ESPN analyst Greg McElroy gives his prediction on Saturday's clash between the Tennessee Vols and Oklahoma Sooners
The Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma Sooners will have the eyes of the nation on them on Saturday night as they square off in Norman in both schools' SEC opener. The Vols are favored by 7 points, the largest line against a ranked Oklahoma team at home in over 45 years. As such, many experts see […]
The Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma Sooners will have the eyes of the nation on them on Saturday night as they square off in Norman in both schools' SEC opener.
The Vols are favored by 7 points, the largest line against a ranked Oklahoma team at home in over 45 years. As such, many experts see the Vols with the clear advantage going into the game.
One pundit who sees things a little bit more evenly is ESPN analyst Greg McElroy. The former Alabama quarterback discussed the game on Friday morning, and he anticipates a very close matchup.
"I'm taking Tennessee in the game, but I would be surprised if Oklahoma doesn't make this thing really, really competitive. Like, tell me points and all this stuff, I would take the points. I think it's going to be super competitive. I think Oklahoma is going to play with their hair on fire, and I anticipate the healthiest version of them, but I don't trust their offensive line at this point, and at this point, I don't trust Jackson Arnold as much as I trust Nico Iamaleava.
"Jackson Arnold is a great runner, but he's going to have to throw their way to victory in this game because I do think Tennessee's secondary is a little untested. So, I think Jackson Arnold is going to have to air it out. Can he do it? I don't know. If he can, they have a real chance of pulling off the upset, but if he can't, I'm not sure his legs are going to get it done for the Sooners exclusively.
"So, I like the Volunteers, but I like them close in a game that I think is going to be a lot lower scoring than people anticipate."
It's not an unfair take, as the Tennessee secondary hasn't been put up to the challenge of a quality offense yet. NC State has struggled offensively this year, putting up just 21 points on Western Carolina and 20 on Louisiana Tech in competitive games in Raleigh.
And Arnold is not going to be able to beat the Tennessee defense without being effective throwing the football. The Vols' defense has proven through three games to be a fast and athletic group that can swarm ballcarriers, including Arnold. But if they get on their heels because OU's passing attack is working, that will make it obviously tougher to deal with the Sooners' offense on both fronts – including Arnold's ability to take off and gain large chunks of yards.
Fortunately for Tennessee, one of their biggest strengths – their deep and talented defensive front – matches up well with one of Oklahoma's biggest question marks – their offensive line. That could make life difficult for Arnold on Saturday night.
We'll find out soon enough how things play out when the action gets underway on Saturday night at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum explains how he sees Saturday’s clash between Tennessee and Oklahoma playing out
The veteran radio host weighed on the anticipated matchup between the Vols and the Sooners
