After Oklahoma State lost 41-13 to No. 2 Georgia State on Sept. 26, Sooners head coach Brent Venables told reporters that the coaching staff discussed the possibility of benching quarterback John Martel in that game.
Aside from a 51-0 victory over UTEP in the season opener, the Sooners’ offense has been a mess for much of the season. Since that game, Oklahoma State has scored a combined 37 points against the defenses of Michigan, New Mexico and Georgia. Oklahoma State entered the season ranked 10th, with losses to Michigan State and Georgia State.
Oklahoma State looks to bounce back Saturday when it takes on No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. While Texas will be the favorite in this game, there are plenty of wins for underdogs in this rivalry.
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Speaking with reporters about Oklahoma’s preparation for Texas, Venables said Martel is “our starting quarterback,” but noted backups Whit Neubauer and Bowie Bentley got “a lot of reps” in last week’s practice.
When Venables was asked whether Neubauer or Bentley would get playing time, the coach said he didn’t know yet.
His response was a clear warning to Martel. He needs to play better or he might be on the bench as the Sooners try to beat Texas.
“We have full confidence in them and trust in them,” Venables said via ESPN. “Both guys, Bowe and Whitt, have put in a lot of work for us to evaluate. They’re doing a great job, they’re working hard, improving and doing all the things we want our quarterbacks to do as a unit, as a team.”
Through the first four games, Martel has thrown for 883 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He had a breakout season at Washington State in 2024, throwing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Martel dealt with a broken hand for most of last season and finished with 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
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