West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

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.

Ep. 435 - OU’s Offense Fails in 17-10 Loss at Michigan Oklahoma went to Ann Arbor with a chance to make a national statement. Instead, the Sooners left Michigan with a 17-10 loss and a lot of familiar questions about the offense. Lee and Grant react to Oklahoma’s disappointing road loss at Michigan and read your “3-Word Reviews”. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Oklahoma makes West of Everest look stupid 04:16 — Oklahoma’s offense was bad again 05:16 — Grant: the game exposed offseason concerns 09:31 — The offensive sequencing felt weird from the opening drive 13:20 — Offensive line injuries mattered 13:44 — Fodje and the tackles struggled with Michigan’s edge rushers 18:56 — Empty 12 personnel was the failed new wrinkle 22:46 — Mateer had too many misses that should not be missed 24:58 — OU still had a chance despite the offensive mess 27:00 — The standard for Oklahoma’s defense is extremely high 29:12 — Pass rush concerns and lack of disruption 30:57 — Kip Lewis’ non-contact injury   36:24 — Mateer remains the key to Oklahoma’s season 36:40 — Grant: good teams can lose that game, really good teams do not 38:42 — Could OU still bounce back against Georgia and Texas? 40:54 — Three-word reviews begin 42:22 — “Nice extension, Denny” 43:40 — End-of-half time management failure 46:45 — Michigan’s offensive coordinator knew Underwood’s limitations 48:12 — Was Elijah Thomas open for a touchdown? 48:50 — Michigan took away Sategna and Beers in high-leverage moments 49:22 — JJ Buchanan’s third-and-long explosive still bothers Grant 50:32 — Running backs are mid and not dynamic 51:05 — Fans pile on the offense, Venables and the extension   56:23 — Grant: year five at Oklahoma should not look like this 59:45 — Michigan fumbled twice on the same series and OU recovered neither 01:00:22 — OU forces zero takeaways after Western Michigan forced three 01:04:60 — Lee still did not expect Oklahoma to lose 01:06:38 — Grant: this was the perfect script for Michigan to win 01:07:06 — OU failed to punch Michigan in the mouth early 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. 434 - OU-Michigan Preview: Is Michigan Really That Bad? The show opens with leftover thoughts from OU’s win over UTEP, followed by the latest injury news involving key offensive linemen. Later, the guys begin their OU-Michigan preview by talking about how the Wolverines should be 0-1. Grant compares Michigan’s offense to Oklahoma’s 2024 offense, while Lee explains why Michigan’s heavy sixth-offensive-lineman “Rhino” package may play right into the strength of Oklahoma’s defense. The guys discuss Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s struggling run game, Kyle Whittingham’s rocky start, and why OU’s defense should be eager for this matchup. On the other side, Lee and Grant discuss what Oklahoma’s offense must show against Michigan’s defense. The episode closes with Week 2 picks against the spread: Missouri at Kansas, Alabama at Kentucky, Mississippi State at Minnesota, Iowa State at Iowa, and Ohio State at Texas. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Opening take: OU’s a 12 personnel team 04:13 — Leftover thoughts from the UTEP win 05:30 — OU used 12 personnel on 82.7 percent of snaps 09:30 — Danny Saili’s size and role on the defensive line 09:59 — Grant still thinks Saili looks undersized 13:02 — Jake Maikkula and Ryan Fodje trending toward a return 13:29 — Michael Fasusi availability becomes the major concern 14:00 — What does OU’s offensive line look like without Fasusi?   24:23 — Michigan should be 0-1 after Western Michigan 24:41 — Kyle Whittingham’s rough start at Michigan 25:22 — Bryce Underwood remains Michigan’s starter “right now” 26:01 — Underwood’s awkward response to Whittingham’s comments 26:25 — Michigan’s offense, Jason Beck and the Wolverines’ main weapons 27:01 — Western Michigan ending controversy 28:01 — Grant: Michigan’s offense looked like 2024 Oklahoma 31:16 — Why Western Michigan may have a real gripe 36:50 — Back to Michigan being a dumpster fire 37:09 — What Oklahoma’s defense needs to do against Bryce Underwood 38:31 — Michigan’s “Rhino” package plays into OU’s hands 40:04 — Why using a sixth offensive lineman only works if those linemen can block 42:40 — Stop the run and put Michigan in obvious passing situations 43:24 — JJ Buchanan may be Michigan’s only scary skill player 45:35 — Lee wants three takeaways from Oklahoma’s defense 47:57 — Grant: Michigan may improve, but the offense is not good 52:18 — Michigan’s yards per play and time-of-possession context 53:39 — What Oklahoma’s offense needs to show against Michigan 56:26 — Grant’s No. 1 offensive key: play a clean game 57:17 — Michigan’s penalty issues against Western Michigan 59:54 — John Mateer needs to keep building off Week 1 01:03:31 — Get the ball to Sategna, Trell Harris and Rocky Beers 01:05:56 — Lloyd Avant can keep Oklahoma on schedule 01:06:20 — Grant’s prediction 01:08:48 — Lee’s prediction   01:15:13 — OU needs to punch Michigan in the mouth early 01:16:15 — Programming note: Lee on 107.7 The Franchise postgame show 01:18:42 — Around college football and Week 2 setup 01:20:02 — Tennessee-Georgia Tech, Auburn and Gavin Freeman thoughts 01:22:12 — Ole Miss-Louisville and LSU-Clemson thoughts 01:25:24 — Oregon-Boise State and Boise as a G6 contender 01:26:21 — Week 2 picks begin 01:26:54 — Missouri at Kansas 01:29:26 — Alabama at Kentucky 01:31:25 — Mississippi State at Minnesota 01:35:38 — Iowa State at Iowa 01:36:51 — Ohio State at Texas 01:38:50 — Final thoughts before OU-Michigan weekend 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.