Bedlam breakdown: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State face 2025 crossroads amid historic downturns

The state of Oklahoma continues to be using a wave of euphoria after the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder captured the state’s first main skilled sports activities championship. The NBA title sparked an unprecedented surge of satisfaction and celebration, uniting followers from the panhandle to Inexperienced Nation in a statewide second of pleasure.

However because the confetti settles, consideration shifts to college football — the place the state’s two flagship applications, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, discover themselves at a crossroads following traditionally poor 2024 seasons. It is the primary time each completed with dropping data in the identical season since 1998.

The Bedlam rivalry could also be dormant, however the warmth is rising in each Norman and Stillwater.

Boomer or bust: Firmly on the hot seat, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables pushing all his chips in for 2025 season

Brandon Marcello

Sooners face stress beneath new management and previous issues

Oklahoma is coming off one other disappointing 6–7 marketing campaign, marking its second dropping season in three years beneath coach Brent Venables — and their solely sub-.500 finishes relationship again to the beginning of the Bob Stoops period in 1999.

So as to add to the instability, longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione announced he will retire from full-time duties in the coming school year. His exit alerts the tip of an period — and ushers in one of the pivotal seasons in program historical past, with Oklahoma nonetheless looking for its footing within the SEC.

Over three years with Venables on the helm, the Sooners are simply 22-17 total and a pedestrian 12-14 in convention play. Their SEC debut in 2024 yielded solely two league wins — tying for his or her lowest convention win whole in almost 9 many years.

Offensively, it was a catastrophe. Oklahoma ranked 97th nationally in scoring (24.0 ppg.), 124th in yards per play (4.81) and 114th in success charge (38.8%). Venables fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell midseason, and extremely touted quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched after simply 4 video games. He was later reinstated because the starter, however finally transferred to Auburn on the finish of the season.

The Sooners retooled by hiring offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, a rising assistant from Washington State, and bringing in John Mateer — a switch quarterback who adopted Arbuckle from Pullman to Norman. Early comparisons to Baker Mayfield could also be untimely, however Mateer’s familiarity with the system provides him a head begin in a quarterback room that desperately wants a spark.

If Venables cannot engineer a turnaround in 2025, the Sooners’ subsequent athletic director could don’t have any alternative however to make the largest name of all — hiring a brand new soccer coach.

Gundy hits reset after Cowboys’ collapse

In Stillwater, Mike Gundy enters his twenty first season as Oklahoma State’s coach beneath an uncharacteristic cloud of doubt. The Cowboys went 3-9 in 2024, didn’t win a single Massive 12 sport and posted their worst successful proportion since 1991. The collapse snapped a run of 18 consecutive bowl appearances and led to severe discussions about Gundy’s job standing final winter.

Slightly than half methods, Oklahoma State restructured Gundy’s contract — however not with out reported ultimatums, together with a pay reduce or dismissal for trigger. In response, Gundy made probably the most important workers adjustments of his tenure, firing each coordinators after a humiliating 52-0 loss to Colorado within the season finale.

The protection was traditionally dangerous, ending 126th in scoring protection (35.6 ppg.), 129th in yards allowed per play (6.81) and 103rd in success charge (55.6%). The offense wasn’t significantly better, biking by three quarterbacks with restricted success. Coming into 2025, there’s nonetheless no clear-cut starter and virtually no significant expertise within the quarterback room with Zane Flores and TCU switch Hauss Hejney nonetheless battling.

Past the workers overhaul, Oklahoma State took an aggressive leap within the switch portal, including 41 newcomers — tied for the third-most amongst Energy 4 applications. Solely 4 starters return from final yr’s crew, and the Cowboys’ final three highschool recruiting courses ranked tenth or worse within the Massive 12 and outdoors the highest 50 nationally.

It is a dramatic reset and a high-risk, high-reward technique for a program attempting to maintain tempo in a quickly evolving and more and more aggressive Massive 12.

Sooners or Pokes: Who’s extra more likely to bounce again in 2025?

Oddsmakers aren’t optimistic. FanDuel Sportsbook lists Oklahoma’s projected win whole at 6.5, whereas Oklahoma State’s sits at 5.5 — a transparent signal that expectations stay modest for each applications after dismal seasons.

So who’s greatest positioned to rebound?

On paper, the sting goes to Oklahoma. The Sooners return 12 starters (six on either side of the ball), and regardless of latest struggles, their total expertise stage nonetheless outpaces many of the Massive 12 and a few of the SEC’s center class. The problem? Surviving the convention gauntlet.

OKLAHOMA 2025 SCHEDULE

Oklahoma might realistically be 3-2 heading into the Purple River Rivalry towards Texas in Week 7. The extra doubtless state of affairs? A one-loss begin in the event that they handle to separate early tilts towards Michigan and Auburn. That Auburn sport will carry additional spice, with Arnold returning to Norman seeking to show Oklahoma gave up on him too quickly.

The Sooners draw simply three SEC groups with worse title odds than themselves: Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. All three matchups are winnable however might simply as simply go the opposite method.

For Oklahoma State, the bar is even decrease. However that is likely to be factor.

The Pokes at present have the worst Massive 12 title odds (+5500) on FanDuel, tied with UCF. Yikes. Gundy has constructed a profession on exceeding expectations when nobody sees it coming. The Cowboys had been picked seventh within the 2023 Massive 12 preseason ballot and made the title sport. They had been picked fourth in 2021 and got here inside inches (actually) of successful the convention and punching a ticket to the School Soccer Playoff.

No official Massive 12 preseason ballot was be launched for 2025, but 247Sports compiled a composite projection based on feedback from Big 12 team site reporters. Oklahoma State landed thirteenth.

In a league the place preseason rankings usually imply little, that is likely to be precisely what Gundy wants. Simply final yr, Arizona State was picked to complete final and ended up successful the convention and reaching the School Soccer Playoff. Stranger issues have occurred.

OKLAHOMA STATE 2025 SCHEDULE

Outdoors of the early journey to Eugene, the schedule is manageable. The Cowboys host Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas State — three groups doubtless within the Massive 12’s higher tier. Highway video games at Arizona, Kansas, Texas Tech and UCF might outline the season. Win a few these, and Oklahoma State has a shot to shock. Lose all of them, and the Cowboys might once more be staring up from the cellar.

It is virtually poetic — or possibly simply ironic — that within the first yr with out Bedlam, each Oklahoma and Oklahoma State unraveled. The rivalry went chilly, and so did each applications. Name it a messy breakup, and neither aspect has discovered learn how to transfer on.

Now, stress is mounting on each to regroup, as Gundy and Venables enter 2025 with the 2 hottest teaching seats within the Energy 4, according to a CBS Sports panel of insiders and experts. One other yr just like the final, and it will not simply be the rivalry that is dormant — it is likely to be the tip of an period on each sidelines.