ESPN includes Oklahoma among teams getting impatient

USA Today

06-08-2025

The Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to prove in 2025. After being left out of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll for the first time since 1999, Bob Stoops's first year at the helm, there are plenty of reasons for OU fans to feel a bit uneasy about the future in Norman.
The Sooners aren't alone, however, as Adam Rittenberg, who covers college football for ESPN, identified a handful of teams in his "impatience Index" who are looking for an answer to questions in 2025. Oklahoma was grouped into Rittenberg's "return on investment" tier along with the Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. He began by outlining OU's storied history as a precursor to why there's impatience among the fanbase, boosters and administrators.
Sooner impatience falls into several buckets. The program is one of the sport's historic heavyweights, owning seven national championships and 50 conference crowns, including a stretch of 14 straight from 1946 to 1959 that likely will never be matched. More recently, OU won six consecutive Big 12 championships from 2015 to 2020, reaching the four-team CFP four times during that span. - Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.
Venables was regarded as a very good hire by many when he replaced Lincoln Riley in early December of 2021. It was the longtime coordinator's first head coaching gig, but many believed he was the right guy to get the Sooners back to playing complementary football. His championship pedigree and defensive acumen seemed to make him the perfect fit, but there have been plenty of losses in his first three years. However, the brass has stuck with Venables and given him more help heading into 2025.
Rittenberg also detailed some of the big moves Oklahoma has made this offseason to ensure Venables has more success this year than he did in 2024. Those moves include the hiring of former Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy as the program's new general manager and building a front office around him. The offensive coordinator-quarterback additions of Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer were brought in to fix an offense that slipped to 97th in the nation in scoring offense last year. Clearly, the Sooners have stepped up to help Venables, but the investments don't end with Nagy, his new front office, Arbuckle, and Mateer.
Two 6-7 seasons in three years isn't even sniffing the standard at Oklahoma. Despite another grueling schedule in 2025, Venables needs wins and he needs them now. Otherwise, patience from all sides will run out and the walls will close in on his time as the head coach of the Sooners.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.