The Oklahoma Sooners are seeking to return to the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season in 2026.
The pressure isn’t necessarily on head coach Brent Venables to accomplish this goal at the moment.
Oklahoma and Venables in agreement on a multi-year contract extension that keeps the two sides tied through 2031.
From ESPN’s Pete Thamel:
Venables Making Most of Opportunity
GettyVenables is entering year five at Oklahoma.
Venables, 55, spent 13 seasons at Oklahoma from 1999-2011. He ended up coaching at Clemson from 2012-21, coming back to the Sooners in lieu of an abrupt exit by head coach Lincoln Riley.
Venables is heading into year five with a 32-20 mark as head coach, including two 6-7 campaigns in 2022 and 2024. Among the major issues encountering Venables are the transition to the SEC, managing the NIL era, and attempting a culture overhaul.
Oklahoma’s reputation of fielding high-flying offenses is a thing of the past. Venables is now successfully navigating the NIL era and is fielding quality defenses. The successful overhaul directly led to Oklahoma’s first CFP berth since the 2019 season.
Now, a greater NIL consensus, the hiring of Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator, and the return of quarterback John Mateer is setting the stage for a phenomenal 2026 season. This is pending an extremely difficult schedule, that is.
Oklahoma Facing Challenging Season Despite High Hopes
GettyVenables is coming off of a CFP appearance.
ESPN’s College Football Power Index is projecting Oklahoma to win 7.5 games this season. The Sooners are facing winnable games such as UTEP, New Mexico, and Kentucky. They are also squaring off against Michigan, Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.
The week two battle against Michigan is the first major test, as OU is going into a hostile environment against battle-tested Kyle Whittingham. The Sooners are then facing third-ranked Georgia on the road on September 26. Two losses in the first month of the season likely spells doom for Venables in 2026.
Games against Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri give Oklahoma a second chance at life in this event. Oklahoma is on a two-game losing streak against Texas, but have the defense necessary to sneak out a win. The last three games are home contests, which is a built-in advantage for the Sooners.
While Venables doesn’t face immediate pressure to reach the playoff again, the 2026 season is a major opportunity to make a statement. Wasting a season with Arbuckle, Mateer, and a quality defense in tow is profiling as a major letdown at the moment.
Venables is opening up his fifth season as Oklahoma’s head coach on Friday, September 4 against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.
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