Brent Venables shares importance of finishing with bowl win

First-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has had a long season. After taking over for Lincoln Riley, Venables had Sooners fans excited to prove they didn’t need Riley. Then, as the season got going, Oklahoma hit more rough patches than anyone expected, going just 6-6 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 play.

Now, Brent Venables knows that a bowl win would go a long way toward building for the future of the Oklahoma program.

“If we are 6-6 or we are 11-1 — the game is every bit as important. You don’t prepare any different. You don’t look at it any different. You don’t invest any different,” Brent Venables explained.

“I don’t want to our program and players to play to a record, to a bowl venue, to an opponent, to a scoreboard, to home or to away, whether it’s a playoff or it’s not a playoff, this is a meaningless game and all that. The locker room doesn’t ever look at it that way, or at least the locker room we are trying to build for the long haul. Something that has longevity and sustainability.”

As Brent Venables explained, no matter what the situation is, a team needs to play to its standard. Nothing changes if it’s a New Year’s Six game or the Cheez-It Bowl. It’s important for Oklahoma to play to its standard.

“You play and compete and perform and have expectations that are built around a standard. Whatever those standards are for you and your program. That is our focus, and it is always incredibly important,” Brent Venables emphasized.

“You fight and prepare and work for victory. That’s what it is all about. And when you don’t experience that, when you come up short, man, it is incredibly disappointing. For us to try to build momentum and try to build this team the right way, this is another step and another opportunity in doing so.”

Oklahoma plays Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl on Thursday, December 29th at 5:30 PM EST.

Brent Venables praised Jordan Travis

One player who could give Oklahoma a hard time is Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis. As Brent Venables explained, Travis is a fantastic player.

“You have Jordan Travis running the mesh, you know, and it is the lesser of all evils,” Brent Venables said.

“Fantastic football player. Have enjoyed watching him grow and mature. I love college football. I love players. I love watching journeys. I am a fan of everybody. I am a fan of Jordan Travis for what he is about.”