After the result of last Saturday in addition to the switch in QB from heralded Jackson Arnold to freshman Michael Hawkins has me wondering if faith in Brent Venables has started to decline in Norman? Oklahoma (OU) is a proud football program, and it was a huge celebration last weekend with their first SEC football game and yet it was a very disappointing result for the Sooners.
Maybe Tennessee is just that good and this loss won't look bad long term, but you would have to think questions are starting swirl amongst fans and maybe even with the decision makers. There has been so much hype for Jackson Arnold even from last season but yet we haven't seen the hype turn into production. He is a young QB and I'm sure will only get better with more experience, but the Sooners turned to him as the next guy after Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon.
I imagine that has left quite a few questions for fans especially as to what happened with Dillon Gabriel and also, why Arnold hasn't lived up to the excitement since he signed to the program? When it comes to Dillon Gabriel it seems there are many opinions, from OU thought he was looking to the NFL and wasn't coming back to maybe OU didn't have the NIL money that Oregon has to keep him in Norman. No matter the real reason without Gabriel the Sooner offense has looked very pedestrian while Gabriel has been putting up numbers in Eugene.
Having lost a coach to USC and a starting QB to Oregon can't sit well with the fans, as they feel the Sooners are on that elite level. Clearly the struggles of the offense aren't going to work in the SEC and maybe the change to Hawkins is what is needed. However, if things don't improve to what is expected at OU will patience run out quicker than expected with Venables?
We all know he is an elite defensive coordinator and did a great job of keeping the program together upon his hiring after Lincoln Riley left for USC, but not everyone is meant to be a head coach. Some of the pressure may be more on him since he was given an extension well ahead of his first contract running out, and I'm sure some are wondering why he was given that extension.
If there is a quick remedy for the Sooners it would be going to Auburn this weekend, who has had their own QB struggles and overall struggles to begin the season as well. A win for the Sooners on Saturday and a QB change may be the springboard to a successful season but as of now there are far more questions than answers for a proud program in a new place. Time, however, is not on their side as they have one of the tougher schedules in the SEC and things could snowball quickly.