No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers
One of the biggest games of the week takes place in Knoxville, Tennessee. The No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners will head to the hostile territory of Neyland Stadium to take on a resurgent Tennessee Volunteers team led by head coach Butch Jones. Leading the Volunteers out into their big home showdown with the Sooners is quarterback Joshua Dobbs. There hasn’t been a game of this magnitude in a while at Rocky Top, but now Jones and the Volunteers will have a chance to show just how deep and talented they are, while the Sooners look to show that they are just as talented as anyone in the SEC.
A loss wouldn’t be the end of the road for either team, but a win would go a long way in setting up their season, as the winner will likely shoot far up the top-25 poll. For Oklahoma, it’s about breaking through into the Big 12 conversation and showing they’re on par with TCU and Baylor, while for Tennessee it’s about showing that they’re the next SEC powerhouse.
Details for Saturday’s game are below.
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2015
Start Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, TN
Stadium: Neyland Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchEspn App
Radio: KFEF 1400 AM Norman/Tennessee radio info click here.
Ticket Information: For Oklahoma ticket information click here. For Tennessee ticket information click here.
Keys to Victory
For Tennessee, the team has to jump on Oklahoma early and get the home crowd behind them. In a game of this magnitude, having a loud encompassing atmosphere surrounding the team is important. To beat Oklahoma, they need to play to their strengths and put the ball on the ground.
Last week the team fell just shy of 400 yards of rushing and looked impressive against Bowling Green. With Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara leading the way this year, the running game, which was at one point a weakness for the Volunteers, should become a strength.
Last week, the Volunteers gave up 30 points to Bowling Green. If they don’t shape up quick, they’re going to give up a lot of points to Oklahoma and won’t be able to go to the run game as much as they would like to. They can’t afford to get burned deep.
Last season against the Volutneers, the Oklahoma Sooners torched Tennessee 34-10 with big play after big play. This year, they’re going to look to do more of the same behind the flashy quarterback Baker Mayfield. The young quarterback has some poise to him and will be looking to find some of his elite talent at wide receiver.
Defensively, the Sooners have to make sure that the Volunteers don’t get on the ground and running. They have a stout defensive line, and they need to put a stop to the run game early, build a lead and force Tennessee to take it to the air.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Oklahoma -2
Moneyline: Oklahoma -120 Tennessee +120
O/U: 63
Prediction
While Oklahoma may have rolled through Tennessee last year at home, this year it’s going to be much different as this Tennessee team has a lot more talent and are on the verge of busting out in the SEC again. It’s going to be a fight as the two heavyweights do battle at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee will get the home crowd roaring early with a score on the ground behind their impressive running backs. Oklahoma will answer right back with a score of their own as Baker Mayfield will find Sterling Shepard, who torched the Volunteers last year, for a score.
These two teams have the power to make explosive plays through the ground and the air. It might stay low scoring early on, but it will pick up as the game goes on and in the end Oklahoma will be tested on the road, as the Volunteers continue to pound away on the ground.
Tennessee will take a late lead on Oklahoma, and the Sooners will get one last chance on the arm of Mayfield to go down the field and win the game. They will take it into Volunteer territory until Emmanuel Moseley makes a big interception and the fans at Neyland Stadium storm the field.
Final Score: No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers 28, No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners 24
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