Brent Venables honeymoon period ends with Oklahoma seeking answers after blowout loss in Red River Showdown

DALLAS — More than 30 minutes after Oklahoma’s 49-0 loss to Texas in the Red River Showdown, the Sooners still had not shown up for media interviews. The losing team typically participates first to give the victors ample time to enjoy the trophy celebration. 

But even after Texas left the stage, the Oklahoma contingent was nowhere to be found. An inconspicuous tweet went out from the OU football account simply noting “Final: Texas 49, OU 0.” Finally, more than an hour after the 2:12 p.m. CT final whistle, coach Brent Venables and Oklahoma players shuffled into the interview room. All five participants wore suits, with two defenders wearing black, an unwitting tribute to the funeral that just took place at the Cotton Bowl. 

“We were good enough on both sides of the ball to be a lot more competitive and have a chance to win the game than what we displayed,” Venables said. “From coaching and getting them ready, that responsibility starts with me. I obviously did a very poor job of doing that.” 

Turn the calendar back as far as you want — the Sooners have never lost to Texas like this. Not during the John Blake years. Not under Gary Gibbs. Not even under Adrian Lindsey in the formative days of the then-Big 6 Conference. In fact, this is the biggest shutout loss in the history of the Oklahoma football program regardless of opponent, and first time in program history that it has lost back-to-back games by 30 points. 

Prior to Saturday, Texas had not shut out Oklahoma since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. The largest previous loss against the hated ‘Horns was a 33-point decision, matched in 1941 and 2005. This isn’t a bad stretch by Oklahoma standards. It’s a waking nightmare. 

“Hearing that you’ve done something that hasn’t been done in a long time,” said Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown with a grin, “that means you’re doing something right.”

Texas simply crushed Oklahoma, and to the winner goes the spoils, but any honeymoon feeling about the Venables era that might have lingered is officially over after the Red River Shutout. No player on the roster has ever lost three games in a single season at Oklahoma, much less three in a row. This is no longer Lincoln Riley’s program, and that’s a scary look so far as every part of Oklahoma football has bottomed out during the Venables era. 

“This is uncharted territory for us,” tight end Brayden Willis…