How Brent Venables unleashed Oklahoma's defense in 2025

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NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma coach Brent Venables carried a somber tone.

Disappointed. Embarrassed. An unsmiling Venables had plenty of words to describe a disastrous 2024 football season in the minutes after last December's Armed Forces Bowl. It had ended, mercifully, in a 21-20 defeat to Navy that afternoon. The Sooners had dropped six of the final eight games in their eagerly anticipated debut SEC campaign. For the second time since 1998 -- and the second time under Venables -- the Sooners would finish with a losing record.

Three seats to Venables' left, veteran Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie felt a different energy radiating from his head coach. Minutes later, in an…