One of a pair of Week 2 games featuring top-25 teams takes place in front of over 100,000 fans when the Tennessee Volunteers host the Sooners.
Oklahoma is the first Power-5 non-conference opponent to play in Neyland Stadium since 2010 and looks to end the Vols’ streak of 20 straight season-opening home wins. The Vols will seek to stop a string of eight consecutive losses to top-25 teams.
ODDS
Early money came in strong on Oklahoma, who opened as a 1-point underdog on the road. The line has since moved to even. It’s always tough to go with the visitor at Neyland Stadium, but the Vols weren’t too impressive in their opening win last week in Nashville. The total surfaced at 61 giving the over plenty of value with two teams that like offense.
KEY MISMATCH
Tennessee lined up against Bowling Green last week without two starters in its defensive secondary and surrendered 557 total yards with 433 of that coming through the air. Bowling Green threw the ball 51 times with quarterback Matt Johnson shredding the Vols secondary for 424 yards. These weren’t garbage time yards, either. Bowling Green hung close against the Vols’ patched up secondary and was within 12 points midway through the third quarter. This is good news for Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw for 388 yards against Akron in the debut of new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley’s “Air Raid” offense. OU still has the threat of running back Samaje Perine in the backfield to keep Tennessee’s defense honest.
KEY STAT
604 – While Tennessee’s defense struggled against Bowling Green, the Vols offense was clicking against the favorite to win the Mid-American East, amassing 604 yards of offense for an average of 6.9 yards per play. The offense was spread out with 399 rushing yards and 205 passing.
BETTING ANGLE
Oklahoma won its season opener rather convincingly, beating Akron, 41-3, last week. However, the Sooners had a rough start in that game. OU was held to a single field goal in their first six possessions against the Zips, a slower than expected beginning for the Sooners’ heralded “Air Raid” offense under Riley. Coach Bob Stoops says his team needs a faster start against the Vols, and cutting down on penalties will help. Three of those six drives included a penalty and there were two others on OU punt returns. “For a period of time, we executed really well and avoided penalties that hurt us and operated like we feel we can,” Stoops said. A fast start will also put Tennessee on its heels defensively and squelch an enormous crowd that will be the largest ever to witness an Oklahoma football game.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Both teams pulled out of a first half funk last week, ending up with convincing wins against lesser opponents. That sets up one of the biggest games to take place in Neyland Stadium in some time. Oklahoma would like to put that 8-5 season from a year ago behind them and be considered a contender in the Big 12 along with TCU and Baylor. They’ll get their chance later in the year, but right now a road win over a top-25 team would do plenty to get the swagger back. OU’s taken the if-you-can’t-beat-em-join-em philosophy this season, bringing in Riley to install the “Air Raid” offense to compete with conference’s heavy hitters. Tennessee experienced a similar offense against Bowling Green last week and didn’t fare too well. They did enough offensively to come away with the win, but OU has better talent than Bowling Green, especially on defense, and will come away with the road win.
Oklahoma 32, Tennessee 26
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -1 in favor of the Volunteers. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 61. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers will take place Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 6 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
