When Brent Venables arrived back in Norman in December 2021 as the newly hired Oklahoma head coach, the once unstoppable Sooner offense had slipped back somewhat while the defense couldn’t manage to stop anybody, all while the Sooners were just two seasons away from joining the heavily defense-minded SEC, a characteristic that was the polar opposite of how teams won in the Big 12.
With the hiring of Venables, it was clear from the start that Oklahoma was destined to look very different if the Sooners were going to be ready to compete at the level they are historically accustomed to in the much stronger and deeper SEC.
Although Oklahoma’s defensive presence went from decline to virtual decay while Lincoln Riley was head coach, the downturn actually began in the closing years of Bob Stoops’ 18 seasons at the helm of OU football under brother Mark Stoops as defensive coordinator.
Brent Venables has Sooners as defensive powerhouse
Riley’s OU teams featured Heisman-quality quarterback play and some of the most prolific offenses in the college game. Meanwhile, the Sooner defenses during that time found themselves taking up company among the least effective and efficient nationally in overall performance. For example, the defense that Venables inherited ranked 76th nationally in total defense and 109th in pass defense after the 2021 season…