Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables made his first appearance at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas, and provided several noteworthy comments. What are the three biggest takeaways heading into the program’s inaugural season in the conference?
Three Takeaways From Brent Venables Talking at SEC Media Days
1) Sooners Face an Upward Battle Toward SEC Title
Venables opened his time on stage by recognizing his team’s growth as well as the challenges they face in the SEC:
“I love the direction of this football team and the development since January that’s taken place, but we still have a lot of work to do. A lot of excitement, but we got a lot of work to do, and we still have an opportunity over the next several of weeks and couple of months to continue to develop, which I think is going to be critical as we chase an opportunity to compete for an SEC Championship.
“It goes without saying, the SEC is a deep, incredibly competitive league, unlike any other in college football, and everything, everything, again, about this league is about parity. It’s about competitive depth. And it’s a one-possession league, as we’ve looked at it outside-in.
You’ve got incredibly challenging venues. Every member of this conference, top to bottom, is committed to the excellence that this conference represents. And so, as a football program, being in our first year, we are really looking forward to the challenge.”
After a light opening few weeks (Temple, Houston, and Tulane), the Sooners won’t have a reprieve until they face Maine in October. Even if they survive clashes with Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, South Carolina, and Ole Miss in that time, they end the season against Missouri, Alabama, and LSU, earning the fourth-toughest strength of schedule in the nation.
Speaking to Venables’ point on the conference’s parity, the Sooners check in as the No. 8 team in our SEC Power Rankings behind Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas, and Georgia. Even the three teams below them (Texas A&M, Florida, and South Carolina) can’t be overlooked.
Additionally, legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban said the SEC could produce 6-7 playoff teams in the expanded bracket — Oklahoma will need a lot to go in their favor to make the dance in their first year in the league.
2) Sophomore QB Jackson Arnold Ready To Take the Reigns
The offensive will look quite different in 2024, with Dillon Gabriel off to Oregon and OC Jeff Lebby now the head coach at Mississippi State. Yet, Venables isn’t worried about true sophomore QB Jackson Arnold starting under center.
“Well, Jackson understands better than anybody what goes into being a quarterback of a football team of the locker room, the leader, the face, the responsibilities, the challenges. What I feel best about and have the most peace about is his ability to be able to handle the highs and the lows, the challenges, the success, the failure that a season will bring you.
“Nobody is more competent or more ready, even though he’s a young player, and we’ve gotta, in some ways, be the headlights for him. That’s why they call us coach. But his skill, his arm talent, his toughness, his instincts, his ability to lead people, bring out the best in people, no question about it, he’s ready for his opportunity and his moment.”
The former five-star recruit, Elite 11 winner, and Gatorade National Player of the Year recipient flashed his potential last season, and although he lost his only start against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, he still put 361 yards and two touchdowns.
Arnold touched on his growth this offseason during Media Days, saying, “In high school, you can kind of get away with things that you can’t get away with in college. You can make these extreme plays where in college you don’t need to make. Just go out, execute, do what the coaches need you to do, and you can go out and win games, man.
“I feel like in the bowl game — even in BYU a little bit — I tried to do too much, tried to overcompensate, and that’s when the mistakes start happening, the turnovers start happening. So just learning to play in my realm and execute and do what I’m coached is a huge learning point for me.”
That’s quite the nuanced perspective from a young QB and speaks to the leadership Venables praised. We’ll see how it translates on the field, but Arnold is excited about the scheme co-OCs Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley have concocted.
“Super up-tempo, fast offense. Spread ’em out wide — we’re a spread offense, old Air Raid system is a part of it. Just a super explosive offense that loves to get going and have fun.”
3) New Conference, Same Red River Rivalry
Although Oklahoma and Texas are in a new conference, there is no love lost between the programs and their fanbases. When asked if the realignment meant anything for the rivalry, Venables was quick to answer:
“I don’t. I don’t. It’s as deep-seated and hate-filled and emotional of a rivalry as there is in all of college football. So I don’t see how the conference affiliation will make a big difference. What I would say is that, you know, that’s one of many games that you’re going to have to find a way to grind it out.
“If you think that one is emotionally taxing, you’re going to go into a lot of venues that the pageantry is going to be real, the stadiums are going to be completely full, and a lot of people are going to hate your guts for three hours or so. So I don’t see it diminishing that series and the emotion and the pageantry, the intensity of it whatsoever.”
KEEP READING: 2024 SEC Power Rankings
The Red River River Showdown was first played in 1900, making it one of the oldest-standing rivalries in the sport. Despite the Sooners winning 17 of the last 25 matchups since 2000, the Longhorns hold the series lead at 63-51-5.
The contest featured the Big 12’s two foremost competitors, with the Sooners owning the most conference championships (14) and the Longhorns coming in as a distant second (4). However, Texas is the clear favorite between the two in 2024, as Steve Sarkisian’s squad holds the second-best odds of winning the SEC title in 2024, according to FanDuel, while Venables’ program sits at ninth.
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