Brent Venables fires Ben Arbuckle as Oklahoma drops to 13th in SEC

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables dismissed offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday. The decision followed a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina on Saturday. The defeat marked another poor offensive performance for the Sooners, who now sit at 13th in the conference rankings. The program enters its final stretch with a primary goal of securing bowl eligibility.

The Sooners face a difficult road ahead. They travel to Florida this week before concluding the season against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri. Venables faces mounting pressure to stabilize the team before the 2027 campaign. The staff change represents an attempt to halt the team's slide, though the window for improvement is narrow.

Conversely, South Carolina continues its upward trajectory under Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks moved up two spots to seventh place after their victory in Norman. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has become a central figure in the team's resurgence. He has completed 790 passing yards, rushed for 212 yards, and recorded 13 touchdowns over the last three games. All three of those contests resulted in wins for Columbia.

The top of the Southeastern Conference remained largely stable due to several open dates. Georgia holds the No. 1 position after a 27-8 win over Florida. The Bulldogs face a challenging schedule next, with matchups against Ole Miss, Missouri, and South Carolina. Kentucky remains second and prepares to visit Tennessee, a rival it has lost to in five straight seasons.

LSU and Texas hold the third and fourth spots, respectively. LSU hosts Alabama in Baton Rouge, a game that could impact the Heisman Trophy race for quarterback Sam Leavitt. Texas managed a low-stress win over Mississippi State but deals with injuries to defensive backs Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton.

Mississippi State and Arkansas occupy the bottom two spots in the conference. Mississippi State has lost four straight games and scored only 41 total points in that span. The Bulldogs are missing key player Kamario Taylor. Arkansas suffered four turnovers in a loss to Missouri, including three fumbles. Both teams look to find their first wins of the final month against weaker opponents.

Vanderbilt visits Mississippi State this weekend. The Commodores feature freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who has shown consistent skill all season. A victory there would provide a much-needed conference win for Vanderbilt. The game serves as a final test for Mississippi State's struggling offense before the month concludes.