If the first two games of the 2024 season are any indication, we should be preparing for a not very fun next three months of OU football. The guys go over the GOOD -- OU won the game, before spending almost the entire show on what was BAD -- which was pretty much all of it. The offense is terrible. Was Seth Littrell a bad hire? People are calling for Michael Hawkins to play. This team is undisciplined and was fortunate to escape Saturday with the victory. Brent Venables has a lot to account for as the Sooners welcome a really good Tulane team to Norman next week. We also read your "3 Word Reviews"! | | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 342 - OU Barely Beats Houston. This Could Go Sideways Fast.

OU's loss to Missouri was more of the same as the Brent Venables era looks to be coming to a close. The only question is, "When?" | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 359 - It's Over. We Just Don't Know When it Will Be Made Official.

Lee tells us what's coming up on the show today before the guys briefly talk about OU's upcoming primetime kickoff against Alabama (0:00). Joe Harroz and Joe Castiglione gave Brent Venables a vote of confidence this week. For some reason the discussion leads Lee to think of former Tennessee HC Butch Jones (7:40). Joe Castiglione stopped short of committing to Brent Venables for next season (17:45). Turns out that OU giving Venables a new contract in June increased the Venables buy-out. This move looks horrible in hindsight and it's another reason why Grant is concerned about the future of OU (21:30). Lee found a former head coach that may end up being a very close comp to Brent Venables' time at OU (30:40). We look back at all the other notable head coaching hires from the 2022 cycle. It's pretty easy to tell if each team has found their guy, or not (38:00). Some brief CFP rankings talk. Grant's not loving the way this season is playing out (54:00). Taking a look at the SEC slate as well as a brief look back at the 2020 OU defense (56:30) before making our picks against the spread. Games include LSU-Florida/Nebraska-USC/Arizona St.-KSU/Tennessee-Georgia/Kansas-BYU (1:02:10). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 360 - Venables Gets the Dreaded "Vote of Confidence"

The guys start out with some positive news about Xavier Robinson being available this week against Alabama. However, it slowly transitions into the negative because we have no interest in sugar coating this stuff (2:30). Do you want to see other QBs play the rest of the season? We revisit the Dillon Gabriel/Jackson Arnold discussion and Lee has came around closer to where Grant was months ago (11:40). Jackson Arnold just recently began getting some QB coaching (24:30). Why is Jacobe Johnson still repping at wide receiver? No matter how you spin it, much of this season looks very bad for Brent Venables (30:00). We read some comments about OU's offensive coordinator search from the WoE FB page. Lee is having a tough time getting into this because he doesn't think it really matters. What would Dan Mullen, Ben Arbuckle, or Joe Craddock do for you (35:50)? What would it take for you to take Lincoln Riley back at OC for OU (45:50)? Grant can't find many reasons to be compelled by this OU-Alabama matchup. We talk about it for a little bit, anyways (48:20). Grant does not like the super conferences and he is not enjoying this college football season. Lee is the exact opposite and says this season has been great. I guess it comes down to what you want out of college football (53:30). We make our picks against the spread in Indiana-Ohio State/Ole Miss-Florida/Penn State-Minnesota/Colorado-Kansas/Army-Notre Dame (1:03:10).

Ep. 361 - Let's See if OU Can Stun Everybody and Beat Bama

The Sooners proved us wrong in all the best ways by beating No. 7 Alabama 24-3 Saturday in Norman. The offensive gameplan was terrific and included a lot of creative designs in the run game. Xavier Robinson continued to look like the best running back on the team. Joe Jon Finley deserves a ton of credit for his gameplan and execution. OU's defense was fantastic against a great Alabama offense. That was the best defensive performance since when?? And we read your 3-Word Reviews. | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 362 - OU Does Indeed Stun Everybody & Beats Bama Comfortably

Brent Venables opens the show with his story of late night Taco Bell following the win over Alabama. The guys are incredibly excited about this development and go into detail about why (00:00). Venables admitted he failed on the Seth Littrell hire. Does this do anything for you? Did the Alabama game show us what OU could have been this season with a competent offense (10:10)? Venables joked about DeMarco Murray finally letting Xavier Robinson play more. We don't think this is a laughing matter (20:35). We look at the improvement in OU's rush offense in the four games since Joe Jon Finley has been calling plays (27:00). Doesn't sound like Deion Burks or Jalil Farooq will be available this week (33:05). We preview the LSU game with all of the most interesting aspects of this matchup. LSU's pass offense is elite. Can OU's DBs cover? LSU's defense is not good. Can OU's offense replicate the success they had against Alabama? Venables has a chance to prove the Bama game was not a fluke (36:45). Brief thoughts on the SEC slate, followed by our weekly picks. Games include Memphis-Tulane/South Carolina-Clemson/Notre Dame-USC/Miami-Syracuse/Texas-Texas A&M (59:10). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 363 - OU's Latest Win Adds Extra Juice to Upcoming LSU Game

The guys discuss OU's 37-17 loss at LSU to close the regular season at 6-6 (2-6). It does appear the Alabama game was indeed an outlier outcome as the Sooners reverted back to what they've been for most of 2024. Grant has some historical analytical stats that show where the program is now compared to the 90s. After much big picture discussion, the guys jump into the actual game and go through all the big moments (and bad moments) that led to OU losing at LSU. At least one listener disagrees with our thoughts on Brent Venables and Lee brings up one coach who may be the best case scenario comp to Venables if he's going to succeed at OU. Plus we read your "3-Word Reviews". | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 364 - OU Fails to Build Off Stunning Win as Sooners Lose at LSU

The guys open the show briefly talking a little bit about Grant's upcoming trip to Europe, before getting into more important topics like Ben Arbuckle being hired as OU's offensive coordinator. We give our initial thoughts and go over some positive numbers. We also compare some of Arbuckle's numbers to Lincoln Riley and Seth Littrell (2:40). Venables announced that he will retain the offensive staff. Will that actually hold into 2025 (29:30)? Jackson Arnold is going to enter the transfer portal. Will Wazzu's John Mateer come to OU (42:50)? OU's going to need a lot of help on offense in 2025. Nic Anderson is entering the transfer portal as well. OU's injuries plus running back talk (53:30). Where do you stand on Deion Burks (1:02:50)? OU held on to Michael Fasusi, but the 2025 recruiting class is the lowest ranked for the Sooners in more than a decade (1:06:00). We read some comments from the WoE Facebook page (1:12:45). Discussing the College Football Playoff rankings. Grant's okay with Alabama being in line to get in. Lee thinks Miami is being under ranked. Grant was way out ahead of one very obvious problem with the current playoff system and Lee apologizes for going over the odds on who will win the National Championship (1:23:30). We finish up with our picks for Conference Championship Weekend (1:36:40). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 365 - Sooners Hire Intriguing Up-and-Comer Arbuckle to Fix Offense

In the opening take, Lee tries to figure out what OU's going to do to address their need for wide receivers in the transfer portal. Then Lee continues this solo show by talking about why he's struggling to find interest in all the recent OU news. He goes over some of the non-wide receivers who are departing through the transfer portal before taking a first look at the Sooners Armed Forces Bowl matchup with Navy. Lee has an issue with the way the Playoff teams are ranked, but he thinks the First Round matchups mostly have a lot of promise. He finishes up by taking a quick look at how OU's 2025 schedule sets up. | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 366 - Can We Trust Venables to Reload & Retool OU Through the Portal?

Grant is back from Rome. Deion Burks is returning to OU. Grant is hoping OU is not breaking the bank for him. Lee struggles to care about all the money stuff (2:30). BREAKING: John Mateer commits to OU in the middle of the pod. Will/can OU now go get a top tier WR out of the portal? The tight end room looks to be a mess and an unknown (13:10). Is OU bargain shopping in the portal? Will Joe Jon Finley and DeMarco Murray be on staff after the bowl game (33:25)? OU got commitments from a tackle from Stanford and a punter from Kennesaw State. Grant goes over some defensive targets for OU (41:45). What's going to happen with Damonic Williams (46:50)? Jackson Arnold is off to Auburn and LSU is taking two of OU's offensive players. Kalib Hicks will look to get some playing time at OSU and Makari Vickers is off to Colorado (55:15). Alex Grinch is the new DC at UCF and Bill Belichick is going to be a head coach in college football (1:03:30). We make our Playoff picks against the spread and randomly also pick the Hawaii Bowl (1:11:20). Grant predicted almost exactly how the 2024 season would play out (1:26:00). Some parting thoughts about OU-Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl (1:27:00). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 367 - Great News as Mateer Commits to OU

The first 10 minutes is Grant announcing this is now a basketball podcast, Lee asking Grant a pressing question about Colosseum in Rome, and the history of humans consuming combat sports. To OU football and the news that John Mateer received a call from Baker Mayfield. Lee wonders if Brent Venables is trying to recreate the Jeff Lebby/Dillon Gabriel recipe? Looking at OU's transfer portal additions, Grant wants to know what the goal is for next season (9:45)? Lee wonders if OU has a chance to get an offensive tackle from Washington State? Plus we talk about more former OU players finding homes at new places (30:15). We move our attention to the Armed Forces Bowl matchup against Navy. The betting line has moved significantly against OU. We talk about the interesting storylines and what we want to see in this game. Can this one bowl game mean anything for the future (37:00)? Grant did a great job predicting the first round of the CFP games. We have thoughts on people complaining about Indiana and SMU being a part of the tournament (54:10). We make some picks in random bowl games this week (1:08:15). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonTweets

Ep. 368 - What to Make of the Portal Additions & Armed Forces Bowl Preview

Opinion and analysis of Oklahoma Sooners football from the viewpoints of a local media member and an OU fan living outside The Sooner State. New episodes every Thursday during football season.

Ep. 342 - OU Barely Beats Houston. This Could Go Sideways Fast.

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

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