Mississippi State football coach Jeff Lebby faces Oklahoma, his alma mater, for the first time as a head coach on Saturday, Oct. 24, when the Bulldogs host the Sooners in Starkville, Mississippi.
Lebby goes way back with Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, even before the Sooners coach hired Lebby as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator — a position he held from 2022-23 before being hired by Mississippi State. Lebby signed with the Sooners as an offensive lineman in 2002, but an injury ended his career prematurely and he served as a student assistant with the program through 2006, which overlapped with Venables' early stint as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator.
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The 42-year-old coach hangs his hat on explosive offense, which has been the case this season for the Bulldogs (when first-year starter Kamario Taylor has been healthy). His offenses at Oklahoma were also prolific.
The Sooners, on the other hand, can't say the same since Lebby parted from the program. Their offense has been one of the worst in Power Four since Lebby left, and there's a chance they're looking for their third offensive coordinator in four seasons if second-year play caller Ben Arbuckle continues to lead a struggling unit.
If Taylor is healthy enough to play on Oct. 24 — he remains questionable — then Mississippi State-Oklahoma could be a game between polar-opposite offenses.
Oklahoma offense rankings with Jeff Lebby as offensive coordinator
- 2022: No. 13 in total offense (474 yards per game) and No. 33 in scoring (32.8 points per game)
- 2023: No. 3 in total offense (507 yards per game) and No. 4 in scoring (41.7 points per game)
Lebby called plays for one of the best offenses in college football in his final season with Oklahoma in 2023, as quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns to six interceptions on the year. He rushed for 373 yards and 12 more scores.
While Lebby coached Oklahoma while it was still in the Big 12, the difference between Oklahoma's offense since he left Norman, Oklahoma, versus without him, has been a stark difference.
Oklahoma offense rankings without Jeff Lebby as offensive coordinator
- 2024: No. 113 in total offense (331 yards per game) and No. 97 in scoring (24 points per game)
- 2025: No. 92 in total offense (354.3 yards per game) and No. 79 in scoring (26.2 points per game)
- 2026: No. 126 in total offense (313.3 yards per game) and No. 114 in scoring (21.3 points per game)
Oklahoma has not been able to figure out its offense since Lebby left the program. Seth Littrell, who was elevated from offensive analyst to offensive coordinator after Lebby's exit, was fired only seven games into the 2024 season. Venables then hired Ben Arbuckle.
While the Sooners marginally improved offensively in 2025, they've taken another step backward in 2026, boasting one of the worst offenses, statistically, in college football. Part of that is due to Oklahoma facing multiple top-tier defenses such as Michigan, Georgia, Texas and even New Mexico, to a lesser degree.
But Oklahoma's is still far from a formidable unit.
Quarterback John Mateer has also regressed from his previous form at Washington State, where he led the country in total touchdowns as a first-year starter in 2024. The Sooners lead Power Four with 14 turnovers this season, with Mateer responsible for nine of those.
It seems like Venables will get one final chance at hiring an offensive coordinator who can bring similar results to Lebby.
Bob Stoops not surprised by Jeff Lebby's coaching rise
Legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who signed Lebby as an offensive lineman in high school, told the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network, that it wasn't surprising to him when Lebby became an SEC head coach.
“I loved watching him here at OU and loved that fact that he is a head coach,” Stoops said. “Now, he’s off to a great start, especially this year. I’m just happy for him and his wife and his family. It’s not surprising to me.”
Lebby has plenty of Sooners flavor on his coaching staff at Mississippi State, too. Offensive line coach Phil Loadholt and tight ends coach Jon Cooper both played and coached at Oklahoma, along with quarterback analyst Tanner Schafer, a former walk-on quarterback for the Sooners.
Former Oklahoma interim quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns is also Lebby's quarterbacks coach for the Bulldogs. Zac Selmon, whose dad Dewey Selmon and uncles Lee Roy Selmon and Lucious Selmon are Sooners royalty, is also the athletic director at Mississippi State.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma hasn't figured out offense since Jeff Lebby left. Now, they face off
