Brent Venables provides checklist to know team is ready for season

Oklahoma is coming off a 6-7 first season under coach Brent Venables, and the Sooners know there’s a whole lot of work to be done if they hope to improve on that mark this fall.

Venables has an entire checklist of things he thinks has to get done for real improvement to take place.

“Attitude and effort. Guys that completely, totally buy in all the time no matter what,” Brent Venables said. “You buy in all the time. I know we talked about it when I had my opening day press conference, become more efficient, tougher, physical, better leadership, better competitive depth, quality play, guys that can really go in there in all critical situations and play. So development of all those things.

“There’s no part of our program that we don’t have to get better at. So I’m not painting everything with a broad brush, but that’s reality.”

One area that Venables was upset with already in spring practice was the team’s attention to details on small things that might not even be fully football related.

Apparently the team had several people fail a hydration test before a practice this week, which has led to a renewed emphasis by Venables on the things he’s been preaching for quite some time now. Really since Day 1 of his tenure.

“It’s everything that I’ve been talking about,” Brent Venables said. “It’s showing up out here and knowing that guys have the maturity that when we show up for the hydration test in the morning after Day 1, that our older guys, in particular, are guys that have been here, are where they’re supposed to be on that hydration test. If a guy shows up here and he’s in the quote unquote red after the first day, that’s concerning.

“That’s a guy that’s taking what we’re talking about non-stop for granted, because your best ability is availability. And if you’re an older guy and we’re counting on you and you can’t go through half the practice because you weren’t hydrated, that’s a problem. That’s concerning for an older guy. Not for a young guy, I know we told them but he didn’t hear it or whatever. I’m talking older. Let’s get that right.”

There’s another aspect that older guys have no excuse to not be on top of.

“Let’s know the installation if you’re an older guy,” Brent Venables said. “We’ve got some simple installation. Know what to do. Your job’s to know what to do and then play fast and aggressive. Those are things that you’re in control of.”

The good news is Oklahoma still has plenty of time to get things right before the season begins, though the time is beginning to tick down on preparations. Venables seems confident his group can get it.

It’ll just take a complete commitment from his guys.

“This is, again, a developmental game. I want guys that are relentless to improve, and it takes humility and it takes hunger,” Brent Venables said. “That’s what I want from a football team. I want a humble team and I want a hungry team. And I want a team that’s accountable to one another and to this place and their opportunity.

“I want guys to show up every day and respect your opportunity to be here. And your actions speak louder than words, coach and player.”