Tennessee vs. Oklahoma: Previewing the SEC Showdown

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00:00The most dominant team in college football this season, that would be Tennessee.

00:07The Volunteers, you know, a seven and a half point road favorite as the sixth ranked team

00:12in the country against number 15 Oklahoma in Norman.

00:17A seven and a half point favorite, greater than a touchdown.

00:20In fact, Mark Zeno, this is the first time for a ranked Oklahoma team as a home underdog

00:27in Norman of four points or greater since 1978.

00:32Is the spread too large in favor of the Volunteers, or does it feel fitting for this matchup on

00:38Saturday night?

00:39Well, what I will say what didn't feel fitting was the title on top of that board, Midwest

00:44matchup.

00:45This is the SEC.

00:46A little SEC showdown would have been fine.

00:48That's all you needed to do, Midwest.

00:51Great alliteration, Mark.

00:52Great alliteration.

00:53That would have been really great.

00:55Could be a copywriter, but I also could be an Oklahoma backer this weekend for it because

00:59the 28th ranked Sooners defense is what I'm really relying on here.

01:03Look, you know, Tennessee's gaudy offensive numbers are a product of two things.

01:06One, they didn't play anybody to, you know, they've had the fortunate pleasure of not

01:10having to play a true road game.

01:12And this is an environment that's going to be completely different when you get these

01:15teams guys who you have played three weeks of football and they're playing their first

01:19true road game.

01:21The cover rate is really low in the first true road game.

01:23That seven and a half was a key number here that we're going to look at again.

01:27I think if Tennessee is going to win this game and going to cover this game, they have

01:32to make Oklahoma play from a negative game script, right?

01:35They have to get out very quickly and they have to figure out a way to make Jackson Arnold

01:41the key player for Oklahoma at this point in time.

01:44Like he has to be able to carry the team.

01:46And I don't know that we've really seen that in two matchups against Houston and Tulane.

01:50Temple doesn't count.

01:51They're probably one of the worst five teams in the country, but you're talking about a

01:53guy really, you know, that's all hasn't thrown for 200 yards passing yet.

01:57That's the way Tennessee covers this game.

01:59They get out to an early lead and they force Oklahoma to offensively play catch up.

02:04But doing that against this 28th ranked defense is not going to be easy.

02:07So if Oklahoma sets the tone early, is able to force some three and outs or some punts

02:12and keep them off the scoreboard, then guess what?

02:15They're going to have a great chance to stay in this game.

02:18I think the environment's going to be a little bit overwhelming for Tennessee and their young

02:22quarterback, despite how much, and I'm not even going to try to butcher his last name.

02:27I say his name.

02:29I know, I know it's, I am only, I just, you know, Nikolai, that's, that's where I go.

02:35It took me about a year and a half, you know?

02:39So it'll take me about a year and a half to get Niko.

02:41Yeah.

02:42Well, I mean, he is 27.

02:43He's been playing college football for nine years, so I should know it by now, but that's

02:47there.

02:48Yeah.

02:49So much to tell DGU to hang it up.

02:50It's not going well.

02:51Anyway, we move on.

02:52All that said, I like Oklahoma this weekend.

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