Brent Venables built Oklahoma’s defense into a CFP unit, now the offense has to catch up

Sooner Scoop FootballJul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images TAMPA, Fla. — Brent Venables has built a championship-level defense at Oklahoma. That was more than apparent last season, as the Sooners reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. And the biggest reason for that was because of the team’s defense, which finished fourth in the country in ESPN SP+ analytics.