How people handle pressure often separates the good from the great in sports. The Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables experienced intense pressure heading into the 2025 season.
Venables had two losing seasons in his first three years in Norman. Oklahoma hadn't experienced a losing season since 1998 until his arrival. Coming off a 6-7 record in the Sooners' first year in the SEC in 2024, Venables had to show Oklahoma was heading in the right direction, or he would be out of a job.
But Venables looked the pressure right in the face and punched back. The Sooners went 10-3 and returned to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. A big reason for that was due to the defense Venables built.
He was asked in a press conference
on Tuesday if he feels less pressure this season coming off that CFP berth. However, Venables said at a place like Oklahoma, there is always pressure.
"I think the circumstances are different, but I don't think the approach should ever change," Venables said. "That's my opinion. The pressure doesn't come from anywhere but internally, that you create for yourself. You base it on the standards, your own expectations, the things that you value. You know, the pressure is never bigger than what it is internally, and I think that should drive you. You know that pressure is part of your culture. It's a mentality that should be a shared belief system, and we should all feel that every single year."
Venables has already proven he can handle adversity at Oklahoma. The question now is whether he can handle the expectations that come with success.
Making the College Football Playoff changed the perception of the program, but it also raised the standard. Oklahoma is not trying to simply return to relevance; it is trying to compete for championships. That's what Oklahoma is all about; as Barry Switzer once said, "People don't know what it means to be champions. Oklahoma invented it."
With an elite defense returning and an offense expected to take a major step forward, Venables has the Sooners positioned for another big season. But at a program like Oklahoma, pressure doesn't disappear after success. It only changes from proving you belong to proving you can win it all.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Pressure doesn't change at OU, despite College Football Playoff berth
