Rapper Meek Mill released a hit song almost a decade ago explaining, "There are levels to this."
Brent Venables essentially shared the same sentiment at Big 12 Media Day.
The Sooners are entering year two of the Venables era, coming off a disappointing 6-7 season where they were a few bright spots on the offensive side of the ball (like Dillon Gabriel finishing near the top of the league in passing yardage), while the defensive side seeks to continue a rebuilding process under the defensive-minded head coach. Last year's Sooners defense gave up a very uncharacteristic 30 points per game.
But, while Venables did his job as the leader of the program to paint the vision of the future, and highlight the things they did will under a new staff last fall, he also made a point to note that not all 7-loss teams are the same.
The Sooners lost a bunch of close ones, where when you back at the games as the Sooners staff has done this off season, Oklahoma beat themselves.
They lost by three to a Florida State team in late December at the Cheez-It Bowl, and also lost by the same razor-thin margin to West Virginia, Texas Tech, Baylor and a 7-point loss to Big 12 champion Kansas State earlier in the year.
Venables would go on to explain, that while 6-7 is not acceptable, the types of losses they had weren't the same as, say, losing 45-3 to Florida State, or "getting blown out by Middle Tennessee State."
Those are two very specific examples, and Venables is clearly alluding to Miami with those references.
The Hurricanes and first-year head coach Mario Cristobal lost 45-3 to Florida State back in early November, and lost to Middle Tennessee by two touchdowns (despite being a 25.5 point favorite) in late September.
In other words, there are levels to it.
Hear Venables full statement in the clip.
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