Well, it’s time to get serious. The past is the past no matter how incredibly great I have been at predicting Tennessee’s three football games as the Vols have rolled this season.
I’m not bragging. Never. However, I think the following tweet tells all:
Not bad, if I do say so myself. However, my blowout predictions were actually pretty easy. Why? Well, I certainly think the Vols are one of the more talented teams in the nation. However, it was Tennessee’s team chemistry that led me to believe that the Vols would easily handle Chattanooga, which was no great declaration given the vastly different levels of talent between the two teams. Then, I saw Tennessee’s defensive linemen and thought they’d roll against an even better team like North Carolina State, which they did.
As for Kent State, I figured Tennessee coach Josh Heupel would want to put up 70 points against someone this season. The Golden Flashes showed up at the perfect time. Now, things get really real.
Here are my predictions for the Vols when they play Oklahoma at 7:30 EST on Saturday:
The Vols will have three sacks
Oklahoma’s offensive line has been devastated by injuries this season. They’ve been forced to play three, yes three, centers in the first month of the 2024 campaign. That’s not good. The Sooners’ offensive line should be the healthiest it’s been since the season began, but not 100-percent healthy and, even if so, they won’t have the chemistry to face off against the various pass rushers that they’ll face this week. The challenge is not just quantity; it’s also the different styles that each Vol brings to the field when he’s in the game that is so challenging.
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava will be the star
I certainly think Iamaleava has all the tools to be an elite quarterback. He’s just young, right? Well, not really. He bid his time last season, learned the offense and has looked ready from the moment the season kicked off. Why? It’s because quarterbacks are more ready to play early in college than ever before because the game has become pass oriented. Also, any quarterback that can sling it 20 yards takes part in seven-on-seven passing camps to refine their skills, almost once they come out of the womb.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables will stop the run
This is what will open things up for Iamaleava. Venables is a stop-the-run-first-and-foremost kind of coach. If he doesn’t stop the run, which will require help from Sooner safeties at times, Heupel will be content to run the ball right at the Sooners, who are only averaging 2.2 yards per carry to their opposition. Once that safety starts rocking up, Heupel will see it and take his deep shots. Then, the chess game begins.
Will Venables back his safeties off and play a more conservative defense that doesn’t give up big passing plays as the Vols’ opponents have tried to do this season. I doubt it. He’ll want to test Iamaleava’s mettle and I don’t think the redshirt freshman is the kind of player that will wilt under early pressure.
Tennessee’s streak of no offensive touchdowns will end
Let’s be honest. The Vols set a record against four of the worst offenses you’ll ever see when it became the first Tennessee team since the 1930’s to hold four straight opponents to no offensive touchdowns. That streak dates back to Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, followed by wins over Chattanooga, North Carolina State and Kent State. Those offenses were just plain bad compared to the Vols’ defensive talent. Led by Jackson Arnold, the Sooners’ offense will find the end zone – once.
Tennesse’s defense will score or set one up
The Vols are going to attack Arnold. I find it incredibly hard to believe that a beat-up Oklahoma offensive line can protect Arnold against Tennessee’s wave of defensive linemen. The Vols will either force a turnover and score themselves or set Tennessee’s offense up deep in Oklahoma territory at least once on Saturday.
Final
This will be the first time that Tennessee’s offense really gets punched in the mouth early by a good defense, which Oklahoma certainly has. Therefore, I think this could be a bit of a battle early on and, possibly, into halftime. However, I’ll take Iamaleava over Arnold and the Vols’ talent over what Oklahoma has on its roster.
Tennesse, 42 – Oklhaoma, 13
P.S. – Under normal circumstances, I would pick Tennessee to win 35-13, but I think UT coach Josh Heupel will tack on an extra score after the game is in hand considering the Sooners once fired him a their co-offensive coordinator. For the most part, this game will be closer than the score will indicate.
