Breaking down Brent Venables, Mike Gundy's different approaches to Bedlam

Heading into the final edition of Bedlam for the foreseeable future, Oklahoma‘s Brent Venables and Oklahoma State‘s Mike Gundy are taking decidedly different approaches to the game.

While Oklahoma State is building it up as a huge rivalry game, Oklahoma is just going about its business like normal.

“I think the thing that I realized, at least the last couple days, because we talked to some players last night, it was the same tone as Brent,” SoonerScoop’s George Stoia said on the Andy Staples On3 show. “They were getting questions like, ‘What does it mean, this being the last Bedlam?’ They’re like, ‘For us, it’s just another game. We’re just preparing for another game. Is it a big game? Sure, but we’re trying to go 1-0 this week. We’re not worried about the rivalry.’ It felt like that was Brent’s tone, as well.”

The tone is decidedly different at Oklahoma State, where Gundy is trying to rally his players around getting a win in the final Bedlam meeting for the foreseeable future.

Oklahoma has won seven of the last eight meetings, but Oklahoma State will be looking to rekindle the magic from its 37-33 win two years ago.

“In Stillwater, I think it is a little bit different, because like you said, this is a big one being the last one,” Stoia said. “And obviously you look at the all-time record and Oklahoma’s really controlled the rivalry, but if Oklahoma State can go out with a win in the last one in what seems like maybe a really long time then that would be huge for them. Whereas I think Oklahoma’s approaching it in a way that’s, ‘Hey, we just need to get back on track and win a football game to achieve the goals that we set before the season.'”

Oklahoma is coming off a loss to Kansas, its first of the season. It might have temporarily knocked the Sooners from the forefront of the College Football Playoff discussion, though the team can probably play its way back in.

First, though, Oklahoma has to find a way past rival Oklahoma State

“The most amazing thing is I think that Oklahoma’s won 17 of the last 20, and to say that they’re 17-3 over the last 20 years, it certainly doesn’t feel like it,” SoonerScoop’s Eddie Radosevich told Staples. “It’s interesting to hear Mike Gundy talk about his stance on Bedlam. Everyone knows his record against Oklahoma as a head coach hasn’t been very good, and it’s almost like does he build it up too much in his mind as opposed to what Brent does.”

Radosevich praised Brent Venables’ strategy for helping secure a vital win over Texas earlier in the season.

“This is his second time around coaching as the head coach in the game and saying that it’s just another game,” he said. “It worked for him against Texas. They came out and the physicality of the offensive line, defensive line played with, you have to find a way to replicate that. They just haven’t been able to find that same rhythm or whatever that emotion is here over the last couple weeks.

“It’s certainly not looking ahead to this game, because everything that went into trying to get to 8-0, and I think the disappointment from last week, I expect them to bounce back this week and play a really solid game. I don’t necessarily know that that means that they win the football game as well as Ollie Gordon‘s running the football. It’s going to be interesting to see that chess match between Brent Venables and Mike Gundy come Saturday.”