Brent Venables hasn’t shied away from talking about the enormous challenge awaiting Oklahoma in Ann Arbor.
The No. 11 Sooners are heading north to face Michigan inside the Big House, a venue where noise, history and 100,000-plus fans have a way of turning even routine Saturday afternoons into something considerably more complicated.
But before Oklahoma can worry about crowd noise, Bryce Underwood or Michigan’s physicality at the line of scrimmage, Venables and his staff have spent the early part of the week addressing something much closer to home.
Health.
And, for the first time in a while, the news appears to be trending in the right direction.
After Oklahoma opened the season shorthanded along the offensive line in its 51-0 victory over UTEP, Venables provided several encouraging updates during his Monday coach’s show and Tuesday media availability. The Sooners could be getting significant reinforcements on both sides of the football just in time for one of the biggest non-conference games of the season.
There remains one significant question mark.
But overall, Oklahoma appears considerably healthier entering Week 2 than it did entering the opener.
Offensive Line Finally Getting Reinforcements
The biggest development from Venables’ injury updates involves Oklahoma’s offensive line.
Center Jake Maikkula and lineman Ryan Fodje are both trending toward being available for Michigan after missing the season opener. Venables indicated that both players were back working at full speed as Oklahoma began preparations for the Wolverines.
That’s potentially enormous for the Sooners.
Oklahoma was forced to shuffle its offensive line against UTEP, including giving true freshman Noah Best an early opportunity at center. Best handled the situation admirably, particularly considering the circumstances, but there is an obvious difference between starting a freshman in a season opener against UTEP and asking him to anchor the offensive line in Ann Arbor against Michigan.
If Maikkula returns to the lineup, Oklahoma gets experience and stability back at one of the most important positions on the field.
And if Fodje is healthy enough to return, it gives offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh another valuable piece as the Sooners attempt to put their preferred combination together.
The timing couldn’t be better.
Michigan presents an entirely different challenge than UTEP. The Wolverines have the size, physicality and talent along the defensive front to make life miserable for an offense that is forced to play with a patchwork offensive line.
Getting Maikkula and Fodje back doesn’t guarantee Oklahoma wins the battle up front.
But it gives the Sooners a much better chance to enter Ann Arbor looking like the team they expected to have when fall camp began.
Michael Fasusi Remains the Biggest Concern
While Oklahoma received encouraging news regarding Maikkula and Fodje, Michael Fasusi remains the biggest injury question surrounding the Sooners.
The talented offensive lineman has been dealing with a shoulder injury dating back to fall camp. Fasusi played against UTEP but was limited, appearing in just 17 snaps before being removed from the game.
Venables’ updates this week did not provide the same level of certainty surrounding Fasusi that he provided for Maikkula and Fodje.
That matters.
Michigan’s defensive front will test every inch of Oklahoma’s offensive line, and Fasusi is one of the players the Sooners would prefer to have at full strength for a game of this magnitude.
Should Fasusi be unable to play—or be significantly limited—Fodje could become an important contingency plan. The versatility along Oklahoma’s offensive front suddenly becomes more valuable when injuries enter the equation.
And that is what makes the return of Maikkula and Fodje so important.
Oklahoma may not be completely healthy heading to Ann Arbor.
But the Sooners could have enough bodies available to avoid entering the game with the same level of concern that surrounded the offensive line before Week 1.
Danny Okoye Is ‘Good to Go’
The news was even more definitive on the defensive side.
Venables said Danny Okoye is expected to be available against Michigan.
Okoye was held out of the UTEP game as a precaution, but Venables indicated that the talented defender is ready to go this week.
His return provides another important piece for a defense preparing to face a Michigan offense built around physicality.
Venables has repeatedly emphasized his respect for Michigan’s offensive line and its ability to control the game at the point of attack. The Wolverines want to establish a physical identity. They want to run the football. They want to force defenses to commit additional bodies to the box.
That creates opportunities elsewhere.
For Oklahoma, maintaining depth along the defensive front will be critical.
The Sooners cannot afford to allow Michigan to dictate the game by simply leaning on their front and wearing Oklahoma down over four quarters. Having another capable defender available gives Venables more flexibility with his rotation.
And against Michigan, depth isn’t a luxury.
It’s a necessity.
Tory Blaylock Could Be Getting Closer
Another intriguing development involves running back Tory Blaylock.
Blaylock has been working his way back from a hamstring injury and didn’t play against UTEP. But Venables offered optimism this week that the talented running back could potentially travel with the team to Michigan.
The key word remains could.
Nothing has been guaranteed.
But the possibility of having Blaylock available adds another layer to an Oklahoma offense that could benefit from as much versatility as possible against Michigan.
The Sooners already have multiple options in the backfield, but Blaylock brings a different dimension when healthy. His explosiveness could provide Oklahoma with another player capable of creating a big play when opportunities are limited.
And opportunities could be limited.
Road games against physical opponents have a way of becoming games of attrition. The ability to rotate backs and avoid overloading one player can become increasingly important as the game progresses.
Blaylock’s status will be worth monitoring throughout the week.
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Venables Clarifies What He Meant by ‘Sloppy’
Health wasn’t the only topic Venables addressed.
After Oklahoma’s dominant victory over UTEP, Venables was critical of portions of his team’s defensive performance. But on Tuesday, he clarified what he meant when discussing some of the issues he saw on film.
The problem, Venables explained, wasn’t a lack of effort.
Quite the opposite.
His players were playing aggressively. As Venables put it, their “hair was on fire.”
The concern was discipline.
Oklahoma had players who were overly anxious to make plays, occasionally becoming too aggressive or “nosy” rather than remaining disciplined within the structure of the defense.
That distinction will become critically important against Michigan.
Michigan doesn’t need a defense to make mistakes in order to move the football.
But the Wolverines will certainly take advantage of them.
A defender abandoning his responsibility to chase a play can create a crease in the running game. A linebacker getting caught looking in the wrong place can open a throwing lane. A defensive back losing eye discipline can turn a modest gain into an explosive play.
Against UTEP, Oklahoma’s talent allowed the Sooners to survive—and dominate—despite a few of those moments.
Michigan won’t provide that same margin for error.
Venables knows it.
Venables Isn’t Buying Michigan’s Week 1 Struggles
Michigan’s narrow 13-12 escape against Western Michigan has created plenty of discussion leading into Saturday’s matchup.
The Wolverines were one point away from beginning their season with a disastrous loss. Instead, they survived.
From the outside, that creates an obvious narrative.
Michigan struggled.
Oklahoma dominated.
The Sooners should enter Saturday feeling confident.
Venables isn’t interested in that narrative.
He made it clear this week that Oklahoma has tremendous respect for Michigan, its coaching staff and its roster.
One poor performance—or one close call—doesn’t erase the talent sitting across the field.
Venables specifically pointed to Michigan’s physicality and the quality of both its offensive and defensive lines. Those are areas where football games are frequently won, particularly when the game is played in a hostile environment.
And Michigan will have one of the most significant home-field advantages in college football.
The Big House is not the place to enter believing the opponent is vulnerable simply because of what happened seven days earlier.
Venables understands that.
If anything, Michigan’s Week 1 scare could make the Wolverines more dangerous.
A team that has been embarrassed—or nearly embarrassed—has an entire week to hear about it.
Now Oklahoma is coming to town.
Bryce Underwood Presents a Different Problem
Venables also spent time discussing Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, offering significant praise for the talented signal-caller.
Venables called Underwood one of the most talented players at any position in college football.
That’s high praise.
And it speaks to the challenge Oklahoma faces defensively.
Young quarterbacks can be unpredictable. They can make mistakes. But they can also possess the kind of athletic ability that makes a defense pay for a single breakdown.
Venables’ defense thrives when it can create confusion and force quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations.
But facing a talented quarterback means those opportunities have to be handled correctly.
The Sooners can’t simply assume Underwood will make mistakes.
They have to force them.
That means controlling the line of scrimmage. It means maintaining gap integrity. It means preventing the quarterback from escaping the pocket and creating plays outside of structure.
And it means Oklahoma’s defenders can’t allow their “hair on fire” mentality to become reckless.
Aggression is good.
Undisciplined aggression is dangerous.
Against a player with Underwood’s ability, it can be disastrous.
The Big House Awaits
Venables also acknowledged the obvious.
Playing at Michigan is different.
The Sooners have experienced hostile environments. Oklahoma has played difficult road games, and Venables has consistently emphasized preparing his players for adversity.
But there is a reason Michigan has been so successful at home.
Venables pointed to the Wolverines’ remarkable recent success inside the Big House, where Michigan has won 32 of its last 35 home games.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
The crowd matters.
Communication matters.
Momentum matters.
And a game that looks manageable on paper can become significantly more difficult when an offense is struggling to hear at the line of scrimmage.
For Oklahoma, the trip to Ann Arbor will represent the first true stress test of the season.
UTEP was the opening act.
Michigan is the main event.
A Different Kind of Week for the Sooners
There has also been an unusual subplot surrounding Oklahoma’s roster this week.
The Sooners have been working to integrate players such as D’Yoni Hill and Danny Saili following the recent eligibility developments connected to the Tockey v. NCAA lawsuit.
Venables briefly acknowledged the unique logistical challenge involved in getting new players through the necessary processes and onto the practice field.
There are medical evaluations.
Paperwork.
Eligibility issues.
Equipment.
And, of course, football.
All of that has to happen quickly.
The coaching staff isn’t simply adding players to a roster in the middle of the offseason. Oklahoma is preparing for one of the biggest games of the year while simultaneously integrating new pieces into the program.
That makes the work of the support staff especially important.
Whether those additions play significant roles immediately remains to be seen.
But their presence gives Oklahoma additional depth as the season begins to accelerate.
The Biggest News? Oklahoma Is Getting Healthier
Ultimately, the most significant development from Venables’ media sessions this week may be the simplest.
Oklahoma is getting healthier.
Maikkula and Fodje appear to be trending toward returning.
Okoye is expected to play.
Blaylock is making progress.
Fasusi remains the major question mark, but the Sooners suddenly have more options surrounding him than they did a week ago.
That’s a significant change.
And it comes at exactly the right time.
Oklahoma is leaving the comfort of Norman and walking into one of college football’s most intimidating environments. The Sooners will face a Michigan team that has already experienced its first scare of the season and will undoubtedly be looking to make a statement in front of its home crowd.
Venables isn’t allowing his team to overlook any of it.
Not Michigan’s Week 1 struggles.
Not the crowd.
Not the Wolverines’ physicality.
Not Bryce Underwood.
And certainly not the importance of staying disciplined.
The Sooners have spent the first week of the season proving they can dominate an opponent they were supposed to dominate.
Saturday presents an entirely different question.
Can Oklahoma walk into Ann Arbor, survive the noise, match Michigan’s physicality and execute when the margin for error becomes significantly smaller?
The injury report suggests the Sooners will have more answers available.
Now comes the real test.
The Big House is waiting.
