Sooners kick off Venables era with 45-13 win over UTEP
It wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad.
For a debut of a new head coach, new quarterback and many other players, it acceptably set the Sooners ship back on course after a tumultuous end of last season.
And it marked the beginning of the head coach career of what may be the next legendary skipper.
That is my take on Oklahoma’s 45-13 win over UTEP on a humid hot day in Norman on Saturday.
“At the end of the day, it was going to be about Oklahoma re-establishing the soul and the spirit of this program,” Venables said after the game.
Clearly, the Sooners did just that as soon as they stepped off the bus, to be greeted by several hundred screaming funs who lined the Jenkins Avenue path to the stadium.
Soonerguys Pick ’em Week 1
This week’s Pick ’em games (and Vegas odds):
Colorado State at Michigan (Mich. favored by 30) — 11 am ABC; Utah at Florida (Utah favored by 2) — 6 pm ESPN; Oregon at Georgia (Georgia favored by 14) — 2:30 pm ABC; Notre Dame at Ohio State (Ohio St. favored by 16) – 6:30 pm ABC; Florida State at LSU (LSU favored by 3) — 6:30 pm ABC; Prediction for OU vs. UTEP: Oklahoma by 30.
This week’s selections by our panel of know-it-alls:
Randy: Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Ohio St., Florida St. (Oklahoma 35 UTEP 7).
David: Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Ohio St., LSU (Oklahoma 48 UTEP 6)
Rick: Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Ohio St., LSU (Oklahoma 42 UTEP 14)
Noah: Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Ohio St., LSU (Oklahoma 49 UTEP 7)
Gerald: Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida St. (Oklahoma 48 UTEP 7)
Jack: Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Ohio St.., LSU (Oklahoma 42 UTEP 10)
Mason: Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Ohio St., LSU (Oklahoma 38 UTEP 17).
Mike: Michigan, Utah, Georgia, Ohio St., LSU (Oklahoma 48 UTEP 7)