Once upon a time, Brent Venables was the respected defensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Sooners. Eventually, then-head coach Bob Stoops eased Venables out in favor of his brother Mike Stoops. But Venables landed on his feet at Clemson. Under Dabo Swinney, Venables became the game’s most respected defensive coordinator within the college football odds. Venables enjoyed Clemson so much that he turned down numerous head coaching offers. Instead, he waited for the perfect opportunity. Finally, it arrived last December. In a shocking move, OU head coach Lincoln Riley bolted for USC.
Oklahoma Sooners Future Odds at SBG
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| To win the National Championship | +4500 |
| To win the Big 12 Championship | +175 |
| Over/Under Win Total | 9.5 |
Sooner or Later SEC Reality Beckons – Oklahoma SBG Odds Analysis
Lincoln Riley won three Big 12 titles in five online wagering seasons at Oklahoma. Also, he produced four College Football Playoff seasons. Not to mention two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks and a Heisman Trophy finalist.
But Riley took the job expecting to coach in the Big 12 Conference. He shared the shock of the college football world when Oklahoma announced that it would be eventually joining the SEC. Riley looked at the SEC gauntlet and compared it to the Pac-12. He saw USC as a sleeping giant in a weak conference. So he left.
Venables was the first and only coach that Oklahoma seriously interviewed. He left Oklahoma with the respect and affection of everyone. In fact, Venables was the only option that would have been acceptable to the fan base and donors. However, this is his first head coaching gig. And he enters the pressure cooker of a traditional power that expects national championships.
OU Quarterback Quandary
At the beginning of his arrival, Venables has to sort through an uncertain quarterback issue. Superstar QB Caleb Williams took his talents to USC, following Riley. First on the depth chart heading into training camp is UCF transfer, Dillon Gabriel. While at UCF, Gabriel threw for 8037 yards and 70 TDs.
Gabriel and the Sooner offense is well-stocked with 5-star recruits. Top-shelf talent is never a problem at Oklahoma. But the fact remains there were several departures of good players after Riley left. Venables has to quickly patch together a winning formula with a lineup that lacks the experience of the 2021 Sooners.
2022 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule
- Sep 3: UTEP Miners
- Sep 10: Kent State Golden Flashes
- Sep 17: at Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Sep 24: Kansas State Wildcats
- Oct 1: at TCU Horned Frogs
- Oct 8: Texas Longhorns (Dallas, TX)
- Oct 15: Kansas Jayhawks
- Oct 22: OFF
- Oct 29: at Iowa State Cyclones
- Nov 5: Baylor Bears
- Nov 12: at West Virginia Mountaineers
- Nov 19: Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Nov 26: at Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dec 3: Big 12 Championship Game (Arlington, TX)
Naturally, the biggest game of the year is on October 8 against the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma beat the College football betting odds for a wild comeback win over Texas in 2021. But the lineups for both teams will be quite different this time around.
In turn, September 24 could be a dangerous matchup. The Kansas State Wildcats won their last visit to Norman and always play the Sooners tough. K-State is coming off a successful season and bowl win over LSU.