Oklahoma is moving on from offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, according to multiple reports on Monday.
The move comes two days after OU fell to 4-4 (2-3 SEC) with a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina that wasn't as close as the final score. The Sooners trailed 28-10 at the half, with the touchdown coming off a pick-six by linebacker Kip Lewis and the offense being out-gained 307-71. The score was 42-16 before Oklahoma added two cosmetic scores over the final 10 minutes.
“Incredibly pissed at myself and for all of us,” head coach Brent Venables said. “Just embarrassing. It’s embarrassing in every way.”
Monday's move was about more than just Saturday, of course.
Arbuckle, 31, drew Lincoln Riley comparisons when he arrived in Norman with a West Texas background and a quick rise through the coaching ranks. Arbuckle was a package deal with quarterback John Mateer after the pair worked together at Washington State, and that arrangement has not materialized for the Sooners. Mateer has thrown 27 touchdowns against 18 interceptions across 20 starts while ranking 88th and 63rd nationally in passing efficiency.
As a unit, Oklahoma ranked 79th in scoring a year ago and stands at 108th today, averaging a flat 22 points per game.
Elsewhere, OU is 115th in yards per play (5.18), 128th in rushing (106.75 yards per game), and 98th in explosive plays (less than four per game).
The move will raise further questions about Venables. This marks the second time in three seasons in which Venables has made a mid-season offensive coordinator move, having dismissed Seth Littrell (a fullback on OU's 2000 national title team) seven games into the 2024 season.
Overall, Venables is 36-24 at OU with a 19-19 mark in conference play. His tenure has followed a whiplash pattern -- 6-7 marks in 2022 and '24, with 10-3 seasons in 2023 and '25. The 2026 season has followed that pattern. After signing Venables to an extension, which wasn't finalized until October, with a buyout in excess of $50 million, Venables is headed toward his second make-or-break coordinator hire in three offseasons.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.