The Oklahoma Sooners started their season hot, and it got hotter with their Week 2 victory over the Wolverines. The ghosts of last season are yet to resurface, and with a new guy under the center and a new offensive coordinator, Brent Venables is writing his own narrative. John Mateer has been the hero of the story. But the two wins have come as a result of the whole team coming together as a unit. Naturally, the program is back in national news, and there is genuine interest from recruits. One parent of a Sooner player took it upon himself to make the pitch.

Sophomore safety Reggie Powers III, from Dayton, Ohio, tallied one tackle against Michigan, contributing to the Sooner’s robust defense. All signs were that Powers would choose the Buckeyes to stay closer to home. Instead, the 4-star player chose Michigan State, but that commitment ended in three months as the Spartans fired their head coach. Following that, Brent Venables sold him the dream, and Powers committed to the Sooners. In his freshman year in 2024, the safety featured in a reserve role. That is set to change this year.

His father has been on cloud nine. And the proud dad didn’t shy away from pitching the Sooners to the potential recruits after their win over Michigan. “Recruits: You know where you need to be! Come play with BV/Arbuckle and staff! Tell your Fam they can DM me with questions. I sent my kid 13 hours away and couldn’t be happier! @OU_Football 🅾️🙌🏾 #BoomerSooner,” he wrote on X.

The Michigan-Oklahoma clash saw a major recruiting cohort on the sidelines taking detailed notes. More than 75 recruits were present at the OU Memorial Stadium, nitpicking at the trenches. Class of 2026 four-star QB Bowe Bentley, DE Jake Kreul, and WR Daniel Odom, among others, were present.

Brent Venables and the Sooners were stoked. What followed was a merry bunch, with their pads and cleats still on, lifting the head coach on their shoulders, celebrating the win, as Toby Keith’s “How do You Like Me Now” blasted in the background. The coach’s reaction? “I’m embarrassed,” Venables said, oozing pride regarding the weekend’s showdown. “This is a player’s game, and a lot of other people were responsible for getting to that moment.

He continued. “And again, I don’t want to take away — celebrate, man. What we do is too hard. You only get 12 opportunities guaranteed at the beginning of the year,” he added. 

Sooners take apart the Wolverines but concerns remain

Since the first snap, Oklahoma dominated the game, leading 14-0 at halftime. The second half witnessed the Wolverines stack up some points. It was only in the third quarter that Michigan’s Haynes sprinted into a 75-yard run to reach the end zone. Further down the clock, Michigan couldn’t get more action. Underwood seemed frustrated and was even seen arguing with his teammates on the sidelines. He tallied 9 out of 24 passes for 142 yards, acquiring a QBR of 40.1, and that was it for Sherrone Moore’s offense.

John Mateer threw for 270 passing yards and a touchdown, along with rushing for two scores, skyrocketing his Heisman stock. The Sooners tallied 408 offensive yards against the Wolverines.

However, Venables acknowledged the shortcomings as well. “We had some self-inflicted issues that kept things a little closer,” Venables said. Although the Sooners are 2-0, it wasn’t a smooth ride. They had two turnovers and a fumble. Mateer also threw an interception. They also had five penalties for 48 yards. “We didn’t play our best game, but we still won,” he said, per the Oklahoman. Coming next, Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners will face off against Temple this coming weekend.