Brent Venables made it clear that Oklahoma’s football team 23-21 upset of No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa was years in the making, not some Saturday-night fluke. In his postgame remarks, he pointed back to a four-year process of building identity, demanding buy-in from players and staff, and hammering home the fine details that win games against elite teams, giving the credit to a roster and coaching group that “stuck with it.”
The payoff came on a historic night for the Sooners. Oklahoma notched its first road victory over a top-five opponent since beating Ohio State in 2017, the game remembered for Baker Mayfield’s flag plant at midfield.
This time, the celebration was in Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the Sooners snapped Alabama’s 17-game home winning streak and became the first team to beat the Tide in back-to-back seasons since Ole Miss did it in 2014 and 2015.
They also grabbed their fourth win over an AP-ranked opponent this season, tying Alabama for the most in the FBS.
Venables allowed himself a rare moment of public pride afterward, as recounted by ESPN. He said he is not a “boastful or braggadocious” guy, but he was determined to brag on his players after the work they poured into this opportunity.
He talked about creating a vision for what victory would look like and then wanting to see his team “dancing, carrying on, just having some joy in the moment” after following through on that plan.
The remarkable part is how Oklahoma did it. The Sooners beat Alabama with just 212 yards of total offense, their fewest in any win since managing 206 yards against Texas in a 14-3 victory back in 2001. Alabama piled up 406 yards but coughed up three turnovers, including Eli Bowen’s 87-yard interception return that staked OU to a 10-0 lead.
Quarterback John Mateer finished with 161 total yards and a rushing score, while no Oklahoma skill player topped 36 yards, underlining how much the defense carried the night.
For Venables, all of that is exactly the point. Oklahoma won by forcing turnovers, winning hidden yardage, and embracing a defense-first grind that has been preached since he took over.
That is why, after vanquishing Alabama on the road and reviving the Sooners’ playoff resume, he felt justified in bragging a little. The result looked like an upset, but in his mind, it was four years of conviction finally cashing in.
