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PODCAST

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

Lee and Grant Benson

West of Everest is for the OU Football sickos, of which there are many.The show was launched in August 2017 by Lee & Grant Benson. The brothers strive to bring you authentic, thoughtful, and nuanced opinions on OU Football & the world of college football. Lee Benson is a former sports anchor/reporter who covered the Sooners for six years from 2016-2022. Grant Benson is a massive OU fan who"s passion for the Sooners knows no bounds.

sports & recreation college & high school

All Episodes

88:09

Ep. 440 - OU Fans Still Support Brent Venables. But...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/10/01

Ep. 440 - OU Fans Still Support Brent Venables. But for How Long?Even after OU’s 2-2 start, a new fan survey says that more than 60% of Oklahoma fans still do not want a change at head coach. Lee and Grant react to the poll, compare it with the West of Everest audience results and discuss whether expectations around Oklahoma football have changed under Brent Venables. Should Oklahoma stick with John Mateer, or is it time to see what Whitt Newbauer can do? Later, Lee and Grant answer a Spotify

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79:01

Ep. 439 - Georgia Blows Out OU. Where Do We Go From...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/28

Ep. 439 - Georgia Blows Out OU. Where Do We Go From Here?Oklahoma is 2-2 after a 41-13 loss at Georgia, and Lee and Grant break down another disastrous offensive performance for the Sooners. John Mateer committed three turnovers and made several game-changing mistakes, but the problems go far beyond the quarterback. The guys discuss whether benching Mateer would actually solve anything, Ben Arbuckle’s role in the offensive failures, Oklahoma’s quarterback evaluation and development issues, and why

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76:43

Ep. 438 - What Would it Take For OU to Shock Georgia?

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/23

Ep. 438 - What Would it Take For OU to Shock Georgia?Lee and Grant open the show by discussing the latest David Stone injury news, the conflicting reports surrounding how he was injured, and what his availability could mean for an already banged-up Oklahoma defense. Then the conversation turns back to OU’s offensive problems, including missed assignments, poor execution and questions about how well Ben Arbuckle, Bill Bedenbaugh, Kevin Wilson and the rest of the offensive staff are fitting

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37:27

Ep. 437 - OU Wins, But This All Feels Way Too Familiar

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/20

Ep. 437 - OU Wins, But This All Feels Way Too FamiliarThe guys are back after OU tops New Mexico 14-6. Although the Sooners just played a game, the most interesting topic is OU’s future. What happens next? Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — OU survives New Mexico 14-6, but the offense sputters again 01:09 — Grant reaches his breaking point with the Brent Venables era 02:02 — What would it take to hit the “eject button” on this regime? 03:07 — The Michigan loss exposed the offseason optimism 04:03 — New

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76:11

Ep. 436 - John Mateer Is Who He Is. Can OU Make It Work?

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/17

Ep. 436 - John Mateer Is Who He Is. Can OU Make It Work?Lee and Grant go back through the Michigan game and take a closer look at the Mateer-Ben Arbuckle dynamic. They also revisit Oklahoma’s offensive identity, the dramatic shift away from the Week 1 approach against UTEP, the use of 12 personnel and empty formations, Mateer’s field vision, the lack of a consistent run game and whether OU truly understands what it is offensively. Trell Harris is expected to miss significant time after suffering a

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69:26

Ep. 435 - OU’s Offense Fails in 17-10 Loss at Michigan

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/13

Ep. 435 - OU’s Offense Fails in 17-10 Loss at MichiganOklahoma went to Ann Arbor with a chance to make a national statement. Instead, the Sooners left Michigan with a 17-10 loss and a lot of familiar questions about the offense. Lee and Grant react to Oklahoma’s disappointing road loss at Michigan and read your “3-Word Reviews”. Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Oklahoma makes West of Everest look stupid 04:16 — Oklahoma’s offense was bad again 05:16 — Grant: the game exposed offseason concerns 09:31 —

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95:23

Ep. 434 - OU-Michigan Preview: Is Michigan Really...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/10

Ep. 434 - OU-Michigan Preview: Is Michigan Really That Bad? The show opens with leftover thoughts from OU’s win over UTEP, followed by the latest injury news involving key offensive linemen. Later, the guys begin their OU-Michigan preview by talking about how the Wolverines should be 0-1. Grant compares Michigan’s offense to Oklahoma’s 2024 offense, while Lee explains why Michigan’s heavy sixth-offensive-lineman “Rhino” package may play right into the strength of Oklahoma’s defense. The guys discuss

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69:42

Ep. 433 - OU’s Offense Actually Looks Different in...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/05

Ep. 433 - OU’s Offense Actually Looks Different in 51-0 Shutout Of UTEPThe Sooners opened the 2026 season by shutting out UTEP 51-0 Friday night at Owen Field. The guys discuss their likes and dislikes from the game and read your 3-Word Reviews! Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Oklahoma opens the season with a 51-0 shutout 03:44 — Tight end usage was not just offseason talk 04:37 — Grant: 12 personnel looked like OU’s base offense 08:05 — John Mateer looked comfortable and the offense looked

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88:54

Ep. 432 - OU-UTEP Preview: What The Sooners Must Show...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Ep. 432 – OU-UTEP Preview: What The Sooners Must Show in Week 1 The show begins with the latest injury news on Oklahoma’s offensive line. Just when Jake Maikkula appeared to be the main injury concern at center, Ryan Fodje — listed as the top center on OU’s Week 1 depth chart — suffered a lower-body injury. The good news: reports indicate Fodje’s MRI was negative, and Jake Maikkula is progressing well. Lee and Grant also break down Oklahoma’s Week 1 depth chart, revisit their pre-fall camp

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95:55

Ep. 431 - The Big Season Preview Is Back!

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/08/31

Ep. 431 - The Big Season Preview Is Back!Game week is finally here, and the Big Season Preview is back! But first, Grant can’t believe a stat he just learned about a SEC team from the 70’s, the guys discuss the ongoing battle for the starting center spot, and acknowledge that OU recently announced its 2026 team captains. Then, it’s time for the Big Season Preview as Lee and Grant go through five preseason prompts built around certainty, cautious optimism, skepticism, crazy-but-possible outcomes,

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138:01

Ep. 430 - OU Makes Big Bet On Brent Venables Before...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/08/24

Ep. 430 - OU Makes Big Bet On Brent Venables Before Massive 2026 SeasonOU and Brent Venables agreed to a new six-year contract that reportedly pays Venables an average of $10.5 million per year. Did OU have to make this move now? The guys also discuss the latest on Jake Maikkula’s injury and the plan at center moving forward. The latest news out of fall camp includes Reggie Powers’ growth at cheetah, OU’s run-game talk, and more under-center work for John Mateer. Later, Brady Trantham from Oklahoma

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98:39

Ep. 429 – A Potentially Crushing Injury Overshadows a...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/08/17

Ep. 429 – A Potentially Crushing Injury Overshadows a Good Week of Practice Lee and Grant react to the report that Oklahoma center Jake Maikkula was injured during the Sooners’ first full scrimmage of fall camp. The guys discuss what Maikkula means to the offensive line, why center is such a difficult position to replace, and what Caleb Nitta and true freshman Noah Best could bring if Oklahoma must adjust up front. There was actually a lot of good news this week as there’s suddenly Elijah Thomas

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108:59

Ep. 428 - John Mateer’s Championship Chance and Fall...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/08/10

Ep. 428 - John Mateer’s Championship Chance and Fall Camp is Here!John Mateer’s got an incredible opportunity to win a National Championship this season. He’s got the defense, but what must he and the offense do in order for the Sooners to win Number 8? The guys react to early Fall Camp video and practice buzz. Topics include Courtland Guillory’s impressive clips, David Stone’s dominance, Trent Wilson’s development, defensive line depth, PJ Adebawore’s role, Michael Boganowski becoming more

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96:47

Ep. 427 - OU Fall Camp Questions & the Brent Venables...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/08/03

Ep. 427 - OU Fall Camp Questions & the Brent Venables Reality CheckOur Fall Camp preview poses unanswerable questions at this time. Will Trell Harris make it through fall camp healthy? Can OU’s RB room get to Week 1 without a wave of injuries? Which position group could produce a surprise camp star, and more! Later, we take a deeper look at Brent Venables through four seasons at Oklahoma. How does Venables compare historically to other first-time head coaches? Is there a realistic national

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110:13

Ep. 426 - OU Has 3 Future NFL Tight Ends?

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/07/27

Ep. 426 - OU Has 3 Future NFL Tight Ends?SEC Media Days have come and gone, and one of the most interesting comments of the week came from Sooners general manager Jim Nagy. Does OU really have three tight ends on the roster who will be playing on Sundays? Lee and Grant also react to Brent Venables’ correctly acknowledging OU’s flaws from 2025 and mentioning that nine offensive linemen can play winning football. The guys answer listener questions about the effectiveness of Tory Blaylock, and whether

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101:56

Ep. 425 - OU Football Breakouts, Red Flags, and SEC...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Ep. 425 - OU Football Breakouts, Red Flags, and SEC Predictions Lee and Grant open with a look at OU’s second-year players heading into the 2026 season. Which young Sooners will contribute, and which players will disappoint? Lee and Grant also discuss Oklahoma’s SEC Media Days representatives — John Mateer, Eddie Pierre-Louis and Taylor Wein — and whether there is any real meaning behind who Brent Venables chose to bring to Tampa. Then the guys finish their SEC team-by-team predictions ahead of SEC

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96:23

Ep. 424 - The Weird 2025 OU Defense Stat You Probably...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/07/12

Lee and Grant open the show by digging into OU’s strange takeaway numbers from last year and talk about why 2025 was a major outlier in Brent Venables' career. The guys also discuss Parker Thune’s observation about Oklahoma’s projected defensive starters being almost entirely recruited and developed by OU, and what that says about the defensive staff under Venables. Later, the guys make predictions for half of the SEC, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia,

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86:24

Ep. 423 - EVERYONE is Talking About John Mateer

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/07/06

John Mateer has been the talk of the college football world for the last 6-9 days. Lee and Grant discuss Mateer’s viral offseason moments and the recent reports about his thumb injury, throwing motion, mechanics, and offseason work to become a better passer. Plus the guys talk about OU moving its 2026 season opener against UTEP to Friday night, the NCAA’s proposed five-year eligibility model, and a few corrections from last week’s episode! We save some World Cup talk for the end if that interests

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116:07

Ep. 422 - OU's Defense Underrated? Plus John Mateer...

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/06/29

The guys are back for a full summer reset as the 2026 college football season gets closer. The guys start with the three most interesting things about OU football in 2026, including whether Brent Venables’ Oklahoma defense can be even better this season, why the Sooners may be underrated nationally, the importance of John Mateer taking a step forward, and what to make of Oklahoma’s difficult SEC schedule. Then, Lee and Grant play a John Mateer “Would You Rather” quarterback game, comparing

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120:30

Ep. 421 - The People* vs. Owen Heinecke

West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast ·

2026/04/12

Lee and Grant are back after nearly 2 months off to discuss Owen Heinecke's legal action against the NCAA*. The Benson bros go over the twists and turns in the saga since they last recorded. But first, they go over major storylines in the OU Football universe since the last show. The Sooners have a new RB coach! John Mateer is changing his throwing motion! And oh yeah - Spring practice is nearly over and the Spring Game is randomly back. Come hang out with us for 2 hours. 145 days until

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