3 takeaways from Oklahoma's loss to Navy in Armed Forces Bowl

The Sooners' 2024 season, fittingly, ended with another head-scratching loss.

Oklahoma lost to Navy 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The result finished OU's season at 6-7, the Sooners' second losing season in three years under Brent Venables.

Here are three takeaways from the bowl loss.

1. Venables coached like it was a video game

Venables & Co. coached as if there was nothing to lose at the Armed Forces Bowl. And considering half their roster was made up of freshmen and most of the focus is already on 2025, they were probably right in assuming that.

OU went for it on fourth down four times, converting twice. That included a fake punt where Luke Elzinga completed a 28-yard pass to cornerback Woodi Washington.

Then, with the game on the line down 21-20 with six seconds left, Venables chose to go for two and the win instead of kicking the PAT and sending the game to overtime. Michael Hawkins Jr. was ultimately sacked and Navy sealed the win.

Venables now has two losing seasons under his belt because of this loss. Regardless, though, Venables knew no matter what happened in the bowl game that he will keep his job, at least until 2025. He already knows who's staying and going and coming through the transfer portal. He already made an offensive coordinator hire and has prepared the Sooners for next year.

With 2024 already settled, Venables coached the bowl game as if he was sitting on a couch with a controller in his hands. He had nothing to lose but the game itself.

2. Change was necessary

Change can be hard, and at times a wild ride.

There's been a lot of that in Oklahoma lately. Venables fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell midseason. Quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched then got the job back only to transfer to Auburn at the end of the regular season. Then six OU receivers entered the transfer portal with Arnold.

Friday, the offense, as it has most of the season, looked disfunctional at times. Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. played his butt off but still had freshman mistakes and reminded he still needs more time.

Yes, 2024 was not fun, and neither was the Armed Forces Bowl, and a lot of that was because of that change being endured. But it also showed why it was necessary.

Ben Arbuckle will now take control of the offense. He'll also coach quarterbacks, and Hawkins already showed improvement under Arbuckle's direction. And while Hawkins develops, John Mateer will be QB1 with one full season as a starter at Washington State already on his resume.

3. Hawkins can be the guy one day

Although I wrote Michael Hawkins Jr. can be the guy one day, he really already was Friday in just his fourth career start as a freshman.

Hawkins is a guy Sooner Nation should want to stick around. He's shown he's already dynamic as a passer and with his legs. And he will only get better, especially learning from Arbuckle and sitting behind Mateer for at least a season.

Hopefully, Hawkins sticks to his word and bucks today's trends and stays a Sooner to develop at one place before taking over.