Victory over Tennessee essential for Brent Venables? Why Oklahoma coach is (and is not) going through must-win state of affairs
No. 15 Oklahoma hosts No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday in a matchup crawling with storylines. The sport marks the primary ever SEC convention sport for the Sooners, and it is the type of marquee sport OU followers hoped for once they joined the convention.
On the opposite sideline, although, former Sooners nationwide champion quarterback Josh Heupel leads Tennessee. Heupel was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma for years till he was fired by Bob Stoops in 2014 and went by his personal transformation. Now, he brings Tennessee into his previous stomping grounds as a landing favourite.
The final two instances these applications performed was in 2015 when Baker Mayfield led a come-from-behind victory at Neyland Stadium to kick off the Sooners’ first journey to the Faculty Soccer Playoff. The win helped usher in a interval of six straight 11-win seasons, pandemic yr apart, and elevate the Sooners again to the highest tier of faculty soccer.
Oklahoma’s matchup in opposition to Tennessee marks one of many highest-profile house video games in program historical past — however is it a must-win for third-year coach Brent Venables? Oklahoma wanted late surges to outlive Houston and Tulane in nonconference play behind a battered offensive line. The longtime defensive coordinator is 19-10 in two seasons, however solely 10-8 in opposition to convention opponents as a Massive 12 member. Here is the case for whether or not it is a pivotal sport within the Venables tenure.
Why Tennessee is a must-win sport for Oklahoma
This single sport is not going to make or break Venables’ tenure both approach, however that does not diminish the errors. Let’s begin with the apparent proven fact that that is Oklahoma’s first convention sport as an SEC college, and it comes at house, in primetime, in opposition to a Tennessee staff that hasn’t been that nice on the highway underneath Josh Heupel.
If the Volunteers had been to stroll into The Palace on the Prairie and are available out with a cushty win, that may set off a blaring klaxon on Oklahoma’s path underneath Venables, particularly since he is had the higher a part of two years to organize his staff for a transfer to the SEC. Tennessee is able to controlling this sport with a stifling protection and a run sport that few groups have been in a position to persistently cease.
Additionally, trying forward at Oklahoma’s schedule, the Sooners have to steal a pair video games sooner or later in the event that they wish to take into consideration making it to a good bowl sport. It may be simpler to try this at house, even whether it is in opposition to Tennessee, than it could be on the highway in opposition to the likes of Ole Miss or LSU, or within the Cotton Bowl in opposition to top-ranked Texas.
Principally, it is about sending a message. Both the Sooners — and Venables — are prepared for the SEC, or they don’t seem to be. We’ll discover out Saturday. –Will Backus
Why Tennessee will not be a must-win sport for Oklahoma
To be clear, beating Tennessee would assist issues at Oklahoma fairly a bit. The Sooners performed less-than-encouraging video games in opposition to Houston and Tulane in nonconference play and have 5 video games in opposition to top-10 opponents on the schedule. That is the most important on-campus soccer second at Oklahoma in additional than a decade. The truth that Tennessee is coached by this system hero OU pushed out of city solely provides to the stakes.
On the identical time, nothing that occurs on Saturday — in opposition to one of many high groups within the nation — will influence Oklahoma’s plans. The Sooners dedicated to a full-scale organizational rebuild of this system underneath Venables by highschool recruiting. Given the possibility to reevaluate, Oklahoma doubled down by signing Venables to a completely assured extension by 2029. Whereas there may be precedent for consuming spectacular buyouts (whats up Texas A&M), the message was clear: Brent is the man main us into the SEC. Oklahoma additionally inked the extension after it was already recognized that the Sooners can be beginning a first-year quarterback and 5 new offensive linemen with new play callers on each side of the ball.
Definitely, Oklahoma followers hoped that Venables’ course of can be prepared by the point the Sooners entered the SEC. Dropping to Tennessee the identical week Texas debuts because the No. 1 staff within the nation would result in some actual bizarre vibes in Norman, Oklahoma, particularly if the sport will get out of hand. Nonetheless, the Sooners are taking part in the lengthy sport. Nothing that occurs this weekend (or this season, for probably the most half) ought to push them off. — Shehan Jeyarajah