This season of redemption began by addressing ever.

As in, the worst loss to Texas, ever. The worst shutout loss to any opponent, ever.

And the gut punch: The softest Oklahoma team, ever.

“This program has represented excellence for a long time,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said after last week’s rout of Iowa State. “Last year was a terrible representation of all that.”

There’s only 1 way to get it back — and it begins this week in the Red River Rivalry, where it all unraveled in 2022. Where Venables’ rookie season as coach at OU was defined for 9 long offseason months.

Nine months of “soft” hanging over their collective heads.

The idea of it is sickening to any competitor in any sport at any level. But when you’re physically beaten at the point of attack week after week in the Big 12, when you need wins over UTEP and Kent State just to qualify for a bowl, there aren’t many other roads on the map.

Until, that is, you remember your lane — and quickly move into it.

Not many coaches in the history of Oklahoma come back from a 49-0 loss to Texas, and an 0 for the state of Texas season (losses to Texas, Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech). You’re not riding out that storm while working in the shadow of Bud, Barry and Bob.

You ride it out the only way Venables knows, from his time as an overachieving linebacker at Kansas State who nobody wanted, to a longtime successful defensive coordinator that couldn’t get a Power 5 job before getting the one he dreamed of all along.

The Sooners were going to hit back, he told his team over and over through those 9 offseason months. If you get punched in the mouth, you punch back.

One way or the other — if he failed, if it all turned around — he was going to do it his way. The same way he did while building some of the nation’s best defenses at Clemson, a critical factor in the Tigers’ 2 national titles in the Playoff era.

The 1 thing Venables can wrap his mind around and get his hands on.

The quick change has been remarkable, and goes well beyond the 5-0 record and a team beginning to hit its stride. Oklahoma is tougher and smarter and mentally stronger to handle adversity. Don’t believe it?

Early last month, OU played host to SMU as 1 of 3 straight rent-a-wins to begin the season. The Sooners led 14-3 in the fourth quarter before SMU went 81 yards on 12 plays to make it 14-11 with 12 minutes to play.

The next 4 series: Oklahoma touchdown, SMU punt, Oklahoma touchdown, SMU interception. End of game.

The Sooners got punched in the mouth and punched back.

“A year ago. I’m not sure if we would’ve figured out a way to win that game,” Venables said. “I love that about our team. The fight and the courage and the belief and the never flinch attitude they have.”

But all that and $5 will get you some deep-fried Oreos at the Texas State Fair. Because the mistakes and missed assignments in allowing SMU to hang around until the 4th quarter, or while failing to polish off Cincinnati in the Big 12 opener, or while allowing Iowa State to score on its first 4 possessions last week, will translate into another disastrous day against Texas.

This is more than a bitter rival, or an early lead in the Big 12 or replaying the rivalry again in the Big 12 Championship Game. This game is a mandate on the state of the programs — on their last year of the Big 12 before heading into much stiffer competition in the SEC.

Texas made a statement last month with a win at Alabama. Oklahoma — which had a game scheduled this season against Georgia before the early transition to the SEC negated the 2-game series — still lacks a signature win under Venables.

What better time than this weekend against No. 3 Texas — against one of the hottest offenses in college football, and one of the hottest coaches in college football. All while finding redemption for a defense that was so underwhelming in 2022, it made the inept later years of the Lincoln Riley era look championship-level.

Oklahoma gave up 30 points per game last season, and is currently giving up 10.8. The 19-point improvement is better than any season since the last time OU played for the national title in 2008.

All across the defense, there’s empirical evidence of improvement. From total defense (461 ypg to 318), 3rd-down efficiency (41% to 27), and turnovers (21 in 13 games to 12 in 5 games).

And then, the biggie: 17.3 long plays allowed per game in 2022, cut to 12 per game in 2023. In last year’s Texas game, the Longhorns had 21.

Want to know where this game begins and ends? Where No. 12 Oklahoma will make its stand under Venables and begin to erase a hideous 2022 season?

Look no further than the defense that was pushed around for 13 games in 2022, and earned that “soft” tag that hung around the program for an entire offseason. A defense that has dramatically changed after 5 games of 2023, but is only as good as the way it plays in front of 100,000 in the Cotton Bowl.

“For some people, that’s the benchmark. I get that,” Venables said. “We still have a long way to go.”

But they’re not going back, ever.