Oklahoma just knocked down No. 14 Tennessee 33-27 on Saturday night in one of those gritty wins of the season. And for a little while, the program seemed unstoppable. John Mateer stole the show with the game-winning touchdown, but let’s face it, it was Xavier Robinson sweating it out all night. But in the end, fans and analysts showed disapproval of Brent Venables‘ decision to give the rock to Mateer rather than Robinson, which sparked discussion about favoritism. Recently, off the field, Venables also faced scrutiny after a public endorsement quietly disappeared.

It was supposed to be a moment of pure appreciation. Like any devoted football fan, Emmett Jones, a seasoned college football coach from Dallas, recently wrote an X post about Brent Venables: “As an Ex High School Coach in Dallas from 2001-2014, I am very familiar with THE DNA OF 🅾️U… But this man, Brent Venables, is why I picked OU 3 years ago.” For a moment, it felt like an endorsement from the core of Texas football. But that post disappeared right away. And honestly, left more questions than answers.

The deletion caused controversy in coaching circles and on social media. Like, why would Jones, who had openly endorsed Venables, now back off? For whatever reason, there was a string of uncertainty after the move.

The Sooners had recently pulled off a 33-27 win over Tennessee, a game in which Venables’ favor to John Mateer over Xavier Robinson on the game-winning play had already sparked intense debates. Beyond just late-game calls, fans were questioning loyalty and the optics of the coaching hierarchy.

When Emment joined the OU team as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator in January 2023, Brent Venables had praised him, saying, “Couldn’t be more excited to welcome Emmett, his wife, Marlo, and their children… Coach Jones is a great teacher of the game with a track record of positional development at the highest level… He’s a coaching giant in Texas high school football.”

Jones referred to the move as a “dream come true,” discussing the opportunity to learn from elite college football minds. This coach openly praised Venables as the reason he chose OU, but then he silently removed his post, which has raised a lot of eyebrows.

Meanwhile, beyond the scoreboard, Oklahoma’s late-game drama in Knoxville involved decisions that were under scrutiny.

Brent Venables’ controversial play call puts the spotlight on player favoritism

With less than two minutes left, Xavier Robinson, the sophomore running back who had carried the team all night, broke free for what could have been a 43-yard touchdown. Instead, he trusted that the team would run out the clock and slid at the 1-yard line. But quarterback John Mateer turned a potential Robinson touchdown into a buffer score on the very next play as he drove into the end zone untouched.

Shannon Sharpe called out the confusion on his show, “I go down at the one-yard line thinking we’re going to take a knee, and then the next play you let the quarterback run it… I think I’ll take the 44-yard touchdown.” Despite Robinson’s clear team-first approach and maturity, Brent Venables came under criticism for choosing Mateer in that crucial moment.

Fans, analysts, and former players all voiced their opinions, questioning why the quarterback received more attention when the running back had performed the majority of the work. Mateer had been facing challenges since recovering from thumb surgery, but calling his number during a stressful situation raised questions about whether favoritism had entered the play-calling process.

But Venables took full responsibility for the chaos. He wants to be direct about the coaching blunder after the game, telling reporters, “We have to be smarter there from a coaching staff…There should be no option whatsoever. Just hand the ball off, every time.” The scrutiny focused on responsibility and how leaders handle talent under pressure. The Sooners’ win was exciting, but the debate over who should have won the moment of glory would not go away.