Brent Venables Will Find Himself Back on the Hotseat

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 7:44 PM ET

On the morning of October 11^th , Oklahoma and head coach Brent Venables were sitting pretty. The Sooners were 5-0, ranked No. 5 and preparing for their rivalry game against Texas. A few hours later the Sooners lost to the Longhorns, 23-6, which very well may have been the beginning of the end for Venables’ tenure in Norman, Okla.

Venables began the season on the hotseat after compiling a 22-17 record during his first three seasons at Oklahoma. But there was plenty of optimism during the offseason, mostly due to the arrivals of transfer quarterback John Mateer and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. The 5-0 start continued that momentum.

Oct 25, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) greets Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables (left) after the game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

That momentum hit a brick wall against Texas. The loss was deflating because it came against a bitter rival and also magnified some on-field issues. The hope was that the 26-7 victory at South Carolina last weekend righted the ship, but today’s 34-26 loss at home to No. 8 Ole Miss threw everything into doubt once again.

The Rebels piled up 431 yards of total offense while the Sooners only converted 4 of 14 third down attempts and committed eight penalties. In a game that many considered a must-win for both teams in order to keep playoff dreams alive, the Sooners failed to produce when it mattered most at home.

So now at 6-2, there is a bigger issue staring at Venables and the Sooners. The final four games are brutal. Up next for the Sooners are trips to No. 17 Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama, before finishing the regular season with home games against No. 15 Missouri and No. 20 LSU.

6-2 can easily become 6-6 if the Sooners aren’t very careful. And even if Oklahoma finishes 7-5 or 8-4, how safe is Venables’ job after the 5-0 start?

The college football season sometimes seems like a blur. And because of that, things can change very quickly, both for the positive and negative. For Oklahoma and Venables this has a reasonable chance of becoming extremely negative very quickly.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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