This season has not gone the way the Oklahoma Sooners expected it to. After a 2025 campaign in which the team returned to the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2020 Peach Bowl, head coach Brent Venables' team has already lost two games ahead of the Red River Rivalry .
Former No. 3 transfer-portal quarterback John Mateer has not lived up to expectations in his second season with the team, neither has new acquisition and former Longhorn Parker Livingstone. However, it has not all been bad for Oklahoma.
The Sooners sport one of college football's top defenses, one that remains statistically dominant despite a 41-13 dismantling at the hands of the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs two Saturdays ago. Venables' complex scheme is being operated by seasoned and capable players, which could give a heretofore mediocre Texas offense major problems.
The Sooners made the Cotton Bowl after their last 2-2 start, and a big win against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns could be the perfect way for them to slingshot their 2026 season back on track. If the team on the southern side of the Red River wants to avoid that, they will need to find a way to score on a stingy Sooners defense.
Here is why that may be difficult for head coach Steve Sarkisian 's team.
Oklahoma Sooners defensive end Taylor Wein reacts after a play against the Michigan Wolverines during the fourth quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Venables' unit has gotten dramatically more proficient every year, with the 2026 defense being arguably his best yet.
| Year |
Oklahoma's Yards Per Game Allowed (Rank in FBS) |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
461 (123rd) |
| 2023 |
389.7 (67th) |
| 2024 |
323.9 (17th) |
| 2025 |
282.7 (8th) |
| 2026 |
238 (3rd) |
The Bulldogs became the first team to cross the 300-yard threshold against the Sooners, and they only racked up 306. They were also the first team to score more than 17 points against Oklahoma.
It starts up front for the Sooners, with 6'3, 312 lb David Stone and 6'2, 310 lb Jayden Jackson occupying both defensive tackle spots. The two powerful men own interior gaps, which keeps Venables' play sheet open.
Take this play for example:
Carter Long
Here, Oklahoma is in 'seven-man spacing,' meaning Michigan has as many blockers as they have defenders in the box.
Carter Long
The Wolverines seek to take advantage of this by calling a long-trap run, with the left guard kicking out the end man on the line of scrimmage and the rest of Michigan's line singling up the Sooners' front seven. This does not work.
Carter Long
Stone and Jackson are unfazed by Michigan's interior offensive line, holding their ground while getting their arms free to make tackles. Ultimately, the running back is forced to cut back and runs right into Jackson's waiting arms.
The duo's power allows Oklahoma to use exotic blitzes and play from two- and even three-safety shells because it knows that its guys can defend against the run regardless. This is especially good news for Venables, who is an equal parts aggressive and creative blitz-designer.
Venables' late-shift blitzes strain the communication of the offensive line, something which nearly sank the Longhorns in their last game against the Tennessee Volunteers .
The rest of the Sooners also benefit from the solid presence of Stone and Jackson, as linebackers, edge rushers and even safeties have been freed up to play aggressively and shoot gaps. Although, that aggression has left Oklahoma somewhat vulnerable to option plays.
Quarterbacks, in particular, have been the Sooners' achilles heel. While they have held opponents to just 3.2 yards per carry overall, quarterbacks have churned out 4.6 yards per attempt on the ground against the Sooners.
Longhorns passer Arch Manning has run for 141 yards at a 5.9-yard-per-run clip, though has actually carried the ball for -8 yards on designed attempts, per Pro Football Focus, the vast majority of his gains coming from scrambles instead. If Sarkisian can better get Manning's legs involved, he may be able to overcome the Sooners' fearsome front seven.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as The Oklahoma Defense Is Better Than Its Record, and Texas Better Treat It That Way .
