NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables isn’t ready to hit the panic button yet.
asserted
Venables → hit → button
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.
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Sooners → return → Playoff
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.
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players → know → disappointment
OU dropped 13 spots in the Top 25 to 24th.
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OU → drop → 24th
“Anybody can be committed when everything is going right,” Venables said.
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Venables → commit → ?
Our response will show whether out commitment’s conditional or this is who we are.
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we → show → ?
I really believe that’s who we are.”
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we → believe → ?
Not much went right for the Sooners in Ann Arbor.
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much → go → Arbor
They lost the field position and turnover battles and struggled on third down, converting only three of 13 opportunities.
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They → lose → opportunities
“We didn’t consistently execute the fundamentals necessary to win,” Venables said.
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Venables → execute → fundamentals
“Those aren’t excuses, that’s just what we put on tape.
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we → ’ → tape
Also believe that these tough, challenging moments, they do reveal the character, the toughness, the leadership, the maturity of our team.”
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they → believe → team
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.
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that → galvanize → 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.
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Venables → respond → way
“And that’s what I expect this group of guys to do.
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group → ’ → guys
We’re a program that’s built on toughness, and we’re built to stick together.
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we → ’re → toughness
We’re built to respond, and the most important thing right now isn’t about what we say about last Saturday.
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we → build → Saturday
It’s about what we do moving forward.”
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we → ’ → what
The Sooners can’t afford to overlook a capable New Mexico team in Norman on Saturday.
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Sooners → afford → 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).
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Lobos → rank → offense
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.”
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Arbuckle → need → performance
Mateer’s interception on OU’s side of the field midway through the fourth quarter turned the game in Michigan’s favor.
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interception → turn → favor
Venables defended Mateer, who played through injury much of last season when Oklahoma rode an elite defense to the CFP.
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Oklahoma → defend → CFP
“John’s demonstrated tremendous toughness and accountability, leadership since he’s been here,” Venables said.
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Venables → demonstrate → toughness
“One play and one game won’t define him or certainly this team.
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play → define → him
We win together and we lose together, we respond together.
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we → win → ?
“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.”
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we → ’ → Saturday
Arbuckle was asked this week if he was coaching for his job.
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he → ask → job
“I haven’t thought about that one bit,” he said.
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he → think → that
“I take it week by week.
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I → take → week
How can I put together a game plan?
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I → put → plan
How can I install it with our guys and get them to understand it?
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them → install → it
How can I get them to go execute it at as high a level as possible?
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them → get → level
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.
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them → ’ → level
So to answer your question, that’s what’s on my mind.”
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what → answer → mind
The Aporia
