Tennessee vs. Oklahoma: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
In another Big 12-SEC showdown Saturday, Tennessee hits the road to take on No. 4 Oklahoma and hopes it fares better than conference compatriot Alabama did in last year's Sugar Bowl.
Both teams have ran up undefeated marks through two contests apiece while breaking in new faces at important spots, but in terms of postseason aspirations, the schools are very much on different trajectories.
Now in his 16th season at the helm, Bob Stoops seems to have a roster on hand that can push for a berth in the inaugural playoff, especially given an easy overall schedule. His side needs to avoid an upset Saturday.
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Despite major progress on the recruiting trail, Butch Jones' debut as coach of the Volunteers last year fell flat at 5-7, but his inexperienced team continues to grow each week and figures to make this is an exciting bout (assuming Tennessee does not crumble under the pressure in a hostile environment).
Getting Defensive
Tennessee's best chance Saturday comes down to the defensive side of the football, with all due respect to senior quarterback Justin Worley (520 yards, five touchdowns and one interception through two games) and his team's non-existent running game (average of 139 yards per game and a meager 3.3 yards per carry against mediocre competition).
In an 38-7 triumph over Utah State in the opening week, the Vols defense gave up just 244 total yards and allowed just three third-down conversions. The following 34-19 win over Arkansas State saw the unit give up 331 total yards and four chain-moving plays.
"Our defensive line is getting tremendous pressure up front and just impacting the quarterback," cornerback Cam Sutton said, per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "That makes our jobs easier covering receivers downfield."
The only problem for Tennessee, then, is the fact the Sooners have been just as great.
Oklahoma has allowed no more than 330 total yards and six third-down conversions in each of its first two contests, which have been won by a total tally of 100-23.
Run defense has been a strong suit for the Sooners. Louisiana Tech as a whole averaged 1.9 yards per carry, and Tulsa trumped that with a 2.8 average. Against an offense that has had issues getting going on the ground in what amount to warm-up contests, these numbers are obviously a serious concern for Tennessee going into Saturday.
Experience Matters
Also of concern is the experience gap, a factor that in a large amount of cases will decide contests between top teams outright.
Jones has done a superb job in carving out a niche in the tough SEC recruiting market. But his classes are not that of USC—the young players are not going to come in and excel right away against top-tier competition such as Oklahoma.
Still, Stoops appears to have done his due diligence and respects the sheer athleticism Jones has been able to add on both sides of the football.
“We recognize it as another big challenge, an exciting challenge,” Stoops said, per ESPNDallas.com's Jake Trotter. “I know they’ve recruited really strong in the last couple of years. When you watch them on tape, you see a lot of speed running around, you see a lot of big guys. They’ve really got a great-looking team.”
ESPN CollegeFootball does a great job of breaking down just how much the advantage rests in Oklahoma's favor where it matters most come Saturday—in the trenches:
So while Tennessee has shined against lesser competition, that young defensive line now has to deal with sophomore Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight, who has 552 yards and three scores through the air and another 52 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Don't forget about sophomore backs Keith Ford and Alex Ross, either. The two have combined for 264 yards and seven touchdowns already to balance out the offense.
The ever-present factor that is home-field advantage plays a part, too.
When: Saturday, September 13, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
Television: ABC
Live Stream: ABC Live
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 56
- Spread: Oklahoma (-21)
Team Injury Reports
| Cody Blanc | WR | 08/07/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | Achilles |
| Jacob Gilliam | T | 09/02/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Von Pearson | WR | 09/07/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Oklahoma | Questionable | ankle |
| Matt Dimon | DE | 09/07/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee | Questionable | undisclosed |
| Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | 08/25/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Cortez Johnson | CB | 09/07/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee | Questionable | personal |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Joe Mixon | RB | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Quincy Russell | DT | 09/08/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Zack Sanchez | CB | 09/08/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Tennessee | Probable | shoulder |
| Dionte Savage | G | 09/07/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee | Questionable | disciplinary |
| Frank Shannon | LB | 08/21/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Jordan Wade | DT | 09/07/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Tennessee | Questionable | undisclosed |
| Charles Walker | DE | 09/07/2014 | is expected to miss 2-3 weeks | Out | knee |
Injury reports via USA Today.
Prediction
Were this contest in Tennessee, it would be a tad more difficult to judge.
Unfortunately for Jones, his program is still a few years out from being able to pull off a dramatic upset against a school such as Oklahoma.
The lack of a ground game is a serious problem. The aforementioned Worley was miserable away from home last year, too, completing less than 50 percent of his passes against ranked opposition. Forced into a one-dimensional attack against a great defense, the Volunteers will be able to do little in the way of scoring.
For Stoops and the Big 12, it is sure to be another feather in the cap.
Prediction: Sooners 35, Volunteers 14
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
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