Oklahoma Football ‘Defines Excellence’ Heading Into SEC

Welcome to the SEC, Oklahoma. As of Monday, the Sooners are officially a member of college football’s toughest conference.

With SEC Day in full effect, there are fans and members of the program all around celebrating the move. Now, there’s a large question on social media and from television pundits — is the program going to have a smooth transition to the conference? Is Oklahoma SEC ready?

Yes feels like the right answer. The Sooners are a blue blood program —  one of the best in history of college football. That won’t stop because the conference logo on the field changes. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables seems to take the same thinking heading into the unforgiving league.

Brent Venables Claims Oklahoma “takes a backseat to nobody”

Among college football, the SEC is the undisputed best conference. The Big Ten rivals the SEC, but it’s hard to give anyone but the SEC the benefit of the doubt.

READ MORE: Oklahoma Sooners’ QB Jackson Arnold Listed ‘Standout’ at Manning Passing Academy

SEC programs are continually favored in the College Football Playoffs. The likes of Georgia, Alabama, LSU and more have dominated the sport both in recent history and historically. That won’t change, but the Sooners will have to compete with them moving forward.

Still, Venables fancies the Sooners’ chances to compete at the highest level.

“This program defines excellence. It defines success,” Venables said in a “Wake Up In the SEC” event in Tulsa, OK. “In sports, probably the best quality you can have is to be consistent. And we’ve been one of the top two or three programs in the history of college football. This is a program that takes a back seat to nobody, one that we’re incredibly looking forward to. An amazing opportunity for us.”

Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables looks on in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

This is the mentality Venables has to have. The entire football program needs to adopt this mentality if they want to compete at the highest level. The head coach building that culture will be important as Oklahoma stares at a huge opportunity as a program in the 2024 college football season.

READ MORE: OU Football Recruiting: Venables, Sooners Hot on Trail This Past Week

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Follow Kade Kimble on Twitter.