Tag: Mike Gundy

5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over Oklahoma State in Bedlam

5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Oklahoma Sooners head to Stillwater for one final time as they get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The vibes surrounding each team are strikingly different. Oklahoma is coming off of their first loss of the season, to Kansas, no less. That loss was preceded by a scare at home from UCF coming out of their bye week.

Meanwhile, Mike Gundy has his Cowboys on a four-game winning streak and isn’t lacking in things he needs to say to motivate his team for this particular game.

Oklahoma will lose this game if they play like they have the last two weeks. In a rivalry game, mistakes are magnified.

There is nothing more Oklahoma State fans want more than to beat Oklahoma as the Bedlam series comes to a close with the Sooners’ departure to the SEC.

The last two games have shown us Oklahoma is improved. However, they are still capable of losing games if they don’t bring their best.

What do the Sooners need to do to come away with a win. Here are five keys to this week’s matchup.

5 Oklahoma State Cowboys to know before Oklahoma’s final Bedlam matchup

Oklahoma is set to take on in-state rivals Oklahoma State on Saturday. Here’s a look at five Cowboys to know ahead of Bedlam.

Bragging rights for the state of Oklahoma are on the line Saturday afternoon with a rowdy Stillwater crowd. The Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys matchup in Bedlam one final time as Big 12 rivals. The two schools haven’t come to an agreement to continue playing in the future.

The game also has massive implications for this year’s Big 12 title race. The winner will put itself in a prime position to book a trip to Arlington to start the final month of the season.

The Cowboys started this season 2-0 before losing 33-7 at home to South Alabama from the Sun Belt. They followed that up with a loss to Iowa State before righting the ship and reeling off wins in their last four games, including wins over Kansas and Kansas State. The makeup of this team is different than Oklahoma State teams of the past.

Mike Gundy is doing an terrific job coaching this team. As the Sooners get ready for one final Bedlam battle, here are five Oklahoma State Cowboys to know ahead of the matchup.

Brent Venables one of the 20 highest paid coaches in college football

Brent Venables is one of the highest paid coaches in all of college football.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is in year two as the head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. Venables had been a long-time assistant coach for the [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag], Oklahoma and Clemson Tigers.

His first year in Norman as the head man didn’t go as planned. The Sooners went 6-7 and had its first losing season since 1998. Year two has started off much better.

The Sooners are 5-0 heading into the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag]. The defense went from one of the worst in the nation to now one of the best. They are a top 30 total defense and top three scoring defense. That can be attributed to the work of Venables and his coaching staff.

With it being Venables’ second season as head coach, you can imagine he’s not one of the top 10 highest-paid coaches but where exactly does he fall? USA TODAY Sports put out a list of the highest-paid coaches and Venables comes in at No. 17 making $7.1 million a year.

This actually ranks second among Big 12 schools. Only [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag]’ [autotag]Mike Gundy[/autotag] makes more at $7.625 million. Next is [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag]’ [autotag]Lance Leipold[/autotag] at $5.75 million and Texas Longhorns‘ [autotag]Steve Sarkisian[/autotag] at $5.6 million.

Both Venables and Sarkisian have their teams sitting at 5-0 and ranked in the top 12 in the country. If they are able to continue their success and get both programs back to their high standards, there’s no doubt neither coach will be out of the top 10 for long.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy discusses Colorado’s fit in the Big 12

Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy called Colorado’s move to the Big 12 a “really good fit”

Conference realignment has taken college athletics by storm as of late and one of the more high-profile moves is that of Colorado making its way back to the Big 12 after the 2023 season.

At least one Big 12 coach is excited about the Buffaloes rejoining the league as Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy called the Colorado addition a “really good fit” during a phone interview with BuffZone on Tuesday.

Coach Gundy is entering his 19th season as the Cowboys’ head coach. He was also a player in Stillwater in the late 1980s, so he is well-versed in the old-school ways of the Big 12 and has a lot of history against Colorado.

“I have really good memories of Colorado,” Gundy told BuffZone. “I enjoyed going to Boulder and playing. I think it’s a beautiful stadium. I think the setting is very college footballish, for lack of a better term.”

Coach Gundy also understands the significance of Sanders now being the head coach of the Buffaloes and the excitement that brings to the game of college football.

“I think they’re excited to be in the league and with coach (Deion Sanders) being a part of Colorado football right now, it’s a really good marketing tool for our conference. I’m really excited about Colorado being a part and looking forward to them getting involved.”

It’s easy to see that Gundy is ready for the Buffaloes to be back in the Big 12 to not only take on Sanders but also rekindle some of the traditional rivalries the conference once held.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2 category=26]

‘They chose to end Bedlam’: Mike Gundy doesn’t mince words when asked about rivalry’s future

Speaking to the media at Big 12 Media Days, Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy didn’t hold back when talking about the future of Bedlam.

The move to the SEC for Oklahoma and Texas had one big unintended consequence for the Sooners. The end, at least in the short term, of an important regional rivalry: Bedlam.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys have met on the gridiron 117 times in the history of the two programs. To hear Mike Gundy talk, 2023 will be the last time the two sides meet when Oklahoma travels to Stillwater.

“When Oklahoma decided to leave the Big 12, they chose to end Bedlam,” Gundy said at Big 12 media days on Wednesday. “It’s a one-sided deal. People were trying to decide what happened, and what needs to happen to make it go on. They kept pushing Oklahoma State into it. We didn’t have jack to do with that. They left the conference; Bedlam goes with it.

“The SEC eventually will go to a 9-game schedule; I’m sure Oklahoma has a Power Five team they’re playing every year. We would have a difficult time matching up with them in nonconference. We’re scheduled out through (2037). We’re not responsible to change what we do because they left the conference. It’s real simple. They chose to get into the SEC. That’s the choice they made.”

Oklahoma’s move to the SEC certainly complicated the future of the game. At the same time, schedules change all the time. If it were important to Oklahoma State, it would find a way to make it happen.

Gundy has maintained his stance that the biggest game in the state of Oklahoma doesn’t have a future beyond 2023. For the last two years, the head coach has been unequivocal in laying blame at the feet of the Oklahoma Sooners for ending the rivalry.

In a way, Gundy is right, the Sooners made the decision to leave, and it’s not up to Oklahoma State to make changes in order to accommodate Bedlam. But it should.

Even though Oklahoma has dominated the series, Bedlam matters to both schools, both fan bases and both local economies. Norman is going to get a boost when Alabama comes to town in 2024, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a loss from the local buzz generated between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State every November.

While it’s a loss for the state, this is an opportunity for Oklahoma State and Gundy to create their own football identity apart from their counterparts in Norman.

The new Big 12 is going to be wide open for a team to come in and fill the void left with Oklahoma’s departure. Could that be Oklahoma State? Without the Sooners on the schedule, it will have a chance to create a new narrative apart from Oklahoma’s dominance in the all-time series.

Oklahoma State hasn’t had a lot of success in this series with the Sooners having the edge, 91-19-7. Still, it is difficult to see that long-standing history go up in a puff of smoke. The final meeting will take place in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Nov. 4. – Patrick Conn, College Sports Wire

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

CBS Sports Big 12 Hot Seat Ratings: ‘Pressure is mounting’ for Brent Venables

In their updated hot seat rating for the 2023 season, CBS Sports believes “pressure is mounting” for Oklahoma’s Brent Venables.

Coming out of a 2022 season where the Oklahoma Sooners had their first losing season since 1998 with one of the worst defenses in the team’s history, it’s not unreasonable to have questions about the direction of the program.

At the same time, it’s only been one year, and we haven’t seen Venables’ recruiting classes take the field and play significant snaps yet. The team may not have much success to speak about on the field yet, but the coaching staff has done a tremendous job off of it on the recruiting trail.

They’ve put together two top 10 classes, and with the way things are shaping up, the Sooners are looking at a third straight top 10 class in the 2024 cycle.

Ahead of the 2023 season, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd took a look at every head coach in the FBS and determined where they stood on his “hot seat rating system.”

It’s a system that rates coaches from 0-5. “Zero” represents coaches that are untouchable, like Nick Saban or Kirby Smart. “Five” represents coaches that are in must-win mode heading into 2023.

Here’s a look at where the 14 Big 12 coaches stand heading into 2023. We also included where each coach ranked in CBS Sports’ head coach rankings in the Big 12 and overall and their career winning percentages.

CBS Sports ranked every coach in the Power Five, how did the Big 12 fair?

How did Brent Venables and the Big 12 fare in CBS Sports ranking of each Power Five coach?

The expansion to 14 teams for the 2023-2024 academic year provides a unique environment for the Big 12 in its final year with Oklahoma and Texas. New teams mean new faces in the coaching ranks.

Over at CBS Sports, they ranked each coach in the Power Five, so we’ve collated where the Big 12 head coaches stack up ahead of the 2023 season.

CBS Sports coach rankings No. 26-69.

CBS Sports coach rankings No. 25-1.

Four Big 12 coaches landed in the top 25, but none made it into the top 10. It’s a pivotal season for several guys. Here’s a look at how the Big 12 coaches faired in CBS Sports Power Five head coach rankings.

From the Student Section: Sooners back in the saddle after Bedlam win

How big was Oklahoma’s win over Oklahoma State? @bendackiw provides his perspective “From the Student Section.”

After missing the previous two Oklahoma Sooners home games due to vacation/Oklahoma Hockey-related things, “From the Student Section” is back for OU’s home finale.

The Sooners’ 28-13 victory over Oklahoma State was one of the most satisfying victories I have had the pleasure of watching. Knocking the No. 22 Cowboys out of the rankings entirely after the pass-interference-related shenanigans in Stillwater last year was cathartic.

This was the first Bedlam I had ever attended. Well, at least in football, it was, and it was one to remember. I was slightly concerned about the turnout, both in the student section and otherwise, but I was pleasantly surprised. Oklahoma Memorial was a sea of crimson, and the student section was the best it’s been all year.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. What did Brent Venables think?

I will get to the performances of the offense and defense in a bit. For now, let’s take a look at what this game means for the OU football program as a whole.

Michael Turk had quite a night; in more ways than one. The superstar punter had over 500 punt yards on the night and downed three punts inside the 20-yard-line. However, the best part of his night was most likely proposing to Oklahoma Softball’s Grace Lyons. She said yes.

That’s two wins on the night for the crimson and cream.

Firstly, the Sooners are finally bowl-eligible, and not a moment too soon. Thank the lord. Had they lost to Oklahoma State, the Sooners would have needed to win in Lubbock in primetime to make it to a bowl. That’s not an ideal situation.

I went into this game expecting a classic Big 12 matchup. I thought that by the evening’s end, the scoreboard would read 47-42 or something to that effect.

I was incredibly, deeply, and extremely wrong.

Perhaps I underestimated OU’s defense or overestimated Spencer Sanders coming off an injury to his throwing shoulder. Either way, the OU defense played lights out for 60 minutes, something they hadn’t done in Big 12 play. Credit is due. They were phenomenal.

That is what a Brent Venables defense is supposed to look like. They were physical, they swarmed to the football, and they were just plain mean. Sanders’ jersey had more green than orange on it by the end of the game.

Mobile quarterbacks have been a bane to this defense all year, and while Sanders did get loose a few times, he wasn’t nearly as much of a pain to OU as Garrett Greene was just one week ago in Morgantown. That being said, Sanders looked off.

I have nothing to back this up, but Spencer Sanders looked like he was playing hurt. He wasn’t as explosive as he typically is in the running game, his throws were off, and he made some very bad decisions with the football. The Sooners jumping out to a 28-0 lead didn’t help, but there’s no way the Pokes planned on Sanders throwing the ball 67 times.

Considering that the defense got no help from the offense for about 45 minutes, their performance is all the more impressive.

I’ve long complained about Jeff Lebby’s clock management, but it has never been worse than it was against Oklahoma State.

The Sooners had every opportunity to go into clock control mode and ice this game, but for whatever reason, Jeff Lebby kept running tempo, and Dillon Gabriel kept snapping the ball with 20 seconds or more on the play clock. When it’s working, by all means, continue to run up the score. That first quarter was excellent. But every OU drive in the second half lasted less than two minutes of game time. They punted eight times in the second half.

Jeff Lebby gave Oklahoma State every possible opportunity to win this game, and the defense bailed him out. It’s that simple. Oklahoma State ran 102 offensive plays. They were held to 13 points. That’s not a reasonable thing to ask your defense to do week in and week out.

I don’t know if it’s a refusal to adapt or a lack of situational awareness, but Jeff Lebby has some changes to make with this offense in year two. When it’s working, this offense could go toe-to-toe with anyone else in the country. When it’s not working, the defense better be ready for a long day.

I don’t mean to shred Jeff Lebby. He’s a brilliant offensive mind, but this offense can be so much better than it has been.

This win against Oklahoma State means much more for the future of OU Football than it does in the Big 12 standings. After the game, OU received not one but two projections to flip Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen. Five-star Texas A&M commit David Hicks and 2024 five-star David Stone were also in attendance. The Sooners could land all three.

In lighter news, Mike Gundy now has the dubious honor of losing to three different OU head coaches: Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley, and now Brent Venables.

A lot has been made over whether or not Venables was the right hire for the OU program. These questions were asked far too soon. The team is fine. Recruiting is more than fine. The Sooners will be a lot more than fine in the seasons to come.

This could be the last From the Student Section for OU Football for a while, so I’ll end this with one final message: Keep the faith, Sooners fans. Great things are coming.

[listicle id=76032]

[listicle id=75975]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

Relive Oklahoma’s 28-13 win over Oklahoma State with some of the best photos from Bedlam

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners 28-13 win over Oklahoma State with some of the best photos from the action.

After their 28-point outburst in the first quarter, it looked like the 117th iteration of Bedlam was going to be a low-drama affair. However, after the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense turned the ball over twice in the red zone in the second quarter, Oklahoma State began to put things together and create a bit of momentum.

A game that should have long been over at halftime provided excitement into the fourth quarter as the Cowboys attempted to rally to get back in the game. But the Sooners defense was too much for Spencer Sanders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Sanders and the Cowboys were able to make some things happen offensively, the Sooners buckled down behind a ferocious pass rush and opportunistic pass defense.

Oklahoma moved to 6-5 on the season and earned bowl eligibility with the win. As we revel in another win over Oklahoma State, let’s take a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners 28-13 win in Bedlam.

Looking at what Texas stands to improve this week

Look for a bounce-back performance in these areas on Saturday.

Last week’s game between Texas and Iowa State was perhaps the most frustrating and most relieving win of the 2022 season for the Longhorns.

Steve Sarkisian’s team struggled and overcame an abundance of missed opportunities. In spite of it all, they made plays when it mattered most. Xavier Worthy’s go-ahead touchdown, Jaylan Ford’s drive ending interception and Anthony Cook’s forced fumble were the difference in the game.

The team should have been able to identify multiple teaching points this week. Albeit, they were able to do so following a big win that kept conference title hopes alive.

After a sloppy performance, Texas should be able to respond and bounce back this week in Stillwater. Let’s identify a few things that could improve against Oklahoma State.