The Oklahoma Sooners were predicted to finish in 10th place in the SEC this year by the media at last week’s SEC media days. Obviously, if that were to come true, that simply isn’t good enough at OU.
The prediction makes sense on the surface. Oklahoma went 2-6 in the SEC last year, on its way to a 6-7 overall record. A solid defense was hung out to dry by a poor offense, and the Sooners dealt with wholesale injuries on their way to a bad year.
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Looking closer, OU has made plenty of changes this offseason that have them confident heading into this year. Count head coach Brent Venables among those who think this year’s team is capable of more.
Venables joined offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and co-defensive coordinator Todd Bates at the annual OU Football Coaches Luncheon on Thursday, and he was asked about the Sooners being picked to finish 10th in the conference. According to Jesse Crittenden, who covers Oklahoma for OUInsider, Venables has confidence as the 2025 season approaches.
“We’ve got a lot to prove, and I like that,” Venables said. “We know what our team is capable of. There’s no game on our schedule that we can’t win.”
“I missed the press conference where everybody was praising us,” Venables said via The Oklahoman’s Colton Sulley, “and justifiably so, we have a lot to prove. … Our plan is to compete for an SEC championship.”
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The Sooners face one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2025, and will have new play-callers on both sides of the ball for the second-straight season. Arbuckle takes the reins on offense, while Venables himself will juggle his head coaching duties with defensive play-calling duties.
Regardless of the challenging schedule and all the “new” in Norman, there’s plenty of belief inside the Switzer Center that 2025 will be different from 2024. Venables, his staff, and his players believe that Oklahoma will return to its winning ways this season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables likes that the Sooners have a lot to prove in 2025
