The biggest game of Week 4 on the college football slate will take place on Saturday night when No. 15 Oklahoma hosts No. 6 Tennessee in an SEC matchup with big implications. Before the game, Brent Venables and the Sooners are getting some helpful tips from an experienced source.
Nick Saban used to be the king of the sidelines on college football Saturdays, but now he's giving out his analysis throughout the week and on College GameDay on Saturday mornings. This week, he dished out his take about the challenges of playing against Tennessee on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I also think that the style of play that Tennessee has – it takes a little different type of approach because you're not going to be able to play your normal pace of play because they're going to go fast,” Saban said. “You're going to have to make quick decisions, your players are going to have to get lined up quick, and then they're going to try to slow you down, clap, don't snap the ball, see what you're in, take advantage of what you're in.
“You need to be able to kill some things on defense to change your defense so they don't always know exactly what you're in. You got to be prepared not to be able to put a sub package in on third down because they may go fast on third down.”
While coaching at Alabama, Saban was apart of some classic battles with Tennessee and their up-tempo scheme under Josh Heupel. The most notable game came in 2022, when the Vols pulled off a major 52-49 upset in Knoxville.
Can Jackson Arnold establish himself as a household name for Oklahoma?
There was plenty of buzz around Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold as he prepared to start the Alamo Bowl last season against Arizona. Arnold was billed as the future of Oklahoma football, a storied program looking to get back to the top of the sport after a few down years since the departure of Lincoln Riley.
Arnold showed some flashes in that game, but threw three interceptions in a tough loss. This season, his first as the full-time starter, Arnold has been flying under the radar while leasing Oklahoma to a 3-0 start. When the Sooners battle Tennessee on Saturday night in Norman, Arnold will be in an unfamiliar position.
All of the focus will be on the opposing quarterback, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava, as the guy with all of the hype around him. The Tennessee offense has been firing on all cylinders, and the Oklahoma defense will have their hands full stopping Iamaleava and the Vols' attack.
Regardless, Tennessee is likely going to put up points, and Arnold and the Oklahoma offense will have to match. The good news is that Arnold will be getting some of his weapons back on Saturday night, most notably Nic Anderson. If he can keep up with Tennessee and lead the Sooners to a win, all of the hype will be back in his corner.
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