Oklahoma-Nebraska: One Big Thing
LINCOLN, NE — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said he wants his football team to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
That’s another way of saying, “Do what Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley used to do when they took the Sooners on the road.”
Between them from 2013 to 2019, Stoops and Riley’s teams won 22 straight road games. Whatever it was — their formula, their mindset, their methodology — worked brilliantly.
Saturday marks Venables’ first road trip. The Sooners play an 11 a.m. game against Nebraska in Lincoln.
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"This will be our first opportunity to travel," Venables said, "so another small challenge going on the road. Early game. Staying an hour away (in Omaha). I like that because it gives our guys an opportunity to get get uncomfortable. An opportunity to grow through this. We're going to need all that, experience wise down the road. This won't be the last time we play early. None of that stuff matters. So it's exciting."
Historically, Memorial Stadium can be a snake pit.
But in recent years, it’s significantly less so. In their last four-plus seasons, the Huskers are only 12-14 in Lincoln.
OU climbed to No. 4 in college football history last week in all-time total victories with 940. OU most past Texas (939) and tied Notre Dame (940) and now trails only Ohio State (942), Alabama (944) and Michigan (978).
The Sooners are climbing so fast recently because they’re piling up so many road wins. Including his last two flubs last season, Riley’s teams were 17-4 in true road games. That's an incredible percentage.
If Venables can get comfortable doing that — starting Saturday as an 11.5-point favorite — his career arc at OU will turn out just fine.
