NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables isn't ready to hit the panic button yet. But after a 17-10 loss at unranked Michigan on Saturday the margin of error for the Sooners to return to the College Football Playoff is thin.
Venables knows what's ahead of his team — showdowns with No. 2 Georgia and No. 1 Texas in the next three weeks — but he wants to see how his players respond to disappointment. OU dropped 13 spots in the Top 25 to 24th.
“Anybody can be committed when everything is going right,” Venables said. “That was a real test of who our guys are. Our response will show whether out commitment’s conditional or this is who we are. I really believe that’s who we are.”
Not much went right for the Sooners in Ann Arbor. They lost the field position and turnover battles and struggled on third down, converting only three of 13 opportunities.
“We didn’t consistently execute the fundamentals necessary to win,” Venables said. “Those aren’t excuses, that’s just what we put on tape. Got to own all of it. Also believe that these tough, challenging moments, they do reveal the character, the toughness, the leadership, the maturity of our team.”
Back-to-back-losses to Texas and Mississippi last season galvanized an Oklahoma team that went on to win its final four Southeastern Conference games and host a home playoff game.
“Our guys responded and did some really tough, challenging things, and we continued to get better and found a way to win,” Venables recalled. "And that’s what I expect this group of guys to do. We’re a program that’s built on toughness, and we’re built to stick together. We’re built to respond, and the most important thing right now isn’t about what we say about last Saturday. It’s about what we do moving forward.”
The Sooners can't afford to overlook a capable New Mexico team in Norman on Saturday. The Lobos are 2-0 and rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (54.0 points) and scoring defense (7.0 points).
Oklahoma will need more consistency from quarterback John Mateer, who completed 17 of 33 passes (51%) for 189 yards in a performance offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle called “uneven.” Mateer's interception on OU's side of the field midway through the fourth quarter turned the game in Michigan's favor.
Venables defended Mateer, who played through injury much of last season when Oklahoma rode an elite defense to the CFP.
“John’s demonstrated tremendous toughness and accountability, leadership since he’s been here,” Venables said. “One play and one game won’t define him or certainly this team. We win together and we lose together, we respond together.
“It’s our responsibility as coaches to help every player improve but to put them in the best position possible and to be successful and to make certain that we all learn from what we put on the field on Saturday."
Arbuckle was asked this week if he was coaching for his job.
“I haven’t thought about that one bit,” he said. “I take it week by week. How can I put together a game plan? How can I install it with our guys and get them to understand it? How can I get them to go execute it at as high a level as possible? That’s the only thing on the forefront of my mind — these players, and how to get them to go play at a really high level. So to answer your question, that’s what’s on my mind.”
