Brent Venables Calls on Fans Ahead of Oklahoma-Michigan: 'It Takes Everybody'

NORMAN — Brent Venables isn’t shying away from the magnitude of Saturday’s battle with Michigan.

The pressure is on Oklahoma’s coaching staff in 2025, but a victory over the No. 15-ranked Wolverines could propel No. 18 OU.

“That's a good team,” Venables said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “ … great opportunity to create a continued momentum for your program.”

On the eve of the season, Venables had Hall of Fame coach Bob Stoops speak to the team about the challenges the Sooners will face in 2025.

“Coach Stoops came and spoke to the team maybe a week ago or so,” Venables said, “and he brought up that 2000 team and just kind of the ‘Red October’ and all of the headwinds, the choppy waters that the rest of the season brought.”

Oklahoma won its seventh national title with a 13-0 campaign, but Stoops took the 2025 Sooners through all the ups and downs his 2000 squad had to overcome.

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“Torrance Marshall intercepts one (against Texas A&M), come from behind win and several other games that were like that,” Venables said. “ Defense knocking a fade route down to Marcellus Rivers in the end zone to beat a 3-8 Oklahoma State team.

“… It looks easy, looking back (at) 13-0. 'Man, they must have been dominant'. But it takes everybody.”

Venables drew that parallel forward to Saturday night.

He praised Michigan’s true freshman quarterback, Bryce Underwood, comparing his poise to former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Michigan Wolverines, Bryce Underwood — Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood drops back to pass in his collegiate debut against New Mexico. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Venables pointed to the physicality the Wolverines bring to the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, too, as something the Sooners will have to match.

But before he left the podium, Venables turned to the fanbase to lay out the role Sooner Nation can play on Saturday, too.

“Our fans have an opportunity to really affect the game tremendously,” Venables said. “Last week was fantastic. The best Walk of Champions that we've had in the several years that we've been here by a long way.

“… Our players feed off of that. That additional emotion — that's real. And when we came out of the stadium, that was fantastic.”

ESPN’s "College GameDay" will be on hand for the second-ever meeting between the Sooners and the Wolverines, which kicks off on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ABC.

“We’re going to need (the fans),” Venables said. “It's going to take all of us on Saturday night.”