When the Oklahoma Sooners decided to give head coach Brent Venables an extension this offseason, it drew backlash. One of the biggest critics was ESPN's Paul Finebaum.
Finebaum called it a "terrible decision" and questioned what Venables had done to deserve that extension. He noted that an extension is usually given because you fear your coach leaving for somewhere else. He didn't feel anybody was coming to lure Venables away from Norman.
The best thing for Oklahoma was to have another great season this year, and put a lot of those concerns to bed. However, after starting 2-2 and losing 41-13 to the Georgia Bulldogs, Finebaum is back with more criticism of Venables.
"I don't believe Brent Venables can either, but you're stuck with him because your
AD, Roger Denny, decided to extend him for no reason at all," Finebaum said on 'The Matt Barrie Show.' "You are about to experience what Florida State has been experiencing with (Mike) Norvell and what USC is going to experience with Lincoln Riley. You are stuck with Brent Venables, and good luck. Because you are in the wrong conference to try to hold your ground or get ahead when you've got schools like Kentucky and Mississippi State and now Florida trampling over you."
Finebaum's latest criticism adds to the pressure on Venables, but Oklahoma still has a chance to change the conversation on the field. The bye week gives the Sooners time to regroup, fix the issues that plagued them through the first month and prepare for a massive matchup with the Texas Longhorns.
The next few weeks will reveal far more than any outside criticism can. If Venables can get the Sooners playing cleaner, more confident football after the bye, Oklahoma can still make the 2-2 start a setback rather than the defining story of its season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Paul Finebaum on Brent Venables: 'You're stuck with him'
