The Oklahoma Sooners will look to save their season on Saturday when they play the No. 1 Texas Longhorns in the "Red River Rivalry" at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Sooners entered the season with a No. 10 ranking but suffered a 17-10 loss to Michigan in Week 2 and a 41-13 defeat to No. 2 Georgia in Week 4. In the middle of those two games, Oklahoma defeated New Mexico 14-6.
The offense has been a problem for the Sooners all season, and head coach Brent Venables has voiced his frustration with that side of the ball in recent weeks. He suggested OU will be open to making a quarterback change if John Mateer doesn't play well against Texas on Saturday. More news: Exclusive: Breakout NFL Executives Who Could Become Future General Managers More news: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts Not all of the problems have been on Mateer.
The offensive line has given up nine sacks. The Sooners are averaging a measly 2.9 yards per rushing attempt. On Tuesday, Venables was asked about the struggles with the offensive line this season and why they have underperformed through the first four weeks.
Venables said the No. 1 reason for the issues with the offensive line had to do with the transfer portal because the unit hasn't had stability. "It's been incredibly inconsistent and very disappointing," Venables said, via Josh Callaway of 247Sports. "As you build your football team, that's a critical place.
That is a place that probably requires the most development of any position that you have on your roster. "Very uneven job when it comes to choosing the guys that we've brought in here. Way too many guys are coming and going at that position group...
It's been very unstable and certainly not the kind of development that you want from top to bottom." Venables' comments appear directed toward general manager for football Jim Nagy, who was hired in February of 2025. It's Nagy's job to be in charge of roster construction. While he's given resources for Venables to have a top defense, the product on the offensive side of the ball has been lacking.
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