The Oklahoma Sooners are among the best programs in college football history. However, it's been nearly three decades since the Sooners last won the national championship.
Many hoped this season would end that streak. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff last season and returned most of its key players. However, after a 2-1 start and an offense that struggled, the worry is that this season could start spiraling out of control.
Head coach Brent Venables talked at his weekly press conference about what it will take to return to excellence.
"Let's continue to demand them to do what we know they can do," Venables said. "We know they can do it at a higher and more consistent level. When we do, you'll like the results. As I said, I know that's
not dramatic enough for some people, and that's okay. Becoming excellent is a very boring thing. It's really hard. It's methodical. It's consistent. It's the smallest things, not the big things. And it's not flinching when it isn't working. It's about working and demanding better."
Venables' message is particularly relevant for a team that has struggled to find consistency on offense. Oklahoma has shown flashes of what it can be, but missed assignments, turnovers, and fundamental mistakes have repeatedly prevented the Sooners from playing at the level they believe they are capable of.
That was evident against the New Mexico Lobos. Oklahoma's defense allowed 185 total yards and six points, but the offense turned the ball over twice in the first half and finished with just 299 total yards. The Sooners eventually created enough offense to win, but the performance reinforced the gap between their current level and the standard Venables is describing.
The important part of Venables' message is that he isn't describing excellence as something that requires a dramatic transformation. He is talking about doing ordinary things correctly, repeatedly and without losing confidence when the results aren't immediate.
Venables' definition of excellence may not be flashy, but that's precisely the point. Oklahoma doesn't need to become a different program overnight. It needs to become more consistent at the things it already knows it should be doing. If the Sooners can turn that philosophy into execution, they still have plenty of season left to change the direction of 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables on how Oklahoma can return to excellence
