. – Brandon Crawford, 247Sports
Venables is joined by Mario Cristobal (Miami), Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M), Billy Napier (Florida) and Mel Tucker (Michigan State).
The article mentions several of the newcomers hoping to make an immediate impact this season.
There’s no secret the staff had a lot of holes to fill after a below .500 season, and that includes almost a complete overhaul of the defense.
The Sooners finished 122nd in total defense, 119th in pass defense and 106th in run defense. Such numbers are unheard of for a Venables defense.
That type of season has brought a lot of criticism, and people both locally and nationally are wondering if Venables can get the job done.
With only one season left in the Big 12, this is a big year for the Sooners. If big strides aren’t made, those concerns will surely start to creep into the minds of Oklahoma leaders as well.
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