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Over a two-week span in late fall 2021, Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for Southern Cal, and OU hired Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as Riley’s replacement.
Since then, it’s been two years of “meh” for the Sooners and Trojans.
Riley is 19-8 at USC.
Venables 16-10 at OU.
Riley’s winning percentage (.704) at USC is better than that of his predecessor, Clay Helton (.657), but not by much. Venables, meanwhile, has already lost as many games at OU in two seasons as Riley did in five seasons. Venables would have to rattle off 39 straight wins to match Riley’s 55-10 record as Sooner coach.
Not to oversimplify things, but Riley had a really good first season at USC and a disastrous second season. Venables was the opposite, with a miserable Year 1 and an encouraging Year 2.
Which brings us to a monumental Year 3 for both men. A season of change.
More: Familiarity with OU football OC Seth Littrell shows for Febechi Nwaiwu, Jake Roberts
Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
With OU in the SEC and USC in the Big Ten, the job is about to get even harder for Riley and Venables. At least Venables knew what he was getting into. Riley, according to reports, signed on at USC thinking he escaped the SEC only to find out that he was about to become a Big Ten coach.
“We are at the top of the Big Ten Conference,” Riley said at Big Ten media days. “We’re the top of any conference. I don’t ever look at ourselves below anybody and I never will.”
Venables conveyed similar swagger when asked about OU’s move to the SEC.
“Oklahoma isn’t intimidated as a football program,” Venables said.
OU and USC are two of the top-five programs in college football history….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/brent-venables-lincoln-riley-under-101524160.html
Author : The Oklahoman
Publish date : 2024-08-12 10:15:24
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