Colin Cowherd changes his tune on Brent Venables, Oklahoma Sooners
The coaching change heard around the world at the end of the 2021 season is beginning to bear fruit. While 2022 didn’t go well for the Oklahoma Sooners, it was only the beginning. The recruiting classes, the meetings and the offseason strength and conditioning work laid the foundation for what Oklahoma football would look like under Brent Venables.
FS1’s Colin Cowherd has been one of the most ardent supporters of USC’s hire of Lincoln Riley and what it would mean for the Oklahoma Sooners. Essentially, Cowherd believed the Sooners would descend into mediocrity like Nebraska did.
This is from June:
"Keep your eye on Oklahoma. Are they going to be the second program in our adult life that disappears?"
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/qsDnT731jR
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 15, 2023
Well, on his daily show for FS1, Cowherd admits Venables and the Sooners have changed his tune.
It killed him to say this. But he said it.
*tips cap*@ColinCowherd
Now learn to smoke a cigar properly pic.twitter.com/CGnqkgg5Ge— The Tunnel_Sooners (@TheTunnel_OU) October 16, 2023
Forget about USC, Oklahoma is rated sixth in the latest AP poll. Brett Venables, not Lincoln Riley has developed a culture in a year and a half based on substance, defense. They’ve improved. Last year, I said, ‘I don’t know.’ I’ve never seen an Oklahoma team that look that disorganized. Now. They haven’t played a great schedule but they did beat Texas and they looked like the better coach team, than Texas. Lots of substance. Not a ton of flash. Right now, Brent Venables is right. – Cowherd, FS1
It’s only been a year and a half since the coaching change, but it looks as if the two programs are in vastly different situations. Granted the schedule isn’t the same, but in their toughest matchups of the season, the Sooners were prepared both mentally and physically for the challenge of a top-five Texas team. The USC Trojans were not, getting taken to the woodshed, 48-20, by Notre Dame.
The Oklahoma Sooners are still working to become the program Venables envisions, but they’ve made great strides in his first 22 months. It’s not every day you see a sports media personality admit he was wrong about something.
That’s further evidence the Sooners are building something pretty special in Norman.
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