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Brent Venables reflects on Oklahoma’s loss to Ole Miss despite halftime lead: ‘There are no silver linings’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Brent Venables and Oklahoma are now 4-4 after dropping a 26-14 decision at Ole Miss.
The Sooners trailed 10-7 in the latter stages of the second quarter, but pulled ahead 14-10 with just 6 seconds left on a 13-play, 92-yard touchdown drive.
“Picture-perfect two-minute drill going into halftime there … It showed what we’re capable of,” Venables said after the game.
That said, the Sooners, who fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell a day after a 35-9 loss to South Carolina, couldn’t get the job done in Oxford, dropping a third straight game. They are now 1-4 in the SEC with any realistic path to the SEC Championship Game or a College Football Playoff bid long gone.
After following a 6-7 mark in his first season with a 10-3 record in 2023, things have regressed once more for Venables and his program, with the best-case scenario at this point appearing to be barely sneaking into a bowl game. The Sooners return to Norman to host FCS Maine, followed by a return to conference play and a trip to Missouri before hosting Alabama and wrapping the regular season at LSU.
Saturday represented yet another missed opportunity as the Sooners ended the day with yet another loss, despite some promising moments.
“There are no silver linings,” Venables said. Our expectation is to come here and win.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
