Paul Finebaum Slams Oklahoma Sooners and Brent Venables 2025 Season
Paul Finebaum did not mince words when discussing the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables as the 2025 season unfolded, delivering one of his most pointed critiques yet of a program still searching for stability in its new SEC reality. For Finebaum, Oklahoma’s struggles were not merely the growing pains of a team changing conferences or adjusting to tougher weekly competition. Instead, he framed the Sooners’ season as the clearest evidence yet that the program underestimated just how difficult life after the Big 12 would be and overestimated how quickly Venables could restore Oklahoma to its former national stature.
From Finebaum’s perspective, the most damning aspect of Oklahoma’s 2025 campaign was the absence of a clear identity. This was supposed to be the year the Sooners took a definitive step forward under Venables, a defensive-minded coach hired to bring toughness and accountability after the offensive fireworks of the Lincoln Riley era. Yet as the season wore on, Finebaum repeatedly pointed out that Oklahoma looked neither like a dominant defensive team nor an explosive offensive one. Instead, it appeared caught between eras, philosophies, and expectations, a dangerous place for a program with championship aspirations.
Finebaum emphasized that the SEC does not grant patience simply because a program has a storied past. Oklahoma entered the league believing its brand, resources, and recruiting footprint would immediately translate to success. Finebaum argued that belief bordered on arrogance. Week after week, the Sooners were exposed by teams that were more physical at the line of scrimmage, more disciplined defensively, and more consistent in execution. For Finebaum, these shortcomings fell squarely at the feet of the head coach. While Venables arrived with an elite defensive reputation from Clemson, Finebaum questioned whether that pedigree had truly translated to head coaching success in Norman.
One of Finebaum’s harshest critiques centered on Venables’ inability to develop a defense that could carry the team when the offense struggled. In theory, Venables was hired to fix exactly that problem. Yet Oklahoma’s defense too often failed to get stops in critical moments, struggled against balanced attacks, and showed lapses in fundamentals that Finebaum found inexcusable for a coach known as a defensive mastermind. He argued that the Sooners frequently looked overwhelmed, not just physically but mentally, especially against top-tier SEC opponents who exploited mismatches and dictated tempo.
Finebaum also took aim at the program’s quarterback situation and offensive inconsistency, noting that while Oklahoma once set the standard for elite quarterback play, the 2025 season offered little of that swagger. He suggested that the revolving door at quarterback, combined with conservative play-calling at key moments, reflected a coaching staff that lacked confidence in its personnel. For Finebaum, that uncertainty was symptomatic of a larger issue: Oklahoma no longer intimidated anyone. Opponents no longer circled the Sooners on the schedule with fear; instead, they viewed them as beatable, vulnerable, and still adjusting.
Recruiting, long considered Oklahoma’s lifeline, did little to silence Finebaum’s criticism. While Venables continued to land talented classes on paper, Finebaum argued that recruiting rankings mean little if player development does not follow. He questioned why highly touted prospects were not translating into dominant performances on Saturdays, particularly on defense. In Finebaum’s view, elite programs turn potential into production, and Oklahoma in 2025 simply did not do that at a championship level.
Finebaum was particularly blunt about expectations. Oklahoma fans, he noted, were promised competitiveness from day one in the SEC. Instead, they were given explanations, excuses, and reminders about patience. Finebaum pushed back hard on that narrative, arguing that patience is a luxury rarely afforded in college football’s most unforgiving conference. He reminded listeners that programs like Georgia, Alabama, and LSU did not wait years to establish dominance once the right leadership was in place. For him, the gap between Oklahoma’s expectations and its on-field results was widening, not shrinking.
Perhaps the most uncomfortable part of Finebaum’s commentary was his suggestion that Brent Venables might not be the long-term answer. While stopping short of calling for his job outright, Finebaum openly questioned whether Venables possesses the head coaching instincts required to navigate the modern SEC. Managing the transfer portal, adapting schemes weekly, handling quarterback development, and winning close games are all essential skills in today’s game, and Finebaum implied that Venables had yet to prove mastery of any of them at Oklahoma.
Finebaum also addressed the psychological toll of repeated losses and near-misses, suggesting that Oklahoma was beginning to show signs of a program unsure of itself. He noted moments on the sideline where body language told a troubling story, moments when adversity struck and the response felt flat rather than defiant. For a program that once prided itself on resilience and confidence, Finebaum saw that as a red flag.
By season’s end, Finebaum framed Oklahoma’s 2025 campaign as a cautionary tale rather than a temporary stumble. He argued that joining the SEC without a fully formed, battle-tested identity was a gamble that had not paid off. More importantly, he warned that the league does not slow down for anyone. While Oklahoma searches for answers, Finebaum pointed out, the rest of the SEC continues to evolve, recruit, and reload.
In the end, Finebaum’s critique was less about piling on and more about accountability. Oklahoma, in his view, is too proud a program to accept mediocrity, and Brent Venables was hired to prevent exactly that outcome. The 2025 season, however, raised uncomfortable questions about whether the Sooners are truly moving forward or simply treading water in the most demanding environment in college football. For Finebaum, the message was clear: reputation alone will not win games in the SEC, and until Oklahoma proves otherwise, skepticism is not only warranted but inevitable.
