Oklahoma coach Brent Venables provided proof of concept with a CFP appearance, but inconsistency on offense ultimately kept the Sooners from competing at an elite level

OU coach Brent Venables orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football this season. Hear from those closest to him.

And Venables went back to doing what he does best — hiring himself as defensive coordinator after his protege, Zac Alley, left for West Virginia. The 2025 Sooner defense rivals the best defenses Venables coordinated at Clemson in the 2010s and at OU in the early 2000s.

The Sooners have to feel good about their chances as long as quarterback John Mateer is good to go. Mateer, who was at times thought of as a Heisman Trophy contender this season, injured his thumb midseason in a game against Auburn.

The Oklahoma Sooners, led by Brent Venables, are set to compete against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the college football playoffs, with the game less than a day away.

Brent Venables has transformed the Oklahoma Sooners into a defensive powerhouse. The eighth-ranked Sooners lead the nation in tackles for loss and are tied for the lead in sacks.