|
Replies: 24
| visibility 2607
|
CU Guru [1517]
TigerPulse: 93%
30
|
Brent Venables was always overrated
8
5
8
5
Oct 30, 2025, 4:15 PM
|
|
I went back and studied Venables career as a whole, let me also preface this by saying Brent IS one of the best RUN defensive cord ever, he could shutdown a triple option or run heavy offense like no other.
as evidenced last year in OU 24-3 domination of Bama, when a run heavy Bama was coming off thrashing LSU 42-6. He also gave Paul Johnson and some hard to stop GT teams fits.
And finally he was a perfect fit for Clemson and Dabo......at the time..(2012-2020) and also we can't forget Clemson was recruiting at a super high level at the time, particularly DL and DB.
I went back and looked at when brent was in charge of OU's defense 2002-2011, (he was on staff prior to 2002 but not in charge of defense) I found he was 0-2 in national championships as DC with thrashing loss to Southern Cal, and another loss to a very basic tim tebow offense. Oklahoma was also thrashed 48-28 by west virginia and 43-42 by Boise in big upsets where his defense performed very poor.
When Clemson hired Brent except for GT and sometimes FSU, the ACC was quite frankly horrible, but to his and Dabo's credit they took advantage of it and developed a wreckless abandon style along with recruiting well.
but thinking back on it i truly feel Watson and Lawrence along with some good receivers and rb is the only reason Clemson went on a mini run 2015-2020. i think if we had, had another decent DC we wwould have won those years anyway.
also if your hones Brent performed very poorly in losses to Bama 45-40 in 2015....lane kiffin schooled him again just like he did in 2003 with Southern Cal. He also never adjusted to LSU or Ohio State in 2019 and 2020 playoff losses getting thrashed by good passing teams, which he was not good against and still isn't. I remember he didn't play middle linebacker Chad Smith 1 snap against LSU, even though he played a huge role in beating ohio state the game before, it was never explained why....other than he "wanted speed on the field" .....how did that work out brent?
Everyone oversimplifies and says dabo's decline was when brent left, but brent was declining also, he has not been good at OU 0-3 in bowl games, biggest blowout loss to texas ever in red river rivalry, two 6-7 seasons,......i'm shocked some people want Brent back as head coach, he is terrible as a headcoach, i never want tony elliot, jeff scott or brent back at clemson....it was magic for a very short period of time, and even then it was mostly about the generational talent of Watson and Lawrence.
|
|
|
|
 |
Tiger Spirit [9989]
TigerPulse: 100%
44
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
14
14
Oct 30, 2025, 4:43 PM
|
|
I think he's coached in 8 national championship games. In modern day FB the defense is going to get killed several times each year. His teams also created turnovers and made stops during critical stages of the game. The offense could go 3 and out and his defense would constantly get them the ball back.
His defense never sat back and let teams march down the field. Clemson would be in the top 5 most years with TFL and sacks.
He had talent to work with and knew how to use it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Changer [2061]
TigerPulse: 97%
31
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
3
Oct 30, 2025, 4:50 PM
|
|
The ACC back then was a lot better than it is now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Changer [1706]
TigerPulse: 100%
31
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
3
Oct 30, 2025, 5:37 PM
|
|
I do think people remember Venables too fondly due to 2021. Looking back even with our offense having too left feet, he held 9 of 13 opponents under 2 scores and no one scored more than 27 points, even with the offense consistently giving short fields or actual scores. I think if you added this years Cade to that team they might have won a national championship.
That said the rest of your argument borders between crazy and just stupid. Just to pick a few points
ACC was not terrible, especially when you add #1 Clemson to all of these lists. If you took Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Washington out of the BIG10 it would look the exact same and it did those years as well.
2015- #8 UNC, #9 FSU
2016- #3 Louisville, #8 FSU
2017- #1 Miami, #14 Louisville, #12 VT, #15 NC State
I will give you it took a huge decline in 2018 where it currently still sits.
Bama did score 45 in 2016, but 7 came on a kick return, and 14 more came from giving them the ball on our side of the 50 due to an INT and a onside kick. That includes losing your number 1 corner for the second half, where they had only scored 14 (7 if you don't count that short field)
Also you would be crazy to think we needed run support help against LSU. Did you watch us constantly getting beat deep and giving up 3rd and longs? Against Fields and JK Dobbins yes, run support was needed. Against Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson and Joe Burrow, not so much.
I agree I don't think he wins a championship without Watson or Lawrence, I doubt we win 9 games without Venables in 2015-2017, and I doubt we win 3 without him in 2021.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tiger Spirit [9407]
TigerPulse: 98%
44
|
Total Defense Rankings During our "mini run" as you put it
12
12
Oct 30, 2025, 5:44 PM
|
|
2016 - 8th
2017 - 4th
2018 - 5th
2019 - 5th
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring of Honor [22102]
TigerPulse: 100%
53
|
Re: Total Defense Rankings During our "mini run" as you put it
1
Oct 31, 2025, 5:56 AM
|
|
I agree. This is a coot. Defense wins championships. Offense sells tickets. BV was always near the top statistically.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tiger Spirit [10007]
TigerPulse: 100%
44
|
You tell 'em coot!***
Oct 30, 2025, 6:25 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Valley Legend [12192]
TigerPulse: 64%
47
Posts: 15203
Joined: 2006
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
2
1
Oct 30, 2025, 6:27 PM
|
|
Solomon was wise and he did not use fools gold. The idea of a "mini run" is just absurd when you consider Dabo and the Tigers won 9 ACC Championships, had 7 Playoff appearances and 2 National Championships between 2011-2014. As Bobby Bowden might have said, that is pretty dadgum good and most certainly is better than a mini run.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [83823]
TigerPulse: 100%
62
Posts: 31309
Joined: 2018
|
OP is right on par with baffoonery you usually post.***
Oct 30, 2025, 10:36 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Conqueror [11137]
TigerPulse: 100%
46
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
2
Oct 30, 2025, 6:33 PM
|
|
I thought BVs defense performed poorly at OU and I was not excited about the hire.
However as the rankings above show, he did a great job here.
You earned every inch when you got into the red zone or in short yardage. Now, not so much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top TigerNet [28411]
TigerPulse: 100%
55
Posts: 16779
Joined: 2018
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
4
Oct 30, 2025, 6:37 PM
|
|
I think BV brought more to the table than just Xs and Os, which were still pretty darn good in my opinion. He was the yang to Dabo’s ying. He was a great balance for Dabo. He was the energy on the sideline for both offense and defense and he brought the fire in both games and practices.
Dabo relied heavily on both he and Jeff Scott and valued their opinions which allowed him to have some good influence over Dabo in certain situations. He was reliable, consistent and a steady influence when pressure was the highest. He had everyone’s respect and commanded their attention.
I think he was a consummate COO that allowed Dabo to be at his best as CEO. We will probably never fully understand his full impact but from my vantage point, it was significant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Sports Icon [54046]
TigerPulse: 79%
59
Posts: 38710
Joined: 2003
|
You can use a lot of these arguments to say that Dabo is overrated too.
3
Oct 30, 2025, 6:51 PM
|
|
I personally think that Brent and Dabo are both great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Phenom [14959]
TigerPulse: 100%
49
Posts: 24052
Joined: 2004
|
No way. Go look at some good defensive ratings
1
Oct 30, 2025, 6:56 PM
|
|
Brent was top 5-10 every year from 2014 until he left with the exception of 2020.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [8741]
TigerPulse: 100%
43
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
1
Oct 30, 2025, 8:01 PM
|
|
Florida’s “basic” offense that finished 4th in the national in total offense and averaged 43.6 points per game playing an SEC schedule.
You lost me there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dynasty Maker [3149]
TigerPulse: 100%
34
|
Just stop
3
Oct 30, 2025, 8:24 PM
|
|
BV put a defense next to our exciting Chad offense. I agree he had some issues and gave up some ridiculous plays, like vs UGA in 2014 with breakaway TD runs on three straight offensive plays. His contribution put us over the top and allowed us to win those CFP games.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Elite [5551]
TigerPulse: 100%
38
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
6
6
Oct 30, 2025, 8:36 PM
|
|
This is such a horrible take that I'm questioning if you're even of the IQ to function in society. Brent is a defensive genius. You're comparing him to some of the best offenses and players of their time which is just stupid in itself. His record speaks for itself. Have you forgotten he shut out Ohio State in 2016? They had a D@MN good offense that year. Held a playoff Notre Dame to just 3 points in Trevor's freshman year? Dominated a Tua and LOADED Bama offense to just 16 points in 2018? Practically shut down Oklahoma twice in 2014 and 2015 when they had BAKER MAYFIELD. He consistently gave us top 15 or top 10 to even TOP 5 defenses every single year almost. Even had a our defense holding their own against Lamar Jackson when Deshaun kept turning it over in 2016. Practically shut him down in 2017. The FSU squads you are thinking of had Dalvin Cook at running back. Again a generational player! You're not going to shut those guys down to where they are obsolete. His aggressive style will always leave the secondary susceptible to the pass but it was such a high risk/high reward style that it pays off almost everytine when everyone is in sync and does their assignments. You ALWAYS ALLLLWAYS want to stop the run first. Make an offense one dimensional.
Ultimately validating his coaching career versus his results to Tim Tebow? Early 2000's USC? Kellen Moore at Boise State? Joe Burrow and one of the most insanely loaded offenses at LSU? Lane Kiffin at a National Championship caliber Bama team (where 2 of our best defenders were injured)? You gotta be kidding me guy. Those guys and teams are college football legends for a reason. No coach is going to dominate every single game they play against everyone. Not even Kirby Smart had that track record as a DC at Bama of shutting out or shutting down everyone they played.
The dude was the best defensive coordinator we will ever have and it's not even close. This post is fu##ing stupid and you should feel stupid for it.
Edit (I've done it a few times the more I keep thinking about it because this entire post p!ssed me off because of it is probably the stupidest take I've ever seen on TNET and I've seen some dumb@ss takes): I can't believe people are actually giving this TU's. What the actual ####...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Changer [2061]
TigerPulse: 97%
31
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
1
Oct 30, 2025, 10:26 PM
|
|
The thumbs up is because on the other end of the spectrum, people are trashing Dabo way too much and giving venables too much credit for Clemson's success.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Elite [5551]
TigerPulse: 100%
38
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
1
Oct 30, 2025, 10:29 PM
|
|
I don't think that validates giving this stupid s##t a thumbs up honestly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Changer [2061]
TigerPulse: 97%
31
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
Oct 30, 2025, 10:33 PM
|
|
It does
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Elite [5551]
TigerPulse: 100%
38
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
Oct 30, 2025, 10:36 PM
|
|
It doesn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring of Honor [22102]
TigerPulse: 100%
53
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
2
Oct 31, 2025, 6:01 AM
[ in reply to Re: Brent Venables was always overrated ] |
|
This. You summed it (my reaction) up perfectly. I was just too lazy to respond in full. I also felt foolsgold didn't deserve a full response. +100 for you, sir!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Conqueror [11778]
TigerPulse: 100%
46
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clemson Sports Icon [55092]
TigerPulse: 100%
59
Posts: 15913
Joined: 2012
|
Brent Venables is a very rich man set for life after coaching OU
Oct 30, 2025, 10:44 PM
|
|
It’s not by mistake, he’s the best big game coordinator ever when he’s built his own defense as an assistant!
He’s my favorite DC ever in all of football!
I hope he’s humble enough to come back to Clemson and coach defense again one day soon!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Game Changer [1609]
TigerPulse: 84%
31
|
Re: Brent Venables was always overrated
1
Oct 31, 2025, 2:32 AM
|
|
What a dumb post.
Brent didn't just shut down runs, he is better at designing defenses that get after the QB better than anyone else. Yes, sometimes you get burned. That happens in today's football game. It's literally designed to score more points. But we had a top 15 defense for 6 years in a row.
2014: #3 Scoring, #1 Total
2015: #19 Scoring, #9 Total
2016: #10 Scoring, #8 Total
2017: #2 Scoring, #4 Total
2018: #1 Scoring, #6 Total
2019: #3 Scoring, #5 Total
2020: #12 Scoring, #14 Total
2021: #2 Scoring, #8 Total
I would call that a lot better than a "mini run" as you call it. And he's got a top 20 defense again this year, despite playing powerhouses. Just so you're aware, Watson and Lawrence weren't playing defense. And the ACC was very good some of those years.
Your entire argument is nonsense. You point out that he (the defensive coordinator) is overrated because maybe the best college quarterback ever, who was impossible to defend against, beat his Oklahoma team. Even though his defense one of the most talented, explosive offenses ever to their season low.
Just a dumb take.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top TigerNet [29051]
TigerPulse: 100%
55
Posts: 15389
Joined: 2011
|
Large, successful endeavors typically become so due to top-performing
1
Oct 31, 2025, 5:26 AM
|
|
players.
It's the ability of the leaders to drive their performances. Brent Venables succeeded at Clemson, hence why he has deservedly received laurels.
Most of us at Clemson do not care if others elsewhere believe him to be overrated. Dabo made a brilliant hire with BV, and he proved his worth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 24
| visibility 2607
|
|
|
50
