On3 on Oklahoma: Anything Less Than Nine Wins in 2023 Would be Disappointing
After a 6-7 campaign in 2022, Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to turn things around in a major way as they prepare for a transition into the SEC in 2024.
A major improvement from OU’s first losing season since 1998 is expected, with a major overhaul of the Sooners’ roster taking place this offseason.
According to SoonerScoop’s Eddie Radosevich, anything less than a 9-3 regular season would be a major disappointment in 2023.
“I mean, I think that anything less than nine wins would probably be pretty disappointing,” Radosevich told J.D. Pickell on the On3 Roundtable. “I think that you know, Oklahoma fans can look at the upcoming schedule and there’s not any reason to think that Oklahoma can’t get over the hump of at least 8.5. I think the over-under total in Vegas is probably around 9.5 going into the 2023 season and it’s simply put they gotta get to nine or 10 wins.”
If Oklahoma is unable to shake off the rust from Venables’ first year, it might start to get a bit uncomfortable in Norman, after many believed that Venables was the perfect fit for the job.
“(If they don’t), I wouldn’t say the hot seat is going to be turning up on Brent Venables but there will be more serious rumblings,” Radosevich said. “(The question will be) is this the guy that can lead Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference and I think that that’s an uncomfortable conversation that not a lot of people in Norman want to have.
“But when you look at what they were unable to do on the field last year, finishing the season 6-7, losing all of those games seemingly on the last possession of the game, there’s some people that are getting impatient around here even though it’s only been one year in Norman for Brent Venables.”
While the folks in Norman likely won’t send Venables out the door after 2023, regardless of what happens, getting the ship headed in the right direction ahead of next season is priority 1A and 1B.
“But they need to make some steps on the field that everybody is pretty confident about where this thing is going once they make that move, officially official into the SEC,” Radosevich said.
Getting things right on the field would also pay dividends on the recruiting trail, which Venables and staff have been very good with to this point.
The Sooners have 73 days until they take the field against Arkansas State on September 2 in Norman.
