Josh Pate Challenges Colin Cowherd’s Controversial Take on Oklahoma’s Relevance in College Football

Colin Cowherd is probably one of the most polarizing figures in sports media. If he wasn’t, it’s doubtful we’d even be talking about him.

Cowherd has never been one to shy away from his personal hot takes, often delivering them in his data-infused, metaphor-laden manner. Some of his boldest takes from years past still get resurrected by fans—either to ridicule him on social media or simply to express their disdain.

Take, for instance, what Cowherd said about the Oklahoma Sooners football team back in June of last year. In one of his segments on FS1's The Herd , Cowherd claimed the Sooners could be the second program in his lifetime to "disappear," with Nebraska being the first.

Cowherd argued that the state of Oklahoma no longer produced top-tier players, forcing the Sooners to rely on talent from other states. He also pointed to their upcoming move to the SEC, suggesting it would be difficult not just to compete in the new conference but also to recruit prospects away from traditional SEC schools. Lastly, he criticized the hiring of defensive-minded head coach Brent Venables, arguing that Oklahoma should have gone with an offensive coach instead.

For whatever reason, fans decided to dig this up and ask college football analyst and host of Late Kick , Josh Pate, to discuss it on his show Tuesday evening. Pate obliged.

"Man, I think he nailed it, and I think he whiffed completely, all at one time," Pate said.

Pate first addressed the talent in Oklahoma, noting that while the Sooners could land just about any in-state prospect they wanted, the caliber of talent available wasn’t what they needed.

"You want to talk about the lack of in-state talent—it's true, but it's irrelevant," Pate said.

Oklahoma's 2023 recruiting class represented 13 different states and was ranked 6th overall, while the 2024 class represents 12 states and is ranked 12th, putting Venables in the conversation as one of the top recruiters in the country.

Regarding the Sooners playing in a tougher SEC Conference, Pate said, "If that turns you off, then you're not going to be the head coach at Oklahoma to begin with."

Pate acknowledged that while the competition in the SEC could indeed be much tougher, the trade-off is the ability to acquire top talent. With the Sooners now part of one of the two biggest conferences in college football, their brand recognition and recruiting footprint will expand, reaching states they weren’t as visible in during their time in the Big 12.

In his final assessment of Cowherd's year-old statements, Pate emphasized that finding the right coach is crucial, whether they are offensive or defensive-minded, matters not. Using his own data, Pate noted that points per game in college football have actually decreased recently, which seemingly points to a defensively driven surge. He also pointed out that last year's national champion, Michigan, boasted the No. 1 scoring defense in the country.

When Cowherd made his comments about Venables and the Sooners, it was after Venables’ first year in Norman, during which he finished with a 6-7 record and faced harsh criticism as even the defense—his specialty—struggled, allowing 30 points per game.

However, there was a stark difference in the Sooners from 2022 to 2023. Nearly all facets of the team improved, including the defense, which allowed a little over a touchdown less per game (6.5 points). These improvements helped them finish 10-3 and third in the Big 12.

Pate admitted that he typically shies away from any sort of combative nature against fellow media members but felt compelled to respond to this one.

Oklahoma, the preseason No. 16 ranked team in the country, begins their 2024 season as SEC members against Temple at home on Aug. 30. Their first SEC opponent will be the preseason No. 15 ranked Tennessee Volunteers at home on Sept. 21.