While Lincoln Riley struggles at USC, Brent Venables is thriving at Oklahoma
Oklahoma fans are loving life right now. They should be after they beat Texas on Saturday to remain unbeaten and become the Big 12’s leading College Football Playoff contender.
Sooners Wire noted that OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby — under fire from OU fans earlier in the season — stepped up his game and called great plays against Texas:
“It’s not been perfect since Jeff Lebby came to Norman. The criticism has been there. But say what you want, Lebby brought it on Saturday.
“The play-calling was fantastic. The Oklahoma Sooners went for 486 yards and had their first 200+ yard rushing game since the week one win over Arkansas State. Mind you, this was against one of the best defensive lines in the country. A unit that tormented an Alabama Crimson Tide offense earlier in the season.”
Meanwhile, Lincoln Riley isn’t putting the USC offense in positions to succeed. Arizona’s staff outcoached him on Saturday. USC is simply not improving as a team. Oklahoma has made big forward steps.
Let’s look at some of the details Oklahoma and Brent Venables are getting right, while Riley struggles at USC:
CENTRAL POINT RIGHT HERE:
Oklahoma fans can be mad all they want about Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams leaving for USC, but the Sooners are tough in a way they haven't been since the early Bob Stoops days right now under Brent Venables.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 7, 2023
ZING
Brent Venables has a better winning percentage as a head coach than Steve Sarkisian https://t.co/joLq83hWWO
— RedDirtSport (@RedDirtSport) October 7, 2023
HARD WORK
In Brent Venables' first season, Oklahoma players opened workouts with 25 medicine ball sit-ups.
When they came back in January, they did… 49. Every Tuesday. For eight months.
From a 49-0 loss to a 34-30 win, the Texas motivation brought OU back.
➡️ https://t.co/zxgRDsNPM2 pic.twitter.com/Q39RBZ8ZQ7
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 8, 2023
NOT ONE MAN, BUT TWO
Lebby ain’t the offensive mind that Riley is, but give me the combo of Venables/Lebby over Riley/Grinch every damn day
— Boomer Beamer (@ImDerBatman) October 8, 2023
DEFENSIVE TRANSFORMATION
Brent Venables turned the defense around in two years, and it’s just gonna get better with the future commits sheesh pic.twitter.com/S1GvpqXneA
— Christian (@ChristianR_Vill) October 7, 2023
LINE PLAY
Excellent job by OU today. I got it waaaay wrong. Outstanding stuff by Venables, Gabriel and both lines for the Sooners. pic.twitter.com/pbUoysWTpE
— Geoff Ketchum (@gkketch) October 7, 2023
NEEDED MORE THAN ONE SEASON -- REMEMBER THAT
Some well-deserved validation for Brent Venables today. Many doubted him after last season. He never wavered from the course. And while there’s still a lot to prove and a ways to go, today is a monumental step for him and his program.
The process just got put on fast forward. https://t.co/LGatDcj0pl
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) October 7, 2023
DILLON GABRIEL: PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
Asked Brent Venables the same "Gabriel for Heisman" question. The #Sooners coach answered the same way, but had a different finish to his quote:
"All that stuff takes care of itself. … But man, he’s an assassin, no doubt about it.” https://t.co/H9o0K2yGvb
— Eric Bailey (@EricBaileyTW) October 7, 2023
HARD TO CONTEST THIS POINT
Brent Venables has a better chance to be in the CFP Playoff than Lincoln Riley right now.
Let that sink in.
Sooners's defense has got a lot better, game changing QB plus easier road than the Trojans will face.
Things can change awfully quickly in CFB.
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) October 8, 2023
COMPARE THIS ATTITUDE TO USC
Brent Venables: "I say embrace the chaos" pic.twitter.com/SnfqlgdmsN
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) October 7, 2023
FOR THE RECORD: WE BELIEVED IN BRENT VENABLES OURSELVES
I don't mention picks just to toot my own horn (with occasional exceptions).
I'm mentioning that I picked Oklahoma only so that no one thinks I doubted Venables or was rooting for OU to lose, given my position as a USC blogger and site editor: pic.twitter.com/ZNwCpgYRJb
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) October 7, 2023
MANAGING THE TRANSITION
It was a rocky ride for Brent Venables in Year 1 at Oklahoma, but unless a coach inherits an unquestioned Cadillac roster in his first season, waiting for Year 2 is the appropriate thing to do.
Venables figured things out. Everyone in Norman can now fully believe.
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) October 7, 2023
THE YEARS UNDER DABO AT CLEMSON REALLY MATTERED
Listen, we were never supposed to win today. That’s fine. Here’s what irks me to no end. Brent Venables is a second year head coach and former defensive coordinator who beat the #3 team in the country today. Spare me the “lack of head coaching experience” crap.
— Grayson Wimbish (@G_Wimb) October 7, 2023
THE GRINCH FACTOR: ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION
We have Brent Venables. We don’t have Alex Grinch. I love life
— Barstool Sooners (@OUBarstool) October 8, 2023
CARING ABOUT THE PRODUCT
Brent Venables: “I don’t coach for cheers and likes and clicks…when I’m affected is when we’re not putting a good product on the field.”
“I live in this community, I live in this state…it’s home. I’ve always taken a look at myself and there’s a huge responsibility.”
“How we…
— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) October 3, 2023
FURTHER READING FROM USA TODAY SPORTS
Oklahoma, Brent Venables validate future, put Lincoln Riley in past with Texas win https://t.co/xKcjlequzK
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 8, 2023
FURTHER READING FROM SOONERS WIRE
'This is why I came here': Dillon Gabriel leads Oklahoma to win in Red River Rivalry https://t.co/GN6P65M4L3
— Sooners Wire (@SoonersWire) October 8, 2023
