For a Team Built on Precision, Oklahoma Seems to Be Losing Focus on Details

Then there are nine losses that sum up the inability of Venables-led teams in crucial moments. Had the Sooners been tighter in the details department, they could have flipped their fortunes in all or a number of these losses.

• 2022 Kansas State 41-34 - Allowed KSU to convert 8-17 on third down, including a 55-yard run from the KSU 41 on third and 16 with 2:39 to go in the game and the Sooners down seven
• 2022 Baylor 38-35 - Trailing 24-21 in the closing seconds of the first half, Oklahoma moved the ball to the Bears 24-yard line, Andrew Raym is called for a 10-yard holding penalty on the next play, forcing Oklahoma to kick a 55-yard FG to tie (missed), Baylor converted three third downs on their final possession to run out the clock
• 2022 West Virginia 23-20 - OU was 1-11 on third down and 0-1 on fourth while the Mountaineers were 7-19 on third and 4-5 on fourth down
• 2022 Texas Tech 51-48 - OU led 24-6 in the second quarter before experiencing the second largest blown-lead in program history, losing in overtime
• 2022 Florida State 35-32 - Leading 14-3, a 10-yard holding penalty on a Gavin Sawchuk touchdown run backed the Sooners up from the FSU 16 to the 26 before going backward and lining up for a 45-yard field goal that was missed
• 2023 Kansas 38-33 - Leading 33-32, OU intercepts Kansas with 2:29 to go in the game at the KU 38, faced with a fourth and seven, Venables elects to go for it with 2:18 to go to ice the game, Nic Anderson is called for a false start penalty and OU punts it away for a touchback, later on fourth and six with 1:09 to go, OU surrenders a 37-yard pass before the go-ahead score
• 2024 Missouri 30-23 - Following a 47-yard fake punt pass to get OU to a first and goal, Oklahoma commits a delay of game penalty before suffering back-to-back sacks and kicking a 40-yard field goal (good), then with OU up 23-16, the Sooners give up a 33-yard pass on third and 16 with 1:16 left before the go-ahead score
• 2024 Navy 21-20 - With 30 seconds to go in the third quarter, tied 14-14, Michael Hawkins Jr. scrambles for a 56-yard touchdown, but it is negated by a holding penalty on Febechi Nwaiwu; the drive ended in a missed field goal
• 2025 Ole Miss 34-26 - R Mason Thomas lines up in the neutral zone on a 3rd and 14 on a play Oklahoma got a sack, two plays later, Ole Miss punts and OU is called for holding, starting their drive at their own five, on the first play OU lines up in an illegal formation that backs them up to the three yard line, then Tory Blaylock is tackled in the end zone for a safety.

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Four of those nine losses came in games where Oklahoma led by two scores during the game (Florida State, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Navy) or had an opportunity to close the game with a victory (Kansas, Missouri). In each of those six games, Venables' teams were undone by penalties that backed them up into longer (and in some cases, missed) field goals or denied them the chance to win the game outright (Kansas).

Kansas State, Baylor and Ole Miss provided opportunities for Oklahoma to undo periods of disastrous play in-game before self-destructing due to turnovers (Ole Miss), or the defense not stopping their opponent on third and longs (Kansas State and Baylor).

For those keeping score, one loss is missing — Oklahoma State in 2023. The Sooners lost the final Bedlam matchup 27-24. The Cowboys made plays, as did the Sooners. Neither team played clean or particularly well, but someone had to win, unfortunately it was not OU.

So far in 2025, the SEC leads the nation in average margin of victory at 10.41. Conference USA is second with an average margin of victory at 12.95.

If that's what OU has to look forward to against Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU to round out the season, it's hard to see this team react strongly during winning time moments given the evidence.