OU football Sooners have a job to do in 2023 and 2024……it will not be an easy task……

TIME TO WIN FOR OU AND BRENT

 SET THE TABLE FOR THE SEC SCHEDULE IN 2024

I will never discourage my remarks toward Oklahoma football as the Sooners will always be at the pinnacle of the “blue bloods” of college football.   The history of the program will not allow it, as it would not allow it for other universities such as Notre Dame, Alabama, and Michigan, to mention just three.  With that I am referring my remarks in this writing to the most present future of OU football and not what history will bring to it in the next ten, fifteen, or twenty years.  I am thinking the next five years, maybe  longer, but not the extreme long term.  Can I say OU football could be in for a stretch of football that will be exciting, competitive, brand fresh new, but not all that deep dipped in winning champions, national titles, and highest poll rankings.  And that Sooner football coach Brent Venables, not currently on the “hot” seat as the head coach, may find that chair burning with a flash fire that might lend itself to a disaster as of the fan base of Sooner Nation.

Brent Venables has to win this year (last year in the Big 12) and also in 2024 in the first year for the Sooners in the Southeastern Conference.  Winning does not mean to win out, but to come out victorious  in enough games, along with showing a marked improvement on the defensive side of the ball, to keep the Sooner Nation in check. 

The past of 2022 and losing records are not going to be allowed for him as time marches on.  OU does not tolerate losing football.  Venables, the university, and the fans know this.  Winning this upcoming season does not actually mean a Big 12 Conference title (that would be nice, and doable too), but it does mean that OU must win enough to avoid another season of disappointment.  Given the “easy” schedule that the Sooners face in 2023, an eight win season might not be good enough.  That is my opinion.

A five game streak of wins should happen to start 2023.  Arkansas State, SMU and Tulsa, with the Golden Hurricane game in T-town should be wins.  A loss to SMU or Tulsa would be devastating for both Coach Venables and the program.

A road game to Ohio to play Cincinnati and a home scrimmage with Iowa State should produce two more wins.  Again, a loss to either the Bearcats or the Cyclones would be a tremendous letdown for OU.  Both these teams are looked upon to take up the bottom of the Big 12 in 2023. 

The first big time test, hopefully,  for OU, with Texas in the Cotton Bowl, will be a hare fight for the Sooners as they have to overcome a 49 point difference from 2022.  Anything can happen in that game.   A loss here would be expected by many and the loss would not be a world ending affair for OU.  But if OU should beat Texas, it would be a significant defeat for the Longhorns and prove once again that they might not be back.  Going five up and one down in the first six games would not be all that bad for OU.  Anything less would be.

OU hosts Central Florida after Texas, and again, the Knights will not bring one of their better teams to Norman and OU has to take this game.  With Kansas and Oklahoma State on the road, both are winnable games.  But road contests are just that and though Okla. State might be a good team in 2023, Kansas should be with their all-conference quarterback Jalon Daniels leading the Jayhawks that bring back 17 of 22 starters.  This is not the same old Kansas be assured.  Win or lose in Lawrence, it will be a battle and if OU fails either in Stillwater or Lawrence Brent Venables’s hot seat will flair up.  OU does not lose to the Cowboys and don’t even mention KU.

West Virginia comes to Norman after after Oklahoma State and another win is in the cards for OU.  Following that probable win, the Sooners travel to BYU and another game that needs to go into the win column.  And again, in Utah, BYU will be a bitch to beat.  A ending game with TCU in Norman will also be a toughie, another possible loss.

The road to better than respectful year for OU in 2023 is open for the Sooners to show their improvement.  Then again, if the team falters, going into the SEC in 2024 will the make or break season for Coach Venables.  With that 2024 schedule, OU have 8 SEC foes that could beat the Sooners and Venables stability in Norman would look a whole lot better going into that season with a great 2023.

It is not easy nor fair to predict what OU will do in 2023. The Sooners better be better on defense or it could be the beginning of the end for the Venables era at OU.  The Sooners have been delt some good cards for 2023 but 2024 is another story.

That is the way I see it sports fans.