Oklahoma vs. Tennessee: SEC Showdown Preview for Week 4

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00:00The SEC debut for number 15, Oklahoma, the SEC opener for who

00:08has been the most impressive cover team in the country so

00:10far this year. Sixth ranked Tennessee under Josh Hypel, who

00:15of course knows Norman very well, led Oklahoma to a BCS

00:18national championship in 2000, worked on the staff for nearly a

00:23decade as a quarterbacks coach and then a co offensive

00:26coordinator under Bob Stoops. He became the head coach at

00:29Knoxville Joe in 2021. In that span, Tennessee is 22 and nine

00:34against the spread as the favorite side that is the fourth

00:37best cover percentage in that time in college football. This

00:41year, they're a perfect three and oh, covering games by more

00:44than 27 points per game. On average, it is the best cover

00:49margin by a good margin in college football, but you've got

00:54an Oklahoma team ranked in a conference matchup with the

00:57first true road test Tennessee has seen this season. Yes, they

01:01went to Charlotte, hammered a rank foe at the time at NC

01:04State. That game was neutral site. But of course, the Wolf

01:07Pack not from far away in Raleigh. Is it too much love for

01:12Tennessee? Or is the number the number for a reason and the ball

01:15should roll?

01:17No, see, here's the problem. Oklahoma is off that we know

01:21defensively, they're going to give Tennessee a run for their

01:26money. And as much success as Tennessee has had offensively

01:29again, so far, it's been non conference play. And quite

01:32honestly, it's games that they should have handled and they did

01:36and they've handled them pretty impressively, which is what

01:39Josh Hypal does. However, it's the offense of Oklahoma and we

01:44knew they were going to be a mess early on Ben heading into

01:47the season. You and I even had a conversation about this team. We

01:51said they're gonna have five new starters on the offensive

01:53line here, it's gonna take them a little time. I don't know that

01:58they've had enough time against Tennessee. This is their first

02:02true road game. My fear is Tennessee gets out and plays

02:06this game from in front, which forces Oklahoma to become one

02:09dimensional. And that is why this is a touchdown line and not

02:14anything lower.

02:15It's a really fascinating quarterback matchup between two

02:18guys still technically in their freshman year that each got

02:21their first start at the respective programs taking over

02:25for the guys that had been there. Niko Iameleava for Joe

02:28Milton, and Jackson Arnold for Dylan Gabriel. They got their

02:32first start in ballgames and gave us a glimpse of the future.

02:36Niko Iameleava has been great so far for Tennessee. Jackson

02:40Arnold, not so much less than a buck 75 through the year in all

02:43three games, but maybe even more damning Joe. He's O'Hughes

02:47leading rusher with 159 yards on the ground so far. Tennessee

02:51is the best scoring offense in the country and the second best

02:54total offense in the country that was expected. Again, it's

02:58been Kent State and Chattanooga. Although a power conference team

03:02that has been really good at NC State and was ranked at the

03:05time, they only allowed three points to the Wolfpack. They're

03:08the second best total defense in the country or the volunteers

03:12and Oklahoma is the third worst offense in the SEC, only better

03:17than South Carolina and Kentucky and at least the Gamecocks and

03:21the Cats have played a couple of conference games.

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