Brent Venables is building his Oklahoma football team way differently than how Deion Sanders is rebuilding his Colorado football program.
It is a shame that Brent Venables' Oklahoma Sooners and Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes aren't conference rivals.
Venables is entering year two in Norman. The longtime former Clemson defensive coordinator had a miserable first season at OU. It was so bad that the Sooners started to resemble the John Blake years. I wish I was kidding. The good news is Venables has all the resources he will need to get Oklahoma back to being … well … Oklahoma! The bad news is he is not the personality of Sanders.
So while he was appearing on Locked In McComas and Thune on KREF, Venables totally obliterated Sanders over the airwaves.
I mean, do you really want to poke the bear? But you gotta do what you gotta, man, I suppose…
Let's just hope this completely public character assassination of Sanders doesn't come back to bite Venables in the ass so incredibly hard. Remember, he is the one on the hot seat, not Prime!
Oklahoma: Brent Venables rips Deion Sanders' Colorado program to shreds
I mean, my god, doesn't that sound super holier than thou? I understand that Venables' ties are to Clemson, but you're not creating Clemson West in Norman, I'm sorry. That works in the ACC because it's the ACC, but you will get devoured alive in the SEC, a league that doesn't care about your self-perceived wholesomeness. And did I say this was a beyond critical year for the Sooners?
Like, if Venables' team doesn't go 8-4 or better, how sure are you that he even gets a third year on the job? Joe Castiglione is one of the best athletic directors in college sports, so he's not about to get embarrassed when his teams switch leagues. This is another reason why I just think Texas will have an easier time assimilating to the SEC than Oklahoma will. Steve Sarkisian knows what's up.
As far as what Sanders is doing in Boulder, he is taking over what was the worst Power Five program in the country. Colorado went 1-11. No, this is not a top-three program all time in the history of the sport like Oklahoma is. Sanders is being asked to break the sound barrier in a horse and buggy. Venables has been handed the keys to a Ferrari and told not to wreck it into a ditch.
Truth be told, I do want to see Venables and OU succeed because we can't live in a world where Oklahoma football absolutely sucks. That's like Ohio State being awful. That just doesn't happen! Although my personal biases enjoyed seeing teams like Tennessee being down for a decade-plus, I am enjoying the Vols' renaissance under Josh Heupel, who, I don't know, could replace … Venables!
It would be a lateral move in some capacities, but if it hits the fan in year two, three or four for Venables in Norman, don't be shocked if the former OU quarterbacking legend takes over at his alma mater. You have to remember that Heupel played for Bob Stoops in the beginning. Heupel remembers what Sooners football looked like when Blake was running the thing into the ground.
Even if Venables feels threatened by the cult of personality that is Sanders over in Boulder, just focus on you, and you'll be fine. Despite switching leagues, OU should be, at worst, like an Auburn or Florida in the newfangled SEC, maybe even as good as LSU. They are not going to contend for championships annually in the deep SEC, but you better believe that you can win it all at that spot.
One thing is for sure: Not every head coach in college football wants to see Sanders succeed at all.
