While a primary headline of Red River Rivalry week is the cruciality of the matchup to the trajectory of the Texas Longhorns’ 2025 campaign, opposing head coach Brent Venables also has something to prove at the Cotton Bowl.
Coming off a losing season in which the Sooners went 2-6 in Southeastern Conference play, Venables has helped Oklahoma get off to an impressive, undefeated start, with victories over Michigan and Auburn propelling them to the No. 6 ranking in this week’s AP poll.
A triumph over the Texas Longhorns, despite head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team being unranked for the first time since 2022, would nonetheless be a signature win on his and the Sooners’ resume.
“(We) recognize the challenge and opportunity, both to be able to go to Dallas and compete against the preseason No. 1 team in the country that’s lost two really tough games,” Venables said in his Oct. 7 press conference. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us, but something I know our guys are excited about.”
The success of Venables’ squad early has kept his name off the hot seat.
Following the exit of one-year defensive coordinator Zach Alley after the 2024 season, Venables announced that he would be returning to defensive playcalling duties for the Sooners — and he has done so effectively.
Ahead of the Texas meeting, Oklahoma has conceded the fewest yards per game in the nation to opposing offenses at 193 and surrendered the second-fewest points per game at 7.2, only trailing Ohio State.
On Oct. 7, Venables spoke again about taking over the defensive playcalling role in 2025.
“I love coaching. I love strategy. I love gameday. I love practice. I love the meeting room. And I always have,” Venables said. “So, (it is) a little bit (of a) slightly different role, but (I’ve) been very involved every step of the way. But it’s always fun. It’s fun, even when it doesn’t go your way. Then, you’ve got to figure your way out of it. A lot of people don’t like that, but I do.”
According to an Aug. 29 USA Today article, Venables took a $1 million pay cut in his 2025 salary to contribute to the Oklahoma athletic department’s revenue-sharing efforts.
Venables reportedly signed his amended contract in February, heading into an offseason in which the Sooners retooled their roster. Venables bet on his program, and now, halfway through the regular season, it has seemingly paid off.
In his fourth meeting against Texas as the Oklahoma head coach, Venables will look to even his record in the rivalry at 2-2. The Longhorns earned blowout victories in 2022 and 2024, while the Sooners came out victorious in a back-and-forth meeting in 2023.
With the Longhorns recording 25 or more points in each of the last three matchups, the durability of Venables’ ideal start to 2025 may be pushed to the limit in Dallas, especially defensively.
