Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle responds to question about if he’s coaching for his job
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Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is only in his 2nd season in Norman, and that 2nd season has barely started.
But the Sooners’ offense was smothered last Saturday afternoon at The Big House, as then-No. 11 Oklahoma lost to Michigan, 17-10, sending OU tumbling in the AP rankings all the way to No. 24 and bringing Arbuckle’s performance to the forefront.
Arbuckle’s offense, in addition to being held to 10 points, only managed 289 yards of total offense all afternoon and couldn’t stay on the field, going just 3 of 13 on 3rd-down conversions. The Sooners also lost the time of possession battle, didn’t score at all in the first half and didn’t score enough in the 2nd half to avoid the disappointing Week 2 loss.
Fast-forward to Tuesday and Arbuckle’s session with reporters, which predictably was uncomfortable in the aftermath of such a horrible loss, but which also included a question that Arbuckle probably didn’t want to have to answer. It was about his job security in Norman and if he thinks he’s coaching for his job.
“I haven’t thought about that one bit,” Arbuckle shot back to the reporter.
Arbuckle went on to say that he’s instead focusing on the players and how he can maximize their abilities during games, which obviously didn’t happen against Michigan.
The 1-1 Sooners will have a good chance to take out their frustrations on New Mexico in Week 3, with the Lobos coming to Norman on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Oklahoma’s stunning loss at Michigan put the Sooners behind the 8-ball very early in the 2026 season when it comes to making the College Football Playoff. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to make the Playoff come December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
