Paul Finebaum says Brent Venables has ‘some room to breathe’ after Oklahoma’s win over Michigan
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Paul Finebaum is well aware of the sentiment surrounding Brent Venables going into the 2025 season. After his second 6-7 campaign in three years, the Oklahoma head coach is looking to get the Sooners back on track in an important fourth season.
On Saturday, the Sooners took care of business at home, defeating Michigan 24-13 to improve to 2-0.
“That would not be considered one of their toughest games of the year. But in terms of statement, it was probably the most important game of the year only because had they not won, that would have been the story of the day. And Brent Venables would be on everybody’s hot seat list,” Finebaum said on his weekly appearance on “The Matt Barrie Show.” “Instead, he’s got some room to breathe. And you need that.”
It’s a good win for Oklahoma, but as Finebaum noted, it’s not even remotely close to the most difficult game it will have this season. The Sooners have road games at Texas and South Carolina, host Ole Miss, then visit Tennessee and Alabama in a torturous stretch from mid-October to mid-November. They’ll later end the season at home vs. LSU.
But Saturday was a step in the right direction for Oklahoma, thanks in part to John Mateer. He was 21-of-34 for 270 yards while throwing a touchdown and an interception, while adding 19 carries, 74 yards, and 2 TDs on the ground.
“Everybody has that big game. And for Venables, that was GameDay primetime, major opponent, and they delivered. And I think it was going to give him some room,” Finebaum said. “His schedule is still insane, but he’s got some juice going. He’s got some fuel. And he really needed it badly. And John Mateer to me looked very, very good.”
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.
