Brent Venables and the Sooners made their case as SEC contenders on Saturday. Oklahoma moved to 4-0, taking down Auburn in a statement win. However, John Mateer’s late TD sealed it. But Venables’ defense stole the show. The Sooners held the Tigers to 287 yards, and the defensive front feasted, racking up 8.5 sacks. DE R Mason Thomas wasted no time making noise. On his 2nd snap back, he notched a sack. Later, he buried ex-Sooner Jackson Arnold for a safety with just over a minute to play, putting the exclamation point on a dominant night. After that dominant defensive performance, OU GM Jim Nagy sent a major shoutout to Brent Venables.

While Oklahoma’s defense is turning heads early in the season, according to Bob Konarski, it’s one of the best in the country. But why? The Sooners are locking down opposing QBs, allowing just 46% completions so far. Jayden Jackson recorded 2.5 sacks, Mason Thomas added two more, and 7 players have at least half a sack. As a result? Even without forcing a turnover, Oklahoma’s defense dominates the stat sheet, ranking in the top 5 nationally in multiple categories. Following that, Josh Pate highlighted the ferocity, stating, “Oklahoma had more sacks Saturday than 90 FBS teams have had all season.” And now, Jim Nagy took it even further.

On September 21, Jim Nagy couldn’t hide his excitement. “This stat is 🤧. Ferocious performance by OU Football front-seven vs. Auburn.” Then he delivered the ultimate shoutout for Brent Venables, saying, “Nobody dials up pressure like HC Venables.” And the numbers back it up. After their 24-17 win over No.22, the Sooners rank 7th in scoring defense, holding opponents to a mere 9 PPG. But that’s not all; they’re also seventh in passing defense at 118.5 YPG. On top of that, they’re fourth in total yards allowed nationally. So, Venables’ defense isn’t just good; it’s a full-blown force. And that’s why Nagy didn’t stop there.

Oklahoma’s defense is wreaking havoc. They racked up 10 sacks on Auburn and posted 14 tackles for loss, pushing them near the national top ten. Even more impressive is their success rate. And given that, Nagy stated, “Smart DL & LB recruits are taking notice.”

And here’s the catch. A defensive void opened up when Zac Alley left Oklahoma for West Virginia. And then after missing out on Jim Knowles, Venables stepped in as the Sooners’ de facto DC. However, given his struggles with game management as HC, some questioned the move. But Brent Venables trusted his instincts and took over play-calling. So far, the results speak for themselves, and Oklahoma’s defense is dominating, proving his decision was spot on. Now, while the Sooners are rising, not everyone is buying it.

Brent Venables’ challenges

Paul Finebaum isn’t sold on Brent Venables’ Oklahoma just yet. And that’s why the analyst remained skeptical after their win over Auburn at Norman. “I am not going to be a prisoner of the moment, and I’m going to say false,” he said. Most importantly, Finebaum isn’t ready to crown them SEC contenders despite the Sooners’ strong showing. But why?

Although the Mateer-led offense impressed, dominating the trenches and tipping the 4th quarter 11-7 in Oklahoma’s favor. But Finebaum cautioned that the schedule has been favorable so far. “OU’s defense is rolling, but their ‘Florida-like schedule’ is the hurdle that might contain their SEC dream,” he added. So now the Sooners have claimed ranked victories over Michigan and Auburn at home, yet bigger tests await. So who’s next?

Looking ahead, Finebaum pointed out that the Sooners won’t meet another ranked opponent until the Vols. But after that, they face strict road tests at Bama and LSU, along with a showdown against Texas.” OU is really good, but I don’t think they’re going to be there at the end playing for the championship,” he said. So the takeaway? For now, Finebaum isn’t ready to buy into the hype because Oklahoma still has proving to do.