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Oklahoma coach Brent Venables DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Oklahoma Attempt More Two-Point Conversions in 2025?

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By Carson Field | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Sooners didn’t roll the dice too many times after touchdowns in 2024.

Oklahoma attempted only two two-point conversions during the season, going 1-for-2. The Sooners converted one in the fourth quarter of their 27-21 win against Auburn, but they failed on what would’ve been the game-winning two-point attempt in their 21-20 loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl.

With high hopes for the offense in 2025, OU coach Brent Venables said it’s possible that his team gambles more frequently after touchdowns.

“I know every team in the SEC lives by the analytics of college football,” Venables said. “And still at that point, the best thing you can do is use your guts and your instincts, your feel for the game and how that’s going.”

The two-point conversion was first implemented in 1958. The success rate of the tries has hovered around 40-50% since their introduction.

Every program views two-point conversions differently.

For decades, Oregon has utilized them early and often to try and get small advantages over opponents. Missouri led the SEC in conversions last year with five.

Five SEC programs — Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Florida — didn’t convert one two-point conversion in 2024.

The obvious use has been for when a team scores after trailing by eight points. Or when a team could take a three or seven-point lead with a successful conversion.

But these days, more teams are attempting two-point conversions earlier in games or when trying to play catch-up.

Analytics will tell you that it’s almost a 50-50 shot to convert. A team trailing by two touchdowns could attempt a two-point conversion on their first touchdown and, if successful, trail by only six points. If unsuccessful, the same team could get a stop, score again and have another roughly-50-50 shot.

Even with so many statistics, trends and analytics, it isn’t overly surprising that the Sooners were conservative with their two-point tries in 2024.

The Sooners had one of college football’s most stagnant passing games, finishing the season No. 121 out of 134 NCAA Division I FBS teams in scoring offense (175.8 yards per game). Tight end Bauer Sharp and wideout J.J. Hester were the only players who surpassed 300 receiving yards, finishing with 324 and 315, respectively.

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Overall, the Sooners finished 15th out of 16 SEC teams in scoring offense (24 points per game) and 14th in total offense (331 yards per game).

Venables said that going for more two-point attempts could generate offensive momentum.

“The success rate has been very high, historically speaking,” Venables said. “No. 1 is the analytics and the value of those and the more educated everyone has become through those analytics.”

The Sooners hired former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to the same role in December after firing Seth Littrell midway through the 2024 season. At WSU, Arbuckle helped lead an offense that finished No. 12 nationally in scoring offense (36.8 points per game) and No. 6 in passing touchdowns (30).

Oklahoma also brought in a crowd of new players from the portal.

Quarterback John Mateer (Washington State) and running back Jaydn Ott (Cal) were the biggest splashes but far from the only ones. The Sooners added five receivers — Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois), Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Josiah Martin (Cal) and Jer’Michael Carter — from the transfer portal and tight ends John Locke Jr. (Louisiana Tech), Will Huggins (Pittsburg State) and Carson Kent (Kennesaw State).

OU bolstered its offensive line, too, with the additions of Jake Maikkula (Stanford), Luke Baklenko (Stanford) and Derek Simmons (Western Carolina).

Venables didn’t outright say that the Sooners will change how they approach two-point conversions in 2025. But with a revamped offense in 2025, Venables admitted that trying more two-point conversions could be beneficial for his team.

“I think you see people start the game, and they’re trying to create some momentum and get people on their heels early too,” Venables said. “You see all different types of strategy when utilizing the two-point conversion.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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