Year 1 of the Brent Venables era was not good. Year 2 should be better. Because Year 2 in a defensive system and with more talent on that side of the ball should yield better results.
Months out from the start of the regular season, there is optimism Oklahoma can bounce back in 2023. However, there are still some question on this roster as the Sooners prepare for their spring game on Saturday.
The second-year Sooners coach is essentially in the same boat as Napier and Cristobal. The 6-7 record is the first sub-.500 record and is the program’s worst since 1998 (5-6), which came before many players on the roster were born. To make matters worse, the Sooners defense — which is supposed to be Venables’ bread and butter — was the second-worst defense in the conference. Venables doesn’t necessarily have to lead his team to the Big 12 title game this season. However, the Sooners will jump to the SEC in 2024. If he doesn’t instill hope for the future, their first season in the SEC could get a little spicy for Venables. – Sallee, CBS Sports
Would a Big 12 championship appearance or even a conference title be huge for Brent Venables and the Sooners in 2023? Absolutely. However, let’s take this a little bit bigger picture.
Brent Venables wasn’t brought in to win the Big 12 championship. He was brought in to build a program that could contend and win SEC titles and national championships. So while showing improvement is a start, it’s not all about what happens with this team this year.
The Sooners are in Year 2 of a program rebuild, one that needed a lot of help defensively. But let’s also recall Clemson wasn’t built in a day. They were 81st in points allowed per game the year prior to Venables’ arrival. That first year they were better, 48th in the nation, but it took three seasons for the Tigers to rank in the top 10 in points allowed per game.
Venables isn’t just retooling a roster. He’s overhauling it. Especially on the defensive side of the ball from the Alex Grinch days.
But talent is in house, and it’s on the way as well. They had an elite 2023 signing class and a 2024 signing class could be even better. The Sooners look well on their way.
If athletic director Joe Castiglione is anything, it’s patient. He’ll give Brent Venables the time it takes to put the Sooners in a position to win games. And the wins are coming, whether in the Big 12 or the SEC. Sooners fans and national observers need to have the same patience as well.
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