Oklahoma Fires Ben Arbuckle After 42-25 Loss to South Carolina
Brent Venables made the staff change Monday, while South Carolina climbs to seventh in the SEC Power Rankings.
By Marco Graham ·
The SEC concludes the month of October with a sharp divide in team performance. Oklahoma fell at home to South Carolina, 42-25, on Saturday. The loss marked the Sooners' fourth consecutive defeat. Their offense managed only 25 points against a South Carolina defense that has been dominant of late. The result triggered a personnel change in Norman.
Head coach Brent Venables dismissed offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday. The move comes as the Sooners fight for bowl eligibility. They face Florida on the road this week. Their remaining schedule includes games against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri. Venables now faces questions about his long-term ability to turn the program around.
South Carolina, ranked seventh after entering the week ninth, continues its strong run. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has been the engine of the team's success. He has thrown for 790 yards, rushed for 212 yards, and scored 13 touchdowns in his last three games. All three of those games were wins. Coach Shane Beamer has successfully moved the team off the hot seat. The Gamecocks are attempting a second midseason turnaround in three years.
Georgia holds the number one spot in the conference rankings. The Bulldogs defeated Florida 27-8 last week. They face a challenging stretch ahead, with games against Ole Miss, Missouri, and South Carolina. Kentucky sits at number two and travels to Tennessee. The Wildcats have lost five straight games in that series. LSU is third and hosts Alabama in a key matchup. Texas is fourth, while Alabama is fifth.
Mississippi State remains near the bottom of the rankings. The Bulldogs are winless in their last four games. They have scored only 41 points in that span. Without quarterback Kamario Taylor, the offense has been limited to 18 points in his three absences. Arkansas is last at number 16. The Razorbacks turned the ball over four times in their recent loss to Missouri. They host Auburn this weekend. A win would keep their bowl hopes alive. Vanderbilt visits Mississippi State and could secure a conference win.
The rankings reflect a conference in transition. Teams like South Carolina and LSU are gaining momentum. Others, like Oklahoma and Mississippi State, are struggling to find consistency. The next few weeks will determine playoff positioning for several programs. Georgia and Tennessee have control of their own fates. Missouri and Texas must navigate their remaining schedules to stay competitive. The conference race tightens as the regular season approaches its final month.
