To be clear, I wanted Brent Venables to be the OU HC from the moment that the TBOW news broke. I truly thought he would be better than TBOW in almost every way. I figured the Sooners might stub their toe a couple times and wind up with a couple of close losses but felt assured that they would play disciplined, physical football and get better every week.
At this point, I think it’s fair to conclude that not only was BV not the right guy for OU, but he may very well have singlehandedly done what TBOW couldn’t quite accomplish on his way out of Norman… burned the OU program to the ground. The reality is that TBOW and FUAG somehow managed to win football games with more or less the same group of guys that BV inherited. I’ll grant that he didn’t takeover a NC caliber squad, but Brent has seemingly taken a two loss team and transformed them into KU of the last decade. The 2022/23 Sooners are easily the worst OU team in over two decades and arguably more inept than most of John Blake’s squads. Seriously, if he has any love for OU at all, he’ll resign and take a reduced buyout.
So, what does OU do? They have to stop the bleeding. The Venables experiment needs to be over effective tonight upon the team’s return to Norman. There is no point in letting things play out any further. It’s done! This team doesn’t play as though anyone is coaching them. The program has quickly found absolute bottom and there is zero chance of a recovery.
So, now it ALL has to be about reestablishing respectability while getting in the market quickly and lining up someone who can rebuild from the ground up. If, and it’s a big if, OU can talk Bob Stoops into taking the HC position on an interim basis, then they should do it. He can at least rebuild confidence in the leadership and ensure that the asinine decisions currently pervading the program are reversed and some semblance of a thoughtful strategy is executed. He can, as he did in 1998, move some guys around and initiate the youth movement that will be necessary regardless. Perhaps he can even convince his brother Mark to talk to Oklahoma about the HC opening.
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that OU is precariously close to following Nebraska into the abyss. If they don’t make changes quickly, then the next decade is going to make the 90s look highly successful.
At this point, I think it’s fair to conclude that not only was BV not the right guy for OU, but he may very well have singlehandedly done what TBOW couldn’t quite accomplish on his way out of Norman… burned the OU program to the ground. The reality is that TBOW and FUAG somehow managed to win football games with more or less the same group of guys that BV inherited. I’ll grant that he didn’t takeover a NC caliber squad, but Brent has seemingly taken a two loss team and transformed them into KU of the last decade. The 2022/23 Sooners are easily the worst OU team in over two decades and arguably more inept than most of John Blake’s squads. Seriously, if he has any love for OU at all, he’ll resign and take a reduced buyout.
So, what does OU do? They have to stop the bleeding. The Venables experiment needs to be over effective tonight upon the team’s return to Norman. There is no point in letting things play out any further. It’s done! This team doesn’t play as though anyone is coaching them. The program has quickly found absolute bottom and there is zero chance of a recovery.
So, now it ALL has to be about reestablishing respectability while getting in the market quickly and lining up someone who can rebuild from the ground up. If, and it’s a big if, OU can talk Bob Stoops into taking the HC position on an interim basis, then they should do it. He can at least rebuild confidence in the leadership and ensure that the asinine decisions currently pervading the program are reversed and some semblance of a thoughtful strategy is executed. He can, as he did in 1998, move some guys around and initiate the youth movement that will be necessary regardless. Perhaps he can even convince his brother Mark to talk to Oklahoma about the HC opening.
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that OU is precariously close to following Nebraska into the abyss. If they don’t make changes quickly, then the next decade is going to make the 90s look highly successful.
