When he saw the Orange Bowl game pop up on the video board in Death Valley – No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma on Dec. 31 – Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables sighed and thought, “Are you serious!”
But then that was it. Unlike last year when his defense humiliated his mentor, Bob Stoops, in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Venables was not going to get worked up. He admitted after last year’s game that it was one of the more trying times of his professional career.
Stoops recruited Venables to Kansas State. He was his position coach and defensive coordinator.