Well that wasn’t very fun, was it?
After huge amounts of pure optimism from the Oklahoma Sooners fanbase following the hire of Brent Venables, the actual results of the first year of this new era of Oklahoma Football felt like a bit of a dud.
The Sooners finished the regular season 6-6, with a date with a superior Florida State team on the horizon in the Cheez-it Bowl. OU’s first losing record in more than two decades is a possibility in year one of Brent Venables’ tenure.
I don’t want to talk about the bad times from this first year. That’s been done again and again. Instead, let’s look at the positives that this year yielded for the present and future of OU Football.
After Lincoln Riley left for California, the OU fanbase felt betrayed. The second his plane touched down in Norman, Brent Venables immediately devoted himself to giving the fanbase the kick in the pants it needed.
“Make the Palace a nightmare,” he said.
And a nightmare it was. OU home games finally recaptured the hostile environment it had been missing for years, with a notably reenergized student section. The fancy light shows helped.
When the Sooners do move to the SEC, the fans will be ready to go on Saturdays. And with the way the Oklahoma Sooners are recruiting, the talent on the roster will be there too.
The talent that the Sooners need to compete at a high level again is on the way. After reeling in the No. 8 recruiting class in 2022, OU’s 2023 class is again sitting at No. 8 with the potential to finish in the top five. The players are coming. This coaching staff can absolutely recruit the players they need to get the Sooners back on the right track.
While this coaching staff has issues that will need to be addressed in the spring and summer, they will improve. If the same issues from this season are still present in 2023, then we can have discussions about the coaches. Until then, the Cheez-it Bowl awaits.
Florida State is an interesting case. Mike Norvell possibly saved his job with his first bowl trip in year three in Tallahassee. Good for the Seminoles.
This game could be very fun. With several big contributors already opting out to prepare for the draft, the Sooners must be prepared to do one very simple thing.
Unleash the youth.
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