Brent Venables fires up Oklahoma fans ahead of Michigan battle in primetime

The biggest win of Brent Venables' tenure leading the Oklahoma Sooners (so far) was when the Sooners upset mighty Alabama last season in Norman. Venables celebrated in the sea of OU fans who stormed Owen Field and didn't lose sight of how much it meant it Sooner Nation.

The No. 18 Sooners host another blue blood program in primetime when they play No. 15 Michigan at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Venables knows that some help from Sooner Nation could lead to a similar celebration like the last.

Venables calls on Sooner Nation for Sooners' game vs Michigan

"You're part of being able to give so many people a lot of excitement and passion, enthusiasm," Venables said at Tuesday's weekly press conference. "Give them a reason to celebrate. You have the opportunity to do that. That's something that we've always taken pride in, as opposed to that's not the mindset of you're worried about how everybody else outside the building feels. That's not the same to me. You know the opportunity to bring people together...

"You know that's great for the state and a lot of people. You give people the hope, and during the course of the season, just week in, week out, there's a build up to every game. And there's only 11 left guaranteed on the schedule, and six left here in our stadium, so we don't ever take it for granted. We talk about that a lot internally -- the responsibility, as young men who put the crimson and cream on, what goes along with that. Be excited about that, that relationship that you have with your fanbase."

The difference in that 24-3 win over Alabama was three interceptions, one of which linebacker Kip Lewis returned for a touchdown in the third quarter for the final points of the game. OU accomplished that against a veteran quarterback in Jalen Milroe, who was a Heisman Trophy contender. The Sooners' defense and 84,053 fans in the stands made Milroe look like a panicked freshman.

On Saturday night, though, the Sooners actually will get a freshman QB in Bryce Underwood, who will be playing his first road game. A ruckus crowd can always be a difference maker in a big-time game, but especially so against a young QB. And Venables knows that.

"I'm really excited to our fans," Venables said. "Our fans have an opportunity to really affect the game tremendously. Last week was fantastic. The best Walk of Champions that we've had in the several years that we've been here by a long way. I think opening up maybe that area to the tailgating provided more of an opportunity for people really to be fully immersed in game day and what that's all about. I think that's super cool.

"Our players feed off of that. That additional emotion -- that's real. And when we came out of the stadium, that was fantastic. So we're going to need them. It's going to take all of us on on Saturday night."

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