Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables stirred controversy Tuesday when he invoked the Sooners’ former conference while discussing the challenges of competing in the SEC.
After Oklahoma’s 23-6 loss to Texas, Venables tried to explain the difficulty of playing in the nation’s top league. He referenced the Sooners’ old Big 12 days, saying, “This isn’t the old Big 12 days where Oklahoma destroys everybody every single week except for one game a year.”
Venables quickly clarified his remarks and showed respect for the Big 12, noting the overall rise in competition. “Every week, there’s big, long, fast explosive dudes, great staffs, really good quarterback play, tremendous lines of scrimmage,” he said.
But the context didn’t stop the reactions from flying around on social media. About an hour after Venables' comments, the Big 12’s official X account posted a lasting reminder that Oklahoma went just 10-8 in conference play over Venables’ two seasons before departing for the SEC.
Coach Venables lost eight Conference games in his two seasons in the Big 12 https://t.co/O4eLzaJ3lo
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 14, 2025
From 2000 to 2021, under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma dominated the Big 12 with a .823 winning percentage and 14 league titles. Many of those victories with Venables on staff.
Two seasons into the SEC era, old conference tensions flare up with Venables facing a stiff SEC schedule from here on out. The only conference opponent for the Sooners that is not ranked is South Carolina, which comes on Saturday (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
More college football news:
- Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
- Four coaches on the hottest seats in the 2025 college football season
- Was Adidas behind James Franklin's firing? Penn State breaks silence on rumor
- Bill Belichick and UNC didn't want a quarterback who's now tearing up the ACC
- Tim Tebow sends clear message to Texas Longhorns about Arch Manning