Better Apart: Ex-Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, now thriving at Auburn, returns to face Brent Venables

Not every breakup is mutual, but sometimes parting ways is the only way forward. Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold and Oklahoma coach Brent Venables will cross paths again Saturday when No. 11 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Auburn. A year after Arnold's benching fractured their relationship and laid the groundwork for Arnold to leave town, both enter the SEC opener unbeaten, revived and chasing championships.

"Obviously, there's a lot of emotions and stuff, but [Arnold] is mature and he knows what it takes to win football games," Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. "Him being emotional about whatever happened in the past is not going to help us, and he knows that. He'll handle it well, I think."

No one quite knows the emotions running through Venables and Arnold, or how their dynamic as exes will affect the game, but there's no doubt their shared history is the underlying current steering the narrative. Bragging rights are on the line, and somewhere deep down, both want to show they're better off without the other.

Both Arnold and Venables have tried to block out the noise before the top-25 showdown Saturday afternoon in Norman. Venables expressed his admiration for Arnold and his family during SEC media days in the summer. Arnold twice politely declined interview requests from CBS Sports over the last two weeks.

"I'm not on social media, either, so there's no noise for me," Arnold told reporters after a win against South Alabama last week. "I'm just worried about going to practice every day and being the best version of myself, off the field and watching tape, watching OU, just locking in and doing my job throughout the week. There's nothing more than that. It's a job for us, we've got one every day, and attack it -- and make every day my best day."

It's not a stretch to say Arnold's stay in Norman quickly unraveled last year. Oklahoma's injury-riddled offensive line allowed an SEC-worst 50 sacks, while a depleted receiver corps left him without a lifeline. He was benched after committing three turnovers in Week 4 against Tennessee, only to be reinserted when freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. floundered in late October. The offense spiraled, coordinator Seth Littrell was fired midseason, and Arnold's numbers told the story: 12 fumbles (six lost), three interceptions and just 5.8 yards per pass attempt -- the worst among Power Four quarterbacks.

"Our issues last year started … we had a roster that was devastated by injuries," Venables said last week. "You can't play quarterback by yourself. I think we played the second-most freshmen in the country last year, and a lot of guys that weren't ready to play yet had to play because of the injury situation."

Despite the underwhelming performances, Venables revealed at the SEC's media days he tried to convince Arnold to stay in Norman. Venables reshaped the offense with new coordinator Ben Arbuckle, but the writing was on the wall: Arbuckle was set to bring Washington State quarterback John Mateer with him. Two days after Arbuckle's hire, Arnold hit the portal. Auburn called first and a 10-day courtship convinced him to join the Tigers.

"I had one conversation with Jackson, and he was great," Arbuckle told reporters Tuesday. "He was super respectful, but that's really about kind of where it ended. One of those deals where he felt like he needed a chance for whatever reason it was. And all I've heard from everybody is that he's a great young man."

The divergence has been striking. Arnold has Auburn eyeing its first 4-0 start in six years, while Mateer has emerged as a Heisman frontrunner after dazzling in Oklahoma's win over Michigan.

Arnold has piled up 501 passing yards and 196 rushing to go along with eight total touchdowns with only one fumble, a noticeable difference from his turnover-prone days in Norman.

"I know the lack of success he had a previous school, it always shakes and rattles your confidence, but convincing him we could help him with that, that's where the (recruiting) discussions went," Freeze said.

Arnold was practically born to be a Sooner. A product of Denton -- which is in North Texas and about a two-hour drive from Norman -- Arnold was a ballyhooed 5-star recruit. He committed nearly a year before signing and was tabbed as the program's next great quarterback in a lineage that produced three Heisman winners this century. Instead, his redshirt was burned in 2023 in six games as Dillon Gabriel's backup, his eligibility chipped away and his shot at stardom lost in his first full season as the starter.

Arnold never came close to touching greatness.

Frustrating? Absolutely. Venables discussed redshirting Arnold when OU's season spiraled out of control a year ago, but the coach put him back on the field when Hawkins struggled, effectively wasting a year of eligibility with five more starts. The Sooners showed progress, upsetting Alabama to secure bowl eligibility, but limped to their worst offensive output in 26 years.

Saturday marks only the sixth time since 2010 an FBS head coach has faced off against his former quarterback. It has been a more common occurrence in the transfer portal era, with four reunions in the last two seasons.

The last time Arnold played at Owen Field, he led the Sooners to their 24-3 upset win against Alabama.

"I feel like it's going to be a high-intensity game," Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings told reporters Tuesday. "…They're rolling right now. They have all confidence in Jackson. And I would, too, if I was him."

Questions remain about Arnold's growth as a passer. Auburn entered the season with arguably the best receiver corps in the SEC, led by Cam Coleman and Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton, but Arnold ranks 99th nationally in passing yards per game among starting quarterbacks, and last week was only 13 of 24 for 142 yards and a touchdown.

"No. 1, it starts with how do you judge a quarterback?" Freeze said. "And that is wins and losses and the turnover battle. He's done those extremely well, and he leads our team well. He's got this competitive spirit about him, and it's going to be needed in the upcoming games for sure.

"He is in a good spot. Obviously, we haven't been tested like we're getting ready to be tested, so we'll see how he performs against some of the best teams in the nation the next few weeks, starting Saturday."

Saturday is a collision of past and present. Venables and Arnold may downplay the emotions, but the shadows of their split still hang over Norman. Both have moved on, both have risen again, and now both want to prove they're better off apart.

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