After losing 42-25 to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners are virtually out of playoff contention.
In what looks like a step taken to restructure the team's offense with the program's future in mind, the Sooners fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, On3's Pete Nakos reported on Monday. Tight ends coach Jason Witten reportedly will take over as playcaller for OU.
Fans online expressed relief over the decision, while some also argued that the move was long overdue following the Sooners' offensive struggles.
"He only got hired because (John) Mateer was coming with him," a fan wrote on X.
Arbuckle's tenure as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator comes to an end after two seasons with the program. He joined the Sooners in 2024 from the Washington State Cougars while also bringing along Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who was ranked as the No. 3 signal-caller in the 2024 transfer portal.
The Oklahoma Sooners under Brent Venables have struggled on all fronts. A program that qualified for the 2025 College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed is staring at no postseason berth this season.
However, the Sooners' offense has been a sign of worry. Nine weeks into this season, Oklahoma ranks 115th nationally in total offense and 15th in the SEC, a steep decline for a team that was ranked 10th in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.
Oklahoma will next face the No. 25 Florida Gators at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville on Saturday. The Sooners will then conclude their 2026 regular college football season with games against the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels (Nov. 14) & the Texas A&M Aggies (Nov. 21) at home before facing the Missouri Tigers (Nov. 28) away in their season finale.
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