Brent Venables is still giving Michigan the same respect no one else will

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables isn't disregarding years of tradition and success because of one discouraging week in Michigan, even if everyone else seems to be.

The shine has certainly faded for the No. 11 Sooners' Week 2 matchup between college football blue bloods, as many argue the Wolverines didn't actually beat Western Michigan in Week 1 and should be 0-1.

National voters certainly saw it that way while dropping Michigan from No. 16 in the country to completely unranked in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. That turned what was expected to be a top-15 clash into not even a ranked matchup at all when the Sooners travel to Ann Arbor at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday.

"However Michigan played last week, we're gonna bring out the best in Michigan, I can promise you," Venables said in his weekly press conference. "It's a talented football team that's got tremendous pride, and again, a tremendous staff that will have these guys prepared."

One bad week won't alter how Oklahoma will treat the Wolverines

Michigan certainly hasn't gone unnoticed this week. The Wolverines have been the talk of college football since Saturday night, when a second was added to the clock after time had already expired, only for them to complete a 43-yard Hail Mary to survive, 13-12.

It was an abysmal performance from the Wolverines, so there are obvious reasons why some believe the sky is falling in Ann Arbor after just one game with Kyle Whittingham in charge. It also didn't help that after a poor performance from quarterback Bryce Underwood, Whittingham made it clear his starting job was in jeopardy. The program also lost even more respect when its fans stormed the field at The Big House to celebrate just barely beating Western Michigan, an in-state school from the MAC.

Venables has obviously watched the tape of Michigan's Week 1 showing, and considering the Sooners played Friday night, he probably even witnessed it unfold live. He's also probably well aware of the lowered expectations the Wolverines have been given ever since. His players are definitely hearing and reading all the chatter all over TV and social media. Even Vegas abruptly swung the spread in OU's favor with all faith in Michigan lost.

Cliff Brunt finally asked about the elephant in the room as the last question of Venables' weekly press conference on Tuesday, and Venables responded exactly how he should.

"We've put Michigan in a great light like they deserve for a long time here -- for the last several months. This isn't the first week that we've been preparing and talking about Michigan and Georgia and Texas and many other teams that are on our schedule," Venables said. "Our players hold Michigan in high regard and with tremendous respect like they deserve.

"It says a lot about a team to find a way to win when maybe everything didn't go your way. And let's not forget, that's a MAC champion and a very experienced 10-win football team that's got tremendous pride that put a lot into the game as well."

Venables is being honest and probably still feels that way about Michigan. And he should.

Even back during fall camp, weeks before the Wolverines needed to be a focus, they still were. "The Victors," Michigan's fight song, would sometimes blare through the speakers during OU's practice, just like it will on Saturday at The Big House. The Sooners held out multiple players from their season opener who probably could have played, but they wanted to ensure they were ready for the Wolverines.

After months of treating Michigan like a blue-blood program with a loaded roster, just a few hours shouldn't change all of that. The Wolverines might be even more dangerous than they were a week ago since they now have nothing to lose, and the Sooners still have everything to lose but even less to gain with a win.

No matter what happened last week, Michigan is still Michigan. The rest of college football might have forgotten that, but Brent Venables hasn't.

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