Haven’t seen this mentioned yet but what about…. Cam Rising?

He’s a veteran who has played a ton of games. Was originally committed to OU. Is really tough. Has never been prone to turnovers. Could be a one year bridge QB to either Hawkins or the next QB recruit. I realize there is an injury concern but there is no reason to think he won’t be 100% going into spring.

More than anything - the guy knows how to win. He won 2 conf titles at Utah. He’ll be a good leader and won’t shit away a game when it’s there for the taking

Here's your AI summary of the postgame pod from Thune and Coach Clinton:


The life of an OU football fan has taken a harsh turn this fall. It’s the dead of night in a Holiday Inn Express in Oak Grove, Missouri, the backdrop fittingly disheveled and weary, much like the fans and the team they cheer for every weekend. Once a powerhouse, Oklahoma’s football team is now firmly entrenched in a losing season, and after yet another defeat, it's time to question everything—coaches, players, and the direction of the program.

The Missouri Meltdown

On a chilling night in Columbia, Missouri, the Sooners managed new ways to dishevel their hopes, reminiscent of the fall from grace seen in programs like Nebraska. This time, the Missouri Tigers snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat, leaving the Sooners with no clear path forward. By the end of the game, it felt like rock bottom for OU, a point that’s hard to digest for both the team and its supporters.

In a game where several fans had stood firm behind head coach Brent Venables, the closing moments against Missouri may have shifted opinions drastically. With a schedule leading into matchups against Alabama and LSU, it seems the road ahead only gets steeper for the Sooners.

The Unfolding Crisis in Oklahoma

The podcast from the Holiday Inn perfectly summarized the current state of OU football, throwing light on the cracks within the foundation. The Missouri loss highlighted persistent issues: a lack of offensive consistency, turnovers, and tactical naiveté. The Sooners managed to convert their modest 23-16 lead into a 30-23 downfall, riddled with questionable plays and missed opportunities, an unfortunate recurring theme.

The Offense Struggles to Shine

Under the faint glow of any positive takeaways, the offense struggled. Oklahoma’s offense has been inefficient, with frequent lapses occurring in the most critical phases of the game. Adding fire to this inferno, questions about starting quarterback Jackson Arnold and the direction at quarterback for the rest of the season run rampant. His performances have not been what Sooners fans hoped for, raising foundational questions about the future leadership of the offense.

Defensive Breakdowns Continue

Defensively, Oklahoma presented a dichotomy—showing strength in the first half only to falter as the game progressed. The defense conceded to Drew Pyne and the Missouri offense during a critical juncture, a tough sight for any fan holding out hope for victory.

Coaching and Culture in Question

The coaching staff hasn't been spared scrutiny either. Fans have started to compare Brent Venables to past OU coaches who failed to meet the glory days' standards. Managing talents like Arnold and navigating the impending recruit classes remain daunting tasks for Venables as such.

In practice, the decision-making process that determines who sees the field has been questioned. Players like Xavier Robinson, Jacob Jordan, and Eli Bowen have shown tremendous potential yet have been underutilized in favor of others who fail to deliver, indicating a need for reevaluation from the coaching staff.

Looking Ahead to an Uncertain Future

So where does Oklahoma go from here? With a bye week ahead, followed by games against football giants Alabama and LSU, the Sooners need to regroup and reassess. Who will lead as quarterback remains a puzzle, with Venables facing the dilemma of sticking with Arnold or opting for a seasoned Casey Thompson or exploring the potential of Michael Hawkins.

As the regular season winds down, the Sooners are on the brink of missing bowl eligibility, a once inconceivable notion. The fanbase's patience wears thinner by the game, with a future uncertain. Changing the narrative will require decisive actions, some introspection, and a return to the discipline and prowess that once defined Oklahoma football.

A Call to Action for the Sooners

There's little time to implement those changes—only two games remain to turn back towards a winning path. The Sooners are at a crossroads, needing a spark to pull themselves back from the depths of despair, rekindle the fighting spirit that has defined their legacy, and provide something for fans to believe in once again.

As the dust settles in Oak Grove, Missouri, the call for Oklahoma is clear: It’s time for a change, and fast. The culture, player utilization, and strategical approaches need immediate addressing if the Sooners are to rise once again from their rock bottom.

Try and lure Rashad Samples closer to home let him go recruit some dudes on offense. He is a hell of a recruiter and has been Assistant HC for 3 schools now. He hasn’t called plays but this thing more about Jimmy’s & Joes instead of the X’s & O’s. OU don’t have them on offense.

I counted at least 6 different blatant holds tonight . None were called. Holton was destroying his guy several times it was missed.

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I wanted BV to be the next great HC at OU. After watching 3 years of this, I don't believe it is going to work out.

Obviously the offense is terrible, no need to rehash that. But the defense is not a really good defense. They're better than the defenses of the past several years, but they're not a great defense. They consistently collapse when the going gets tough.

Go back to Bob's 2001 team. The defense was great with an equally inept offense, but still found ways to win games. The 2001 offense wasn't good, but it wasn't keystone cops every time they took the field. They at least had a scheme and plays they were trying to execute. And they didn't consistently make horrible mistakes that gave the game away.

I don't see how this gets any better by simply adding a competent OC & QB coach. Will it help? Sure, but is it going to suddenly make this a disciplined football team that takes pride in the details of winning.

Everybody points to BVs recruiting and I agree it is better than TBOW. But he's doing the same thing at LB that BB did on the OL.

I think it's time to find a proven winner HC if OU wants to get back to the top.

How OU could have let Gabriel go without a dog fight is the biggest screw up ever by a OU head coach. To not have been able to discern that Jackson Arnold wasn’t ia competent quarterback is pitiful . Venables decision to ride with Arnold into a new season only displays his complete lack of understanding of how to run an offense and evaluate talent. All if which is a fireable offense: Time to walk the plank.

Also looking for an OC so we will have to outbid them most likely for an elite OC

@Jesse Crittenden posted the pff grades as always (thank you!) and I have questions on how it works. If our offensive line is like the worst in cfb and our dline is one of the best, how are their pff grades always so similar??? And how was Spencer browns grade so high when I saw him getting whooped all night? Gabe said howland looked pretty solid so how come his grade is so low?

Each lost season puts you two years back in recruiting. Time to make a splash and get Curt Cignetti. Blow it up.

Watching the show and I am_ucking sick of his _ucking attitude and his idiotic _ucking 'WE GOTTA DO BETTER' crap... When? Next season against Temple... or how about the what should be the worst team in FBS Kent state... Hell... they are 0-9 and I wonder if they were on the schedule this coming Saturday @ Kent Ohio... would Arnold be able to pass for 100+YARDS? His smart ass replies to Dean asking him if there was moisture causing the fumbles which is a fair question and Venables reply with hs smart ass smirk. I am done with his ass... I fear Castiglione will ride his ass until it' too late to avoid the Smellofbourbon/Blakes 4 seasons of misery,

That is who we could and should hire.

Every day I'm leaning more and more with those who say BV ain't the guy. My question is, is there a scenario where we go get a new HC, and BV accepts demotion to DC? I ask this considering BV age, the fact that he was always a DC and appeared content with that role before OU, and doesn't seem to be an ego guy who couldnt handle something like that. And if he's getting fired anyway, isnt the logical next step that he goes back to a DC position since he's not going to be on any HC short list, and isn't OU the best place to be DC with the guys you have recruited? Plenty of people have pointed to the fact that he still sees himself connected more to the defense anyway, several times referencing "us" in interviews with the discussion specifically about OU defense. I know its a crazy unlikely scenario, but if you fire BV you have two problems - you need a new HC and you lose as good of a defensive mind as there is, and probably have an exodus from the roster with guys he recruited.

OK fire away tell me how idiotic this is

@Spacemon25 what is the deal with all of the quad injuries we’re experiencing? Seems like that’s the biggest issue with our skill players.

Enough said

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*** I reside just north of The Motor City, so on Friday, I made my way to Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech to see Rivals100 2026 athlete and Oklahoma target CJ Sadler. OU offered the junior in February of last year.

*** Rivals ranks Sadler as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Michigan next cycle, as well as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 4 wide receiver nationally. Rivals also lists Sadler the highest across the four primary recruiting services. Only one service doesn't have Sadler in the Top 100. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Sadler's size might be a reason for the difference in rankings. But it's tough to argue against him being the top player in Michigan.

*** Let's begin with Sadler as a potential multi-positional athlete at the next level. His goal is to become the next Travis Hunter. For his high school, Sadler is the X receiver, boundary cornerback, return specialist, and occasionally plays Wildcat quarterback. He scored a touchdown in the first quarter of Friday's playoff win and had a 45-yard punt return. Offensively, Sadler is a smooth route-runner and has soft hands. Yards after the catch is Sadler's wheelhouse because of his elusiveness and vision in the open field. Defensively, Sadler is primarily in press man. So, combining his versatility with his moxie, visualizing the next Travis Hunter to come out of the Detroit area isn't that difficult. If Sadler continues to grow, comparison considerations could be made to Deebo Samuel because of their similar Swiss Army Knife roles.

*** Sadler is one of two Michigan natives possessing Oklahoma offers alongside Rivals250 Portage (Mich.) Northern offensive tackle Greg Patrick. Only Patrick, who's visited Norman twice, has made the trip south. There's interest from both sides, so it's a matter of Sadler traveling to campus. Sadler mentioned checking out the facilities and seeing how the coaching staff interacts with the players would be a strong focus should he be able to visit. Sadler also went in-depth about CeeDee Lamb and how the former watched Lamb growing up. Seeing the culture of OU was talked about by Sadler as well.

*** I think if Oklahoma works to get Sadler on a visit, moves could be made to garner momentum. Sadler keeps his recruitment process close to the chest, and he's been relatively selective about where he visits. Michigan, LSU, Colorado, and others have recently hosted Sadler. A significant factor for him will be opportunities to remain multi-faceted, and he said OU likes him as a two-way contributor.

*** I like the idea for the Sooners to plant their footing in the state of Michigan, especially when it comes to Sadler, who yields a high floor and ceiling, and Patrick, who's already been to campus twice. When looking at the 2027 recruiting class, four recruits in The Mitten State are listed in the Rivals100 – EDGE Ricarder Kitchen, wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, tight end Holden Niemi, and athlete Anthony Cartwright. It's not uncommon for prospects in Michigan to leave the state for college, so maybe there's an opportunity for OU to swoop in.

Will Stein give him what he wants, it’s the most realistic option and sec is an offense conference now you need an offensive minded coach i think this would be the best possible and realistic hire.(also fire joe c)

Lol

Real question, what needs to change?

This team sucks. This offense sucks. One offensive touchdown against a bad Mizzou.

Any media guy on this site who says JJF is “trying out” for the OC role next season, respectfully, f*ck you.

some may disagree but if OU wants to win either of their last two games they have to sit JA and either play Hawk or Thompson. I think Hawk will be back next season no matter what so I would play Thompson. JA is consistently late on throws and has turned over the ball in every sec game this year he’s played. Midzzou scored 17 points off turn overs.

21-15 overall

11-13 in conference

3-7 vs Top 25

0-2 in Bowl games

He gone

Parker, Bryan and I will be in Columbia, Missouri to bring you coverage of tonight's game.

It's gonna be a late one. OU-Mizzou kicks off at 6:45 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Follow along here for live updates and observations.

Pregame reading: Missouri scouting report, Things to watch, Intriguing position groups to watch, Cookin' With Grill Boy

Score predictions?