Oklahoma HC Brent Venables is entering a do-or-die season with the Sooners in 2025. They have their work cut out for them too– a better record card. Granted, his tenure in Norman has not seen much success yet. In fact, 2022 was the program’s first losing season in the 21st century. Yet, they made up for it in 2023, only to lose the momentum again last year. The QB room was mismatched despite having a strong armed Jackson Arnold. At one point, their top six wideouts were all hurt. And if it wasn’t already known, Venables certainly got the taste of some SEC football. Fortunately, over the Spring, he has solved most of these issues. 

Venables now has John Mateer to be Sooners’ primary signal caller after 45 spring camp practices where the QB mentioned, “Getting those live reps is important.” The arrival of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, known for lighting up scoreboards at WKU and Washington State, will also mark a fresh start for the Sooners. With pressure mounting, the Sooners’ HC shook up the staff and grabbed the defensive reins himself, going back to what he does best. So, all eyes will be on how Venables juggles the headset—because calling plays is one thing, running the whole show is another. 

CBS Sports’ Will Backus dropped his post-spring SEC power rankings, and Oklahoma isn’t sitting pretty. After a rough 6-7 finish last year, Brent’s Sooners landed at No. 9 in the league, wedged between Texas A&M and Auburn. However, expectations? Let’s just say they’re keeping it humble in Norman despite landing in the spotlight—and not in the softest way. Amidst all these shuffles, despite the season quite far still, we have some early predictions for the team.

On Friday’s episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, things got heated around the latest CFP chatter. Pate didn’t hold back while breaking down FanDuel’s CFP comparison board and some bold viewer predictions. Showing the prediction, he said, “This one’s creative. This is a good one — good friend DG in Houston—he said at least three of these teams will be in the final four. And he puts LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson. Ohio State has the first best odds to win it all, Clemson seventh, LSU ninth, Oklahoma seventeenth.

“Now, I’m going to put a 9.75 on this prediction. I think Oklahoma’s over/under win total is 6 and a half. I’m gonna go a lottle higher on them. It’s going to be hard for Oklahoma to make the playoffs, even if I’m right about them because their schedules tough. But even if they all were to make, three of them will have to make the playoff by the way, even then you would still need bracket luck. What if two of them face off in a first round or second round? You’ve got to have all of them — I mean, you’ve got to have all of them advance. Predicting final four. Predicting 75% of the final four is tough. So, I’m putting 9.75 on that one,” he noted.

Now, with a brutal schedule ahead with programs like LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Vols, Ole Miss, Gamecocks, and more, he made it clear—getting the Sooners to the Playoff will be a serious challenge, even if they improve. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman thinks the Sooners can improve by at least two games, going 8-4, with a 4-4 mark in the SEC. Although a small improvement, it does reflect the positive changes OU has made on offense

While Brent Venables’ CFP dream is still up in the air, the head coach just received a message about his quarterback.

Brent Venables’ QB1 received nothing but praise

Brent Venables woke up in 2025 with one hard truth: the SEC isn’t the Big 12, and Oklahoma felt that sting. After a brutal season that left fans frustrated and restless, Venables hit the panic button—because his job might just depend on it. But then May 14 brought a spark. On3’s J.D. Pickell sat down with OU GM Jim Nagy, who couldn’t stop raving about one name: John Mateer. Last season, Oklahoma’s offense was a disaster—126th in YPG, 110th in scoring—pure chaos. Instead of folding, Venables went all-in on redemption. He grabbed Mateer, the nation’s 2024 TD leader, and reunited with QB whisperer Arbuckle to call the shots. Now, with a brutal schedule ahead, this bold move could flip the script.

Well, Jim Nagy isn’t holding back when it comes to John Mateer. “Getting John Mateer—he’s a difference maker,” said Nagy. “You gotta have that guy if you’re gonna win at a really high level… And now to bring in John, I think he’s kind of the next one in line.” Nagy is quick to add, “I’m not trying to put pressure on John… but he’s built for that.” With a resume packed with legends like Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, and Kyler Murray, OU knows what it takes at QB. However, Nagy’s confident Mateer is ready to deliver a vintage Sooners season. To be honest, the excitement is real, and the Sooners faithful are buzzing for what’s next.

Here, Jim Nagy didn’t hold back, saying, “After watching three games and going through spring, John’s better than I thought.” Moreover, he added, “He’s got something you can’t coach—a true leader.” Familiarity with Coach Arbuckle’s offense gives Mateer an edge, especially with so many new faces on offense. Simply put, Oklahoma finally has a QB that opponents will lose sleep over. So, the Sooners might just be back in business.