Ben Arbuckle gaining confidence heading into Year 2

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The Oklahoma Sooners' offense had an up-and-down season in Year 1 under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. This followed one of the worst offensive seasons in the history of the program in 2024.

In 2025, the offense was slightly better, but inconsistent. The Sooners ranked No. 90 in total offense, No. 57 in passing offense, No. 78 in scoring offense and No. 112 in rushing offense. Their 118.5 yards per game was the second-worst among College Football Playoff participants, only ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Arbuckle came to Norman as one of the brightest up-and-coming offensive minds in college football. The 30-year-old had some strong seasons with the Washington State Cougars. However, coaching at Washington State is not the same as coaching at a place like Oklahoma or coaching in the SEC.

Head coach Brent Venables discussed the whirlwind Arbuckle experienced in Year 1 and how he's grown heading into Year 2.

"You don't know what you don't know until you go through it, and you know, what I've tried to help him is having people who have been there who can help you, you know, what's around the corner," Venables said. "Does that make sense? And you feel like you have to carry this heavy weight of I'm supposed to know everything because I have that title, but in reality, how would you ever know everything? You have no capacity at that time, you know, from an experience standpoint, to certainly know everything."

Arbuckle's first season in the SEC was always going to come with challenges. The jump from Washington State to Oklahoma meant increased expectations, tougher defenses and far less room for mistakes. Now entering Year 2, Arbuckle has the benefit of experience, a returning starting quarterback in John Mateer and a more talented group of playmakers around him.

The Sooners don't need the offense to become one of the best in the country overnight, but it has to become more reliable. If Arbuckle can take the next step and turn Oklahoma's offense into a balanced attack, the Sooners could have the formula needed to complement Venables' elite defense and make a legitimate run at a national championship.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Ben Arbuckle gaining confidence heading into Year 2

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