Paul Finebaum visited every town in the SEC, but Norman stood out among them.
“I had two unforgettable visits,” Finebaum said of his visits to OU in April and July, “and I don’t think I’ve ever been welcomed or treated like I did in Norman.”
Those same fans who stood behind the live stage on OU’s first official day of SEC celebrations while he interviewed head coach Brent Venables, university president Joseph Haroz Jr. and athletics director Joe Castiglione are now panicking after watching the Sooners struggle against Houston in a game the coach said they should have lost.
Concerns about the Sooners’ offensive line were real, the hiring of Seth Littrell as co-offensive coordinator and play-caller was beginning to be questioned and the hype surrounding former five-star Jackson Arnold was smoldering.
But Finebaum, who checked the “SEC ready” box before the season and predicted the Sooners would go 9-3, isn’t too worried.
“I’m still pretty confident,” Finebaum told OU Daily this week, “I really like our defense, and that’s a big factor in the SEC. I think this team has to figure out how to fix their issues on offense, but I think they can do that.”
“…I’m not trying to be an optimist here, that’s not my style, but I am also saying give it some time.”
Last year, he watched Alabama lose to Texas in the second game of the season and survive an upset scare at USF to finish 7-6, though quarterback Jalen Milroe was benched in the process. Still, the Crimson Tide made it to the College Football Playoff, where No. 1 seed Michigan stood on the goal line in overtime to beat Alabama.
He feels the Sooners have a chance to replicate what Alabama did last season, but one game will likely determine the direction of their season.
“I think it’s all going to come to a head this week against Tennessee,” Finebaum said, “probably the biggest game of the day against Tennessee…to me, it looks like a game OU has to win.”
“If OU doesn’t win a home game, everything I said about (OU) being 9-3 and in the running to make the playoffs could go away.”
Led by quarterback Josh Heupel, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 2000, the Volunteers have the second-ranked scoring offense and a defense led by defensive end James Pierce Jr., hailed by ESPN as the No. 1 player in college football.
It won’t be an easy SEC opener for Oklahoma, especially with starting receiver Nick Anderson and starting offensive linemen Branson Hickman, Jake Taylor and Troy Everett still injured. But before Oklahoma can focus on that, they have a game to make up for in last week’s 34-27 loss to No. 14 Kansas State against Tulane.
“They’re a threat both offensively and defensively,” Feinbaum said of the Volunteers. “Tennessee wasn’t perfect in some areas Saturday night, but they still won by 41 points, which shows they’re explosive and can stop you.”
“That game seems so far away and I think for Venables it needs to be a far away game, even if it’s just a week and a half, because he’s got a lot to fix and sort out.”
Paul Finebaum on The Paul Finebaum Show on July 1.
Finebaum sees a big difference between Oklahoma and Texas.
Hours before Oklahoma escaped Houston on Saturday, the Longhorns beat defending national champion Michigan in a dominant 31-12 victory.
The Longhorns, in their fourth year under coach Steve Sarkisian, are clearly ahead of the Sooners, in their third year under coach Venables.
“The good thing about this rivalry is they play each other in four weeks,” Feinebaum said, “and I’ve seen crazy things happen (in this game), including last year when Texas had a big lead over OU.
“Once we’re three or four weeks into the season we’ll be able to draw clearer lines, but right now there’s no question that Texas is not only ahead, but ahead by a large margin.”
But Feinebaum knows the two teams are in different stages of progress. The Sooners are two years removed from a 6-7 season since Lincoln Riley transferred to USC. Texas is led by Heisman Trophy frontrunner Quinn Ewers in his third year as a starter, while Oklahoma sophomore Jackson Arnold is still finding his footing in his third start.
“There’s no need to dwell on Texas right now,” Feinebaum said. “Programs aren’t built equally, and it doesn’t mean much if one side seems dominant. Oklahoma beat Texas last year as well. Oklahoma was a good team, and Texas was the best team in the last 15 years. These things can be evened out.”
Still, Oklahoma has maintained its standard of winning every season regardless of the circumstances, and the unexpected battle with Houston caused concern throughout Norman.
Finebaum realized this July 1 while having lunch at a local sports bar with some of the players who were part of the Sooners’ historic 47-game winning streak from 1953-1957.
After introducing himself to everyone, he sat there in mostly silence for an hour, listening to stories about Oklahoma football at its height.
“It literally felt like I was entering a time capsule,” Finebaum said, “… just hearing them talk about playing in the ’40s and ’50s, I already had a high opinion of OU, but this just really brought that home even more. … Their stories were so rich and meaningful.”
Seven Heisman Trophy winners, national championships, historic winning streaks and a lineage of coaches including Bud, Barry and Bob define the OU program, and while Oklahoma’s struggles through its first two games of the 2024 season have garnered attention, Finebaum hasn’t forgotten the program’s underlying strength.
To him, Oklahoma has closed a big gap on Texas and has the resources to compete in a new conference for years to come.
“I don’t think that gap will last long,” Finebaum said. “Oklahoma has a football program that is just as good as Texas, and that’s been proven for years in every aspect of the program.”
