What will Brent do? Offense can sink OU in 2024……Wishbone the answer?

Back in Chuck Fairbank’s day as head coach, the Oklahoma Sooners, with Barry Switzer as the offensive coordinator, made a switch from an inept offense to the wishbone, two weeks before the Texas game, and that was that.  If you are a Sooner with some history of the program, I need not tell you more.  If you do not know the history, it might be a good time do do your homework on Sooner history.

Chuck Fairbanks had belief in Barry Switzer as both were great coaches. I give Barry Switzer the credit to convince Chuck to make the change, but Fairbanks had belief in his top assistant.  Is Brent Venables a great coach for the future? We shall see what he does now, in 2024.

The greatest ground game in college football was born in Norman. I give Barry Switzer the credit to convince Chuck to make the change, but Fairbanks had belief in his top assistant.  No, it was not the birth of the “bone” but the change was the beginning of the most devastating running game in college football history.   Today, in 2024, the Sooners are faced with a very poor offensive line, riddled with injuries, and a crew of tackles and guards that would be put in the classification that it cannot block air.  With two wins under the belt, a blowout over Temple, and a nip and tuck slog with Houston, the Sooner o-line has little chance to compete with the better teams of the SEC coming up in a few weeks.  Not only is the line a mess, the pass catchers at OU are also suffering major injuries, putting the passing game in a position of mediocrity,  Sooner Nation needs to refrain in blaming the problems on quarterback Jackson Arnold and the list of capable running backs as the offense goes where the offensive line takes them.  Right now, that is a yard or two at most which will get you beat more times than not.

We shall see what Coach Venables and staff do, but to continue to do what we saw in the first two games will bring consternation to the Sooner football team, and the losses will pile up faster than blowing powder snow in the ditches of a West Texas blizzard on I-40 in January.  As we know, bad offensive lines can become much better with the blocking schemes of the wishbone, the running back can use their superior speed and cutting abilities to make something happen on their own, and the quarterback’s running and decision making abilities allow an offense, in time, to make yards against a defense that is to run it. 

And yes, it takes time to learn the system.  How many loses will OU suffer before something drastic is done.  A break even 6 win season is a strong possibility in 2024.  Scoff at this take, but it will not be so funny at the end of the season and OU is on the losing side of their schedule.  That is the way I see it college football fans.

Feature photo:  Barry Switzer went 157-29-4 after Oklahoma promoted him. (Rich Clarkson / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)