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The Jackson Arnold revenge game

I am a sucker for a good narrative in college football. Oklahoma vs Auburn gives us the best one of the season thus far as former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold is seeking revenge.

Arnold was highly touted and hyped up coming out of high school in Denton, Texas. He committed to play for the Sooners and spent two seasons in Norman. Many assumed he’d be the man to carry Oklahoma to SEC glory in their first season in the conference. However, after a rocky 2024 season where everything seemingly went wrong for him and the program, he entered the transfer portal.

The modern version of college football has blessed us with this amazing battle. Now off to a hot start with Auburn, Arnold steps into a daunting road environment, looking to prove Sooners fans wrong.

On the other side, Oklahoma’s new quarterback, John Mateer, is performing at an elite level. His early-season success has many believing the Sooners can defy the odds and reach the College Football Playoff.

The A to Z Sports college football staff shared their predictions ahead of this game, and it’s a clean sweep for the Sooners.

“This matchup is one of my most anticipated so far this season. Jackson Arnold will face off against his former team, and John Mateer is trying to build himself a Heisman Trophy resumé with an SEC ranked win at the same time. In a battle of talented rosters with legit NFL prospects on both sides of the ball, I like OU’s defense a tad more. I trust Venables as a defensive mind, and he will know Arnold’s strengths and weaknesses better than nearly anyone.” —Adam Holt

“I’m not sure this game will be very close. However, it’s the SEC, and there is much more parity now than there has been in the last few years. Oklahoma’s defense may be the best in the country. The Auburn Tigers have a good offense, but only when they can run it. If the Sooners take a lead, that’s the last place Auburn wants to be, trying to play from behind with a passing offense that’s not very proven just yet, against the third-best passing defense in the entire country.” —Justin Churchill

“Auburn has looked great on the ground with both Jackson Arnold and star running back Jeremiah Cobb ripping through Baylor, Ball State, and South Alabama. The defense has been good enough, but still a bit leaky in the pass game. While The Tigers have plenty of talent, and the offense looks like it’s gelling, the Sooners still look like the more complete team playing at home this week.” —Travis May

While my colleagues are heavily favoring Oklahoma to win at home, I believe Auburn can pull out the shocking upset. The most notable advantage that Auburn has in this matchup is the talent they have along both lines of scrimmage. Their offensive line boasts two potential first-rounders in Xavier Chaplin and Connor Lew. On defense, they have two highly productive defensive ends in Keyron Crawford and Keldric Faulk.

While Oklahoma has an elite, well-coached defense to carry them in this game, its offensive line should make fans uneasy. With the physicality and depth that they boast defensively, Auburn has an opportunity to overwhelm the Sooners. It took Oklahoma until Week 3 against Temple to have a running back hit over 100 yards on the ground. If they’re forced to rely too heavily on Mateer, it could cost them.

Billy Napier’s last chance

The most desperate man in college football right now is Billy Napier. The Florida head coach is watching the 2025 season slip away from him with two straight disappointing losses to USF and LSU. He needs a win this Saturday against Miami if he wants to regain momentum.

Sadly for Napier, he gets to face one of the hottest teams in college football. Miami has looked dominant in every area of the game and may be the most balanced team in college football. Mario Cristobal appears to have his Miami squad in a position to reach a national championship, and winning against an in-state rival will only galvanize his group more.

Ahead of this highly anticipated game, our college football staff projected a confident win for the Hurricanes.

“This is a game that Miami can, and probably should, win handily. The Hurricanes are as physical as it gets on both sides of the line of scrimmage in college football right now. Carson Beck has been terrific, succeeding Cam Ward this year. Rueben Bain, Jr. might be the best defender in all of college football, and certainly, with Akheem Mesidor, they have the best edge rusher combo in the nation. Miami’s secondary appears to be adequately patched up after last year’s debacle.” —Craig Smith

“The key here is going to be DJ Lagway. He still has all the talent in the world, but it’s evident that his lack of reps this offseason has been the biggest reason why the Gators have been struggling on offense. If he can balance things out and play like he did at the end of last season, this will be a game. Regardless, the defense will keep this game close.” —Tyler Forness

“Beck and company should have a challenge in front of them from the Gators’ defense, but that unit has struggled mightily to get after the quarterback so far. If Beck is able to stay clean, he should be able to keep this offense on schedule and off balance. The key is to make solid decisions and get the run game going.” —Ryan Roberts

I am on the same side as the A to Z college football staff that Miami has every reason to win this game handily. The biggest eye-opener for this Miami squad has been the overnight transformation of their secondary, led by new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. Last season, they were a convoluted mess that couldn’t tackle or cover. This year, they’re flying all over the field and swarming to the football with purpose.

Considering Florida’s uber-talented quarterback DJ Lagway slung five interceptions against LSU, this makes for an intimidating challenge. He’ll need to be near perfect to get out of Hard Rock Stadium without a turnover.

However, we must recognize the pressure hovering over Napier. You should never bet against a coach who is backed into a corner, especially Napier. Last year’s unexpected victories over Ole Miss and LSU are examples of that, and this game could serve as the much-needed turnaround point.

Regardless of the philosophical perspective, I do believe Miami adds another win to its stellar resume this Saturday.

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