Oklahoma might have a problem brewing just as they’re set to make their playoff run. Ben Arbuckle, the offensive coordinator who’s helped guide the Sooners to a 10-2 record and their first College Football Playoff berth since 2019, is reportedly among the names being floated for the vacant head coaching position at a Pac-12 program. 

Barstool Sports’ Liam Blutman listed Arbuckle alongside several other candidates in a tweet about the Washington State Cougars’ coaching search. ​Washington State is looking for a new head coach after Jimmy Rogers bolted for Iowa State following just one season in Pullman, leaving the Cougars scrambling to find their fifth head coach in six seasons. Interestingly, Ben Arbuckle spent two seasons as the Cougars’ offensive coordinator before Oklahoma hired him away last December on a three-year deal.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Brent Venables and Oklahoma. They are awaiting their final seeding for the 12-team playoff. Blutman’s list of candidates also includes New Mexico head coach Jason Eck, Cal’s offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin, UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel, Oregon assistant head coach Ra’Shaad Samples, and the $4.5 million Ben Arbuckle.​

Arbuckle hasn’t publicly commented on the Washington State opening specifically. But back in September, when his name was being linked to multiple head coaching vacancies, he made his position pretty clear. 

“I’m flattered that someone would say that about me, but none of that stuff registers in my head at all,” Arbuckle said at the time. “I have a responsibility to this university and to these kids. So I haven’t even thought about if I would be ready to be a head coach, and I’m not seeking anything either.”​

He went even further in discussing his commitment to Oklahoma and the players he coaches. “My responsibility is to Oklahoma, to these kids, putting them in the best position to be successful every single day,” Arbuckle told reporters. “That’s where my loyalty lies, and that’s where my mind is set, right here at Oklahoma.” 

At just 30 years old and having served as a college coordinator for less than four years, Arbuckle’s rapid rise has made him one of the most sought-after names in coaching circles. Whether those September comments still hold true as Oklahoma prepares for its playoff run remains to be seen.​

Getting John Mateer back to basics

Oklahoma’s defense has carried Brent Venables’ team to the playoffs. However, things have not always been smooth on the other side of the ball. Some of it starts with the quarterback. Assuming Ben Arbuckle sticks around through the playoff run, his plan for John Mateer is refreshingly simple: strip everything back to fundamentals. 

“Clean up his footwork, I think that’s big for any quarterback,” Arbuckle explained. “This is really a good time where we’re not focusing on individual drills translating to a game right now for a specific opponent, it’s more ‘Ok we get to worry about us’. So that’s going to be a big aspect of it. Just continuing to clean up his footwork and breaking things back down to the basics.

Whether it’s getting the ball out quick to your first read because it’s right there or moving on from a progression and getting the ball to your checkdown, or our run game checks where it might be ok over here, but this run works a lot better if you get us to this [run] right now. So just peeling it back to the basics and working on things that make him a better quarterback so that that way he can be a better player for the team.”​

Top Stories

‘RIP’: NASCAR World Crumbles in Tears as 39-YO Former JR Motorsports Driver Passes Away

Donald Trump Takes Unexpected Shot at NFL With Name Change Call During FIFA World Cup Draw

Bills Legend Jim Kelly Announces Final Cancer Update After Years of Battle

Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Demands Short-Term Contract Away From NFL on Thursday

Rory McIlroy Suffers ‘Banana Peel’ Blunder as His Australian Open Setbacks Continue

Brian Kelly Slammed For 4 Years Over Lane Kiffin’s First Move as LSU HC

This approach feels particularly crucial, considering Mateer has been running full throttle since returning from hand surgery mid-season. Nobody’s expecting miracles here. He’s not suddenly going to transform into a Heisman-caliber quarterback in a few weeks of practice. But he doesn’t need to be Superman for Oklahoma to make noise in this playoff. With the weapons the Sooners have at the skill positions and Arbuckle’s offensive scheme, Mateer just needs to be more consistent with the fundamentals. 

Take care of the ball, keep the chains moving, make the right reads, and distribute cleanly. That’s the recipe. If just two or three plays per game go differently for Mateer, the entire narrative around his season changes. Oklahoma suddenly appears to be a team capable of a serious playoff run.​