It’s here, it’s finally here!!!
Game week for the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners has finally come, and in just a few days, the Oklahoma Sooners will host the UTEP Miners to launch the start of the Brent Venables era.
Analysts are mixed on Oklahoma’s prospects this season. Some believe the Sooners will win the Big 12, while others think they’ll miss the title game altogether. Even those that think the Sooners will return to their place as conference champions, a throne they sat on for six-straight seasons, the consensus is that Oklahoma won’t make it through the season with fewer than two losses.
Given all of the turnover the Oklahoma Sooners underwent in the offseason and the coaching change, many are taking a “wait and see” approach with Brent Venables’ Sooners. However, in a conference with no definitive favorite, Oklahoma has just as good a shot to win it all as anyone.
But as Oklahoma gets set to start the 2022 season, let’s look at the top storylines facing the Sooners in Brent Venables’ first season at the helm.
Kicking off the Brent Venables era
April 23, 2022; Norman; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables poses with former players and family during the spring game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Since the Oklahoma Sooners made the Brent Venables hire official back in December, the anticipation and excitement for the new era of Oklahoma football have been growing to a fever pitch.
Finally, in game week, the Oklahoma Sooners can put everything they’ve felt and learned over the last nine months into action. UTEP is the unfortunate team that will face the pent-up energy of Sooner Nation this Saturday when they roll into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The record crowd for the spring game and the record donations pouring into the Oklahoma football program last fiscal year provide a glimpse of the excitement surrounding the Sooners heading into 2022.
Brent Venables as a head coach
Apr 23, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables reacts during the spring game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
We won’t know how good he will be as a head coach until Brent Venables manages big games with high-leverage situations. UTEP and Kent State will provide opportunities to fine-tune in-game processes, but that road trip to Lincoln to take on his first Power Five team as a head coach in a hostile environment will provide the…