NORMAN — Oklahoma put out its weekly list of team captains on Monday, which included a noteworthy face.

Alongside veterans Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, Woodi Washington, Ethan Downs and Troy Everett was quarterback Jackson Arnold. The quarterback situation appeared uncertain after the Sooners' 30-23 loss to Missouri on Nov. 9, but Arnold's inclusion as a team captain was a definite answer, at least for the Sooners' upcoming game against Alabama.

But was that a sign of Arnold's future with the program?

"I don't know what the future holds," Brent Venables said Tuesday. "We love Jackson, and we believe in him. But it's a sign of, he's one of our best leaders that we have on the team. And there's plenty of guys going through rough spots that still have the ability to lead and fight and compete. So that goes along with that position as well.

"But representing the offensive side of the ball, those are two of our best leaders, Troy Everett and Jackson Arnold."

Arnold's future remains uncertain with the program, but his status as the starting quarterback remains unchanged. Now, he'll be tasked with bouncing back from another rough performance against Missouri.

Despite the returns of Deion Burks and Jalil Farooq at wide receiver the Sooners' offense still struggled against Missouri, particularly in the passing game. The offense had just 247 total yards and scored just 16 offensive points, as the Sooners dropped their fourth consecutive conference game.

But the glaring issues were in the passing game. Arnold completed just 15 of 24 passes for 74 yards, averaging under five yards per completion. The offense as a whole finished with a season-low 135 passing yards, as punter Luke Elzinga and running back Taylor Tatum combined for 61 of those yards on two completions.

In addition to a lack of production in the passing game, Arnold committed two costly turnovers. That's been a trend all season for the Sooners, who have lost an FBS-high 13 fumbles this season

"Obviously it was a heartbreaker, you never want a game to end like that," Arnold said. "For me in the quarterbacks room, I've got to look back at the film and watch it. I can't fumble like that, can't turn the ball over but at the same time, we've got two more games. We've got two more great teams we've got to play so we've got to put it behind us and move forward."

Turning it around is going to be tough for both Arnold and the Sooners this weekend against No. 10 Alabama. The Crimson Tide (8-2) ranks 10th in scoring defense and 32nd in total defense, and they've logged the third most takeaways in the country (34).

There's a lot on the line this weekend as the Sooners (5-5) try to achieve bowl eligibility on Senior Night. But there's also a lot at stake when it comes to Arnold's future with the program. For Venables, Arnold's success, and bouncing back from the woes of this season, has to be a group effort.

“I think it’s gonna be the same type of experience it’s gonna be for the rest of his career, and he’s no different than any other player other than he’s the face," Venables said. "That goes along with that position at a place like the University of Oklahoma. That’s a position that’s a little bit … it’s a bit like the head coach position. There’s a different type of microscope and there’s a different type of focus and that’s okay. He’s got broad shoulders to handle that.

"But improving and developing, making mistakes, learning from the good and the bad — that’s going to be an ongoing process for the rest of his career. So that’s just a daily task. He’s got a huge part in that experience and the development and the improving and taking ownership. You can’t deflect it. You have to have great awareness, you have to have great self-awareness and you’ve got to have great humility and then you have to have respect for what I need to do, his part, in order to improve. And that’s not just him, that’s everybody around him."

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