West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

Ep. 440 - OU Fans Still Support Brent Venables. But for How Long? Even after OU’s 2-2 start, a new fan survey says that more than 60% of Oklahoma fans still do not want a change at head coach. Lee and Grant react to the poll, compare it with the West of Everest audience results and discuss whether expectations around Oklahoma football have changed under Brent Venables. Should Oklahoma stick with John Mateer, or is it time to see what Whitt Newbauer can do? Later, Lee and Grant answer a Spotify listener question about possible future offensive coordinators, react to the huge response to Grant’s OU coaching hot board. The show closes with a look around college football and this week’s picks against the spread. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Opening Take - OU fan polls reveal two very different views of Brent Venables 04:05 — More than 62% of fans still don’t want a coaching change 08:48 — West of Everest poll: 53% checked out on the Venables era 10:50 — Have Oklahoma’s standards changed? 15:37 — 72% want a quarterback change 21:39 — The best argument for trying Newbauer 23:39 — What do you actually want from Oklahoma football? 24:49 — Venables says John Mateer is still QB1 30:00 — Everest Club update and listener engagement 31:55 — Listener question: Chip Kelly or Hue Jackson at OC? 33:16 — If Venables stays, does the entire offensive staff have to go? 37:28 — Making the playoff should be the expectation at Oklahoma 39:21 — Grant’s coaching hot board blew up on YouTube 41:05 — Viewer reactions to the coaching hot board 41:26 — Is it time to move on from Bill Bedenbaugh? 43:20 — New OC, new O-line coach — or a full offensive reset? 45:23 — Why some fans still aren’t ready to move on from Venables 47:24 — “One more chance” for Venables? 48:00 — Is hiring great assistants the most important head-coach skill? 51:55 — More coaching candidates: Kalani Sitake, Jamie Chadwell and others 52:43 — Grant adds Blake Baker to the hot board 53:32 — Jim Harbaugh? Make the call anyway 58:41 — Does Venables get too much benefit of the doubt? 59:57 — The bigger concern: Oklahoma’s administration 1:02:08 — Buster Faulkner rises on Grant’s coaching hot board 1:03:07 — Jon Gruden? Absolutely not 1:04:41 — Around college football and Lee wants no part of James Franklin 1:07:04 — Miami-Clemson and the Week 5 slate 1:09:08 — Last week’s picks and Lincoln Riley fallout 1:13:31 — Alabama at Mississippi State 1:17:10 — Missouri vs. Florida 1:19:13 — Minnesota vs. Michigan 1:21:37 — Iowa vs. Ohio State 1:24:29 — Washington at USC 1:26:42 — Picks recap Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast.

Ep. 439 - Georgia Blows Out OU. Where Do We Go From Here? Oklahoma is 2-2 after a 41-13 loss at Georgia, and Lee and Grant break down another disastrous offensive performance for the Sooners. John Mateer committed three turnovers and made several game-changing mistakes, but the problems go far beyond the quarterback. The guys discuss whether benching Mateer would actually solve anything, Ben Arbuckle’s role in the offensive failures, Oklahoma’s quarterback evaluation and development issues, and why the same problems continue to surface under Brent Venables. They also revisit Venables’ recent contract extension, the expectations for Oklahoma football and whether the people responsible for the program’s biggest decisions can be trusted if another coaching change eventually becomes necessary. The guys also read your “3-word reviews”. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Georgia exposes the same problems of the Venables era 04:35 — John Mateer’s catastrophic mistakes 08:55 — Grant: the entire offensive culture is rotten 09:26 — Should Oklahoma bench John Mateer? 10:08 — OU’s history after starting 2-2 12:00 — Where can this season realistically go? 14:32 — Offensive line injuries and another major disappointment 16:50 — Has apathy started to set in again? 20:13 — Are 8-4 and 9-3 expectations already too low for Oklahoma? 20:49 — Why the latest contract extension matters so much 24:23 — Can Oklahoma’s leadership be trusted with the next hire? 25:34 — What should the standard be for Oklahoma football? 28:17 — Roger Denny and the Brent Venables extension 31:20 — A few positives from the Georgia loss 31:36 — David Stone surprisingly plays and looks healthy 32:30 — Kip Lewis stands out against Georgia 34:10 — Film room: breaking down Georgia’s explosive touchdown pass 39:19 — Oklahoma has become Lincoln Riley-era OU in reverse 41:42 — Looking ahead to Texas 43:45 — Mateer showed flashes despite the turnovers 46:04 — Could the offense improve against weaker defenses? 49:04 — Three-word reviews begin 50:13 — Has Venables turned OU into a “laughing stock”? 51:52 — Is Ben Arbuckle gone after this season? 52:19 — Venables closes in on Gary Gibbs’ loss total 54:34 — “Pay the buyout” and Nebraska comparisons 55:33 — NIL spending and Oklahoma’s roster problems 56:57 — Who could play quarterback for OU next season? 59:47 — Financial questions around the program 01:05:42 — The human side of Mateer, Arbuckle and Venables struggling 01:08:04 — Oklahoma isn’t the only major program struggling 01:09:37 — “It’s a circus” 01:11:04 — “I am done” and “extend him again” 01:13:15 — Watching other fan bases have fun again 01:14:27 — Everest Club reaches its first two members 01:16:12 — Plans for the bye-week episode Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Ep. 438 - What Would it Take For OU to Shock Georgia? Lee and Grant open the show by discussing the latest David Stone injury news, the conflicting reports surrounding how he was injured, and what his availability could mean for an already banged-up Oklahoma defense. Then the conversation turns back to OU’s offensive problems, including missed assignments, poor execution and questions about how well Ben Arbuckle, Bill Bedenbaugh, Kevin Wilson and the rest of the offensive staff are fitting together. Then the guys break down OU’s path to victory as a 14-point dog at Georgia. Finally, Grant answers a listener question about who Oklahoma should consider if it eventually moved on from Brent Venables? The show closes with OU-Georgia score predictions and the weekly college football picks against the spread. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Another OU injury and a trip to No. 2 Georgia 02:02 — David Stone injury news and conflicting reports 08:14 — John Hoover’s report and clarification 12:49 — What is Oklahoma’s path to upsetting Georgia? 13:29 — West of Everest launches the Everest Club on YouTube 16:22 — OU-Georgia preview begins 17:06 — What Georgia has done well through three games 18:36 — Can Oklahoma stop Georgia’s run game? 19:28 — The upset formula: turnovers, defense and shortening the game 20:31 — OU desperately needs takeaways 24:52 — Could OU’s offense somehow match up better with Georgia? 25:32 — Venables points out busted tight end blocks against New Mexico 27:58 — Does Oklahoma’s offensive staff have too many cooks? 30:53 — What exactly is Kevin Wilson’s role? 31:33 — Remember when OU had “no chance” against Alabama? 33:19 — John Mateer vs. Arch Manning comparisons 34:55 — What Lee wants to see from OU’s defense 36:27 — Grant’s defensive key: make Gunner Stockton uncomfortable 38:51 — Oklahoma is a rare two-touchdown underdog 43:44 — What does Oklahoma need from the offense? 46:35 — Grant wants to see 2024 John Mateer again 48:38 — OU-Georgia score predictions 50:09 — Listener question: if Venables is out, who replaces him? 51:58 — The dream-candidate tier 54:34 — Coordinator candidates for Oklahoma 57:56 — Grant’s head-coaching candidate list begins 01:03:24 — Grant’s top four candidates 01:09:25 — Weekly college football picks begin 01:09:43 — Texas at Tennessee 01:11:16 — Ole Miss at Florida 01:12:10 — Michigan at Iowa 01:13:38 — Oregon at USC 01:14:11 — Missouri at Mississippi State 01:15:48 — Picks recap Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Ep. 437 - OU Wins, But This All Feels Way Too Familiar The guys are back after OU tops New Mexico 14-6. Although the Sooners just played a game, the most interesting topic is OU’s future. What happens next? Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — OU survives New Mexico 14-6, but the offense sputters again 01:09 — Grant reaches his breaking point with the Brent Venables era 02:02 — What would it take to hit the “eject button” on this regime? 03:07 — The Michigan loss exposed the offseason optimism 04:03 — New Mexico’s undersized defense still controlled OU’s offense 04:30 — Grant: “I’m out” on the current Oklahoma regime 05:02 — Revisiting the frustration of the 2024 season 06:07 — Why OU’s offense still looks broken 06:45 — Tight ends and offensive line fail to create a run game 08:03 — The SEC schedule will expose every offensive weakness 08:46 — OU returns to 12 personnel but still can’t execute 09:40 — Has John Mateer actually gotten worse? 10:15 — Grant: Oklahoma doesn’t understand its offensive problems 11:09 — OU’s running back room has no punch 11:38 — Is Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line room the biggest disappointment? 12:00 — Grant: changing one offensive coach won’t fix this 12:45 — Questions about Oklahoma’s leadership and future hires 13:29 — OU’s reported roster spending raises another red flag 14:29 — Why did Oklahoma extend Brent Venables? 15:29 — Venables admits there’s nothing to hang your hat on offensively 15:51 — Why didn’t the staff see the offensive problems coming? 17:11 — The danger of buying into offseason optimism 17:33 — Could OU miss a bowl game? 17:51 — “Mediocrity is a choice” 18:18 — Grant: the program is “rotten to the core” 18:34 — OU’s defense looks elite while the offense sinks again 19:07 — Oklahoma’s brutal remaining schedule 19:50 — Grant plants his flag: Venables isn’t taking OU where it wants to go 20:13 — What would college football fans outside Oklahoma think of this program? 21:22 — Oklahoma is back to being one-sided — just reversed from Lincoln Riley 22:10 — Why are we talking about the future of the program before Georgia week? 22:52 — Grant explains his breaking point during the New Mexico game 23:20 — ESPN’s incorrect timeout graphic changes the end-of-half discussion 24:19 — Jonathan Hatton and OU’s lack of juice at running back 25:23 — Three-word reviews begin 26:16 — Michael Hawkins is thriving at West Virginia — and coaching matters 27:16 — Peyton Bowen’s dropped interceptions and OU’s takeaway problem 28:14 — More listener reactions: “2024. Not again.” 28:39 — Could Jason Eck eventually become an OU coaching candidate? 29:27 — Could Oklahoma actually fire Venables after extending him? 30:33 — The defense may have to carry the entire season 31:01 — Could a strong defense save a mediocre season? 31:40 — David Stone finally flashes dominance 32:12 — OU still doesn’t have the offensive athletes other SEC teams have 33:12 — Programming note and Georgia preview schedule 34:02 — The Venables extension looks increasingly unnecessary 34:37 — How much influence does Joe Harroz have over Oklahoma football? 35:51 — What could the Venables buyout look like? 36:39 — Looking ahead: Georgia week becomes a bigger-picture program discussion 37:09 — Closing thoughts Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Ep. 436 - John Mateer Is Who He Is. Can OU Make It Work? Lee and Grant go back through the Michigan game and take a closer look at the Mateer-Ben Arbuckle dynamic. They also revisit Oklahoma’s offensive identity, the dramatic shift away from the Week 1 approach against UTEP, the use of 12 personnel and empty formations, Mateer’s field vision, the lack of a consistent run game and whether OU truly understands what it is offensively. Trell Harris is expected to miss significant time after suffering a serious injury. Kip Lewis could also miss several weeks, creating another major concern on the defensive side. Lee and Grant also discuss Oklahoma’s defense, why missed tackles and players trying to do too much remain a problem, and whether the pressure of carrying an inconsistent offense is already affecting that side of the ball. Then it’s on to New Mexico. The Lobos are one of the more interesting G6 teams in the country. NM is well coached and experienced, and should provide a useful test for an Oklahoma team trying to get back on track. The guys also make their weekly college football picks against the spread. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Opening Take – John Mateer is who he is 06:59 — Michigan rewatch: how much blame belongs on Arbuckle vs. Mateer? 07:26 — Mateer misses an easy timing throw to Trell Harris 08:29 — The quarterback counter Mateer could have broken for a huge gain 09:39 — Hayden Hansen throwback was there, but Mateer could not complete it 10:09 — Empty 12 personnel creates a QB-run opportunity Mateer misses 10:47 — The fourth-and-7 miss to Rocky Beers 11:28 — Were Oklahoma’s receivers really “wide open”? 12:38 — The bigger question: how does Arbuckle simplify things for Mateer? 16:21 — Grant: Arbuckle can draw up plays, but he has to know his personnel 18:03 — Did Oklahoma’s staff misunderstand its own offense? 19:11 — Mateer will still have good moments, but the Michigan performance was alarming 19:56 — Mateer needs his confidence rebuilt 20:34 — Ben Arbuckle’s offenses have never consistently run the ball well 24:24 — How many first reads is Mateer simply not seeing? 29:01 — Elijah Thomas and Parker Livingston now need bigger roles 33:45 — Michigan’s seven-minute drive that quietly helped win the game 36:23 — Is OU’s defense pressing because it does not trust the offense? 39:05 — Is another “season from hell” developing for Oklahoma? 39:31 — Grant: Venables’ history of responding to adversity is mixed 41:59 — New Mexico is a legitimate G6 test under Jason Eck 42:52 — Could Oklahoma actually lose this game if the Michigan problems remain? 46:26 — How Oklahoma wins matters more than simply winning 46:46 — Grant: run the core offense until OU actually gets good at it 47:23 — New Mexico’s experienced defense presents a useful test 48:31 — OU’s defense should dominate New Mexico’s offense 49:38 — New Mexico’s three-quarterback rotation 50:42 — Jason Eck’s rise from the FCS ranks 53:18 — New Mexico has created takeaways; Oklahoma has not 54:01 — What Grant wants to see from OU’s offense 54:17 — Lee wants a return to the UTEP offensive blueprint 54:55 — Arbuckle needs to create easy completions for Mateer 55:11 — Defensive key: stop trying to do too much 55:37 — Grant’s defensive priority: tackle better 56:22 — OU-New Mexico score predictions 59:32 — What would a convincing win mean before Georgia? 01:00:33 — Early look at how big an underdog OU could be at Georgia 01:01:03 — Around college football: SEC and national games to watch 01:02:11 — Michael Hawkins and West Virginia hit the road at Virginia 01:02:27 — James Franklin discussion 01:03:14 — Weekly picks against the spread begin 01:03:36 — Houston at Texas Tech 01:05:39 — SMU at Louisville 01:06:42 — Mississippi State at South Carolina 01:08:50 — Florida at Auburn 01:09:55 — LSU at Ole Miss 01:12:09 — Back to Mateer’s running ability and field vision 01:13:30 — Does Mateer need an eye exam? Jameis Winston tangent 01:14:56 — New Mexico postgame podcast scheduling update Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.