It's safe to say the honeymoon is over in Norman. After Oklahoma's embarrassing 42-16 home loss to South Carolina on Saturday, the fan base has officially turned on head coach Brent Venables. The Sooners fell to 4-4 on the season, and with a brutal stretch ahead, the College Football Playoff is nothing but a distant dream.
The Gamecocks dominated from the opening whistle, racing out to a 28-3 halftime lead. South Carolina's offense scored four touchdowns in the first half, while Oklahoma's only points came on a pick-six. The Sooners' offense managed just three points in the first two quarters, and the defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. The Gamecocks added two more scores after the break to go up 42-16 before pulling their starters. Oklahoma tacked on nine meaningless points against backups to make the final margin slightly more respectable.
Venables didn't sugarcoat the disaster in his postgame press conference. "We got our ass whooped," he admitted. "I'm incredibly pissed at myself. And it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing in every way." But when asked if he'd consider changes to his offensive staff, he was dismissive: "Yeah, I'm not talking about anything like that."
This loss marks the fourth time in five seasons under Venables that Oklahoma will miss the playoff. And with games against Florida, Ole Miss, and Missouri still on the schedule, a six-win season—or worse—is a real possibility. That would be the third losing season under his watch, and fans are fed up.
The backlash on social media was swift and brutal. One fan wrote, "So are people finally starting to realize that Brent Venables is not a good HC? This is going to be 3 out of 5 seasons that he will have losing seasons, and this might be the worst yet. Unless proven otherwise, OU is going 4-8! I love the Sooners, but this is pathetic!" Another added, "Brent Venables is a massive bum. Trying to run up 3 TD's on South Carolina's backups to save face. Insanely pathetic and embarrassing for Oklahoma."
Even the usually patient voices are growing restless. "I don't know how you can watch Oklahoma and think Brent Venables has this train headed down the right track," one fan posted. "They're gonna fire Ben Arbuckle and blame John Mateer, but the finger should be pointing at the head coach whose job it is to be a coach for both sides of the football and has completely failed at half of his responsibility for a majority of his OU tenure."
But here's the cold reality: Venables isn't going anywhere. He signed a massive contract extension worth over $10 million per year just weeks ago, and his buyout this season is a staggering $50 million. So while fans may be screaming for change, the Sooners are stuck with their man for now—and likely next season too.
For Oklahoma, the path forward is murky. The team that once dominated the Big 12 now looks lost in the SEC. The offense, which was supposed to be revitalized by new coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, has been a shell of its former self. The defense, Venables' supposed specialty, is getting shredded by conference opponents.
This is not what anyone envisioned when Venables took over the program. He was supposed to bring championship pedigree and defensive toughness. Instead, he's delivered mediocrity and embarrassment. The fans have spoken, and they've had enough.
As the Sooners prepare for their next matchup, the pressure is mounting. A loss to Florida on the road could send this season into a tailspin. And with top quarterback prospects watching from afar, the program's reputation is on the line. The clock is ticking on Venables, and if he can't turn things around soon, the calls for his job will only get louder.
