College Football expert believes the time is now for the Oklahoma Sooners

USA Today

a day ago

It's no secret. The 2025 season is a massive one for the Oklahoma Sooners. After a disappointing 2024 season that saw OU go 6-7 for the second time in three years, the 2025 season is all about evaluating how the systems in place are working and if they, or the personnel in charge of them, need to be changed.
For those reasons, and more, it's easy to say that the Sooners are on the clock in 2025. That's exactly what Josh Pate, who hosts "Josh Pate's College Football Show" had to say last week. He took the time to outline a few major programs that are facing a big year, and illustrated why he thinks they are on the clock.
Oklahoma was one of those programs, with Pate detailing the urgency of the situation in Norman.
"Brent Venables and Oklahoma have to win this year, or they could be looking for a new head coach," Pate said. "And I think that's fair. I think it's very fair. I don't know how you say otherwise. I mean, he's had three years now. This will be his fourth year. There's no sanctions there. There have been some questionable hires and then to their credit they hit the dump button and now at offensive coordinator you go and you get Ben Arbuckle and his quarterback (John Mateer) from Washington State and that's who you've hitched your wagon to. You don't get to screw up multiple coordinator hires at this level. You just don't get to do it. The stakes are too high. The pay is too high. All of that's fair."
Pate went into specifics about where the Sooners need to improve, saying he believed Venables would have the defense right again in 2025, but the other side of the ball has to be way better.
"Offensive line's got to be way better," Pate said. "Quarterback position's got to be way better, offensive coordinator. The offensive product has got to be way better. They got a tough schedule to face. I don't think anyone is saying College Football Playoff or bust, but they better be noticeably improved this year. I think they will be, but they better be. They're on the clock for that."
The offensive coordinator and quarterback duo of Seth Littrell and Jackson Arnold wasn't the answer for Oklahoma last year, but the folks in charge believe in the men they chose as replacements. Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer put up big numbers at Washington State together last year, and their familiarity with each other will benefit the Sooners.
Pate is correct in saying that it's fair for Venables to be coaching for his job in 2025. OU's recruiting has improved since the Lincoln Riley days, but their win-loss record has not. Venables' Sooners have backed themselves into a corner in 2025. They'd better show marked improvement this year. Otherwise, there will be some difficult discussions ahead.
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