Oklahoma just received a new standard for 2025 and man, it just makes you wonder. Is it an achievable target? You see, it isn’t a warm and toasty situation for Brent Venables anymore. He’s officially on the hot seat. After limping to a 6-7 record last season (2-6 in SEC play), the second losing season under his three-year campaign, the Sooners fans are getting losing their patience. And you know how it is in Norman. The standard is always high.
This message rang loud and clear on The Number One College Football Show on May 17. “We was no good last year. That’s not the standard. The standard is 10 wins. 10 wins or nothing. Nothing,” FOX analyst RJ Young fired. “You play for championships at Oklahoma. You win Heisman trophies. You have first round draft picks. Oklahoma didn’t have a freaking first round draft pick last year. What in the blue h—!” You could tell it by his tone and his words that he’s one of those people running out of patience. And he’s not wrong. It was another middling year in a conference where being average eats you alive.
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables argues a call with an official during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s see what’s at stake here. Brent Venables buyout sits at $34.9 million. That’s a number that could either scare the administration into patience or be a line item in a ‘thanks for trying’ memo if 2025 doesn’t go better. But to be fair, the HC isn’t sitting on his hands. He cleaned the house after that offensive nightmare of a season. Fired OC Seth Lithrell after finishing 113 in total offense, brought in Ben Arbuckle from Washington State whose offense ranked No. 17 in the nation in 2024. He even brought his Cougars QB John Mateer who’s set to replace Jackson Arnold who dipped to Auburn.
On defense, Zac Alley left for West Virginia. So Brent Venables will be grabbing the headset and calling plays himself. His DC mastermind helped him clinch national titles both at Oklahoma and Clemson. But it’s still going to be an uphill climb. And it’s OU’s 2025 schedule. Athlon Sports’ Kyle Wood ranks it the second-toughest in the nation. We’re talking Michigan in Norman and challenging road trips to South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. And don’t forget the Red River matchup against Texas in Dallas. If Brent Venables is going to survive this, it’s through the fire. And here’s where it gets even more interesting.
Jim Nagy stirs anticipation with big Oklahoma announcement
In an unexpected move, Brent Venables and Oklahoma pull a big-boy front office move. Jim Nagy, former Senior Bowl director and an NFL scout, is now the GM in Norman. And he’s not just hiding in the background. He’s already pulling power moves dropping a banger of an announcement on X — “Sooner Nation! Need a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into the OU program? Come with me, Coach Venables, our coaches & front office at the special “Inside The Playbook of OU Football” event on May 30.” Such suspense. Such intrigue.
OU is throwing open the doors. Fans, media, recruits, maybe even your dog are all invited to see how the Sooners are cooking. Roster building, NIL strategy, portal scouting, film room deep dives, you name it. Jim Nagy is flipping the script and bringing and NFL war room vibe to a college town where expectations are sky high. It’s bold. It’s transparent. It’s the kind of move that says ‘we’re not hiding, we’re building.’
For Brent Venables, 2025 isn’t just a season. It’s the make-or-break moment. But with Jim Nagy in the building and a rebooted roster, don’t count out on the Sooners yet.
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