Brent Venables has won the war over Lincoln Riley, and the Oklahoma Sooners can officially close the book on ugly chapter of program history
Brent Venables has turned the Oklahoma Sooners around, leaving the Lincoln Riley era in the past where it belongs
Flash back to December of 2021. The college football world was left stunned after Lincoln Riley left in the middle of the night, fleeing from the Oklahoma Sooners to become the head coach of the USC Trojans. Riley left behind a gutted roster, a program reeling from years of neglect from poor development and recruiting, and a demoralized fanbase.
Then, along came Brent Venables. Riding in on a figurative golden chariot, Venables brought hope back to Oklahoma. Fans drove out by the hundreds to greet him at the airport when news of the hire broke To this day, I have only seen Sooners fans rally around one man the way they did around Venables in his first months at the helm, and that man currently plays quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I remember people openly weeping around me during a speech from Venables during his first spring game.
It was dicey at times in Venables’ first few seasons, but here at the end of year four, I think I can quite comfortably say that Venables has won the war over Lincoln Riley, and we can put this saga to bed.
Brent Venables saved Oklahoma from Lincoln Riley
That first season under Venables was a tough one for Oklahoma fans. The team went 6-6 and had to watch Caleb Williams take home the Heisman Trophy that season, wondering what could have been. Colin Cowherd couldn’t stop talking about how Lincoln Riley was the man who saved USC football and dunked on Oklahoma as often as he could.
However, ever since the Trojans blew the Cotton Bowl to Tulane at the end of that season, things have really begun cratering in Southern California for Riley. The defense caved in and fell apart, prompting Riley to fire Alex Grinch, and USC limped to an 8-5 finish, losing five of their last seven games.
Meanwhile, Venables followed 2022 up with a 10-3 2023 season with one of the best offenses in the country and a defensive foundation that was beginning to take fruit, led by Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman. Venables beat Texas that season and finished the year with yet another top-ten recruiting class.
2024 didn’t go the way either team wanted. Oklahoma had half the team (quite literally) hurt all season, while USC had a completely dysfunctional team that lost to Michigan, Minnesota, and Maryland. Both finished the regular season at 6-6, and entered 2025 on the hot seat. Now at the end of 2025, Venables has cooled his seat off ahead of a likely appearance in the College Football Playoff, while Riley has alienated fans, former players, and now journalists over his antics as a head coach.
Venables rebuilt the Sooners into his image. The Sooners play for pride and play for the name on the front of their uniform. Oklahoma is riddled with high character players who leave everything they have on the field every game. The defense is the best in the country in practically every metric and the team is beginning figuring out how to win games. This is easily the most talented Oklahoma team in years, and they are getting better and better in adding talent to replenish the players they are losing.
Oklahoma is in its healthiest stages as a program since Bob Stoops retired. That is due entirely to what Venables has done as head coach of the Sooners. It’s the mentality he has instilled due to his passion for the team and his relentless energy and dogged pursuit of excellence in the program that has put the Sooners in position to win and keep winning for the foreseeable future.
The two will always be compared to each other, but it’s time we close the book on Lincoln Riley and OU. It’s Brent’s team now.
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