Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners Prediction: Who Wins, and Why?

Published

6 days ago

September 20, 2024

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners Prediction: Who Wins, and Why?

The marquee game on the Week 4 college football schedule finds a pair of ranked conference rivals playing a new-look league game brought to us by realignment, as Tennessee visits Oklahoma in the Sooners’ SEC debut. Here’s what you need to know, along with our updated game prediction.

Let’s call this the Josh Heupel Bowl, as the former Oklahoma quarterback returns to Norman as Tennessee’s head coach in a matchup of SEC contenders looking to avoid their first loss of the season.

Big Orange has pulverized everything in its path through 3 games, outscoring its overmatched opponents 191 to 13, ranking 1st nationally with almost 64 points per game, placing 3rd in rushing and in scoring defense behind one of college football’s best front sevens.

Oklahoma won’t be quite that generous, but there is some concern for this team after it played closely against unranked opponents over the last two weeks.

The Sooners eked out a 16-12 victory against Houston, scoring just 2 second-half points, and led by 5 against Tulane in the fourth quarter last week before scoring 10 unanswered.

Brent Venables and Oklahoma need to use this game to show they belong in the SEC, especially with a much tougher schedule ahead, and Tennessee wants to show it can match up against quality competition after playing against some cupcakes early on.

Oklahoma vs. Tennessee Prediction / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Playing better on third down is of the utmost importance for the Sooners to play this close and keep the Volunteers’ offense off the field for any sustained period of time.

But that has proved a challenge so far: OU ranks just 109th nationally in third down offensive production, converting only 13 of 42 attempts for a 31 percent average.

Tennessee ranks 2nd nationally in third down defense, allowing only 6 conversions against 38 attempts, a stifling 15.8 percent success rate.

But the Sooners have the skill threats to boost that average, led by quarterback Jackson Arnold, who has thrown for 484 yards and 7 touchdowns and leads the team with 159 rushing yards and 2 additional scores.

Tennessee presents a formidable challenge in its defensive front, boasting a cadre of pass rushers who have the speed, size, and agility to consistently damage an Oklahoma offensive line that has struggled to incorporate its new rotation so far this season.

That front will also frustrate a Sooner ground game that is averaging a very average 4.34 yards per carry, but has a potential star in freshman back Taylor Tatum, who should see his carries increase this week as OU tries to stabilize its offense and eat some clock.

Nico Iamaleava has played up to expectations in his limited exposure as Tennessee’s starting quarterback, going 4-0 overall and throwing for 698 yards with 6 TDs this season.

Vols back Dylan Sampson has balanced the offense out, rushing for 357 yards and 9 touchdowns already, averaging almost 8 yards per carry through 3 games.

Oklahoma’s defense has taken important steps forward in the last season-plus and comes into this game leading the nation with 10 takeaways, and linebacker Danny Stutsman’s 18 run stops are the most among any player in the country.

And the Sooners’ pass rush has looked efficient thus far, forcing opponents into a slew of mistakes when trying to throw the ball, and could bother the Vols’ good protection unit enough to force Iamaleava into some hurried throws and out of his rhythm.

Lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Tennessee: -6.5 (-118)
Oklahoma: +6.5 (-104)

Over 56.5 points: -115
Under 56.5 points: -105

Nico Iamaleava has not played in a true road game for the Vols yet, and his inexperience could show early on as he works against not just OU’s pass rush, but the loud Sooner faithful under the lights.

But games like this in the SEC are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, and on paper Tennessee still clearly owns that advantage, pitting a strong front seven against a very suspect OU line.

Oklahoma has struggled to generate offensive consistency and put up points when it has the opportunity, and the Volunteers have the bodies to make that a problem again.

Both these defenses are playing good football at the moment, which could bring down the eventual total, but Tennessee’s combination of strangling the Sooners at the line, having the superior ground game, and more weapons to test the deeper field will be the difference.

College Football HQ picks …

More … Tennessee vs. Oklahoma score prediction from expert model

When: Sat., Sept. 21
Time: 6:30 p.m. Central
TV: ABC network

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Tennessee

Tennessee Football Opens as a Big Road Favorite over Arkansas

Published

5 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee Football Opens as a Big Road Favorite over Arkansas

The No. 5 Vols are off this week before heading to Fayetteville for another SEC night game on the road at Arkansas.

The Vols have opened as an 11-point favorite as of Thursday afternoon, according to DraftKings. The Razorbacks will be playing against Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas this week before their matchup with Tennessee. The kickoff time for the Vols and Razorbacks will be either 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ABC.

The Razorbacks are 4.5-point underdogs to the Aggies this weekend. They lead the all-time series with Texas A&M 42-35-3. But since the Aggies have joined the SEC, things have flipped. The Razorbacks have lost 11 of the 12 games that the two have played as SEC rivals.

Arkansas has had an inconsistent season so far in 2024. The Razorbacks are 3-1 and easily could be 4-0 if not for collapsing against Oklahoma State after having an early lead. They have an explosive offense led by quarterback Taylen Green. But he is prone to making mistakes so far.

Green has 957 passing yards this year but only four touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has 325 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. Containing him will likely be Tennessee’s biggest defensive test of the season so far.

Despite the Vols’ great start to the season, a night game in the SEC will not be easy. Arkansas has proven to be a capable offensive team and one that can win in tough environments. The Razorbacks just won their first SEC game of 2024 at Auburn 24-14.

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Vote: Who should be High School on SI’s Tennessee Football Player of the Week? (9/25/2024)

Published

16 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Vote: Who should be High School on SI’s Tennessee Football Player of the Week? (9/25/2024)

Tennessee high school football is back and so begins our Player of the Week polls for the state. Teams showcased more of what they’ve got heading into Week 4 of the regular season.

As such, we have eight athletes nominated this week for the SBLive’s Tennessee Football Player of the Week award from September 19-21, and we ask you, the fans, to help decide who should indeed be the top athlete selected.

The senior quarterback rushed for 225 yards on 13 attempts, scoring two touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Spring Hill. Also threw for 39 yards and a score.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. – SBLive Sports

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sep. 29th. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Yes, Dobbs won last week’s designation and is in line to do so again after last week’s performance. The running back carried the rock 37 times for 271 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-35 win over Tullahoma.

The junior running back carried the ball 21 times for 136 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 36-22 win over Tri-Cities Christian.

Cretsinger was making plays everywhere in Johnson City’s thrilling 49-32 win over Ashe County. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound linebacker made 14 tackles, three for loss and picked off two passes.

Drapeau was dealing in McCallie’s 41-9 win over Brentwood Academy last week. The signal caller completed 12-of-18 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns.

Try not to look at the yards perse, but the effectiveness of Sloan. The junior carried the ball five times for 22 yards and scored three touchdowns in David Crockett’s 41-39 win over Cocke County.

The junior signal caller had a day in Briarcrest Christian’s 31-28 win over Knoxville Catholic. Tucker completed 19-of-31 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

One of the state’s top rushing performances came from Martinez in East Robertson’s 43-27 win over Jo Byrns. The running back rushed for 214 yards on 25 attempts and scored three touchdowns.

The sophomore quarterback put on a show in White House’s 35-31 win over Forrest, with Murray completing 23-of-30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns.

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports

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Whooping cough cases on rise in Tennessee, adolescents at risk

Published

1 day ago

September 25, 2024

Press Room

Whooping cough cases on rise in Tennessee, adolescents at risk

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Tennessee. The numbers for this year, so far, are more than double than the number of total cases in all of last year.

For mom of three and an early elementary school teacher, Margaret Beagle, says she tries to do what she can to prevent her kids from getting sick.

”A lot of hand washing, a lot of reminders about hand-washing, so much hand washing,” said Beagle. “I cannot describe the amount of hand washing. A lot of sanitizing. A lot of lessons on hygiene how to use a tissue to wipe your nose how to sneeze into your elbow.”

She said once one gets sick, it’s just a matter of time, ”Some years, we’ve had to close our whole classroom because a high percentage of children have whopping cough, flu, strep or things like that. So, I think being careful at the beginning can stop those germs from spreading.”

The Metro Public Health Department says prevention is key when it comes to respiratory illnesses like whooping cough, which is a contagious bacterial disease.

Last year, there were 52 cases of whooping cough in Tennessee. This year to date there have already been 189 cases.

Interim Director of the department, Joanna Shaw-KaiKai said, ”There are multiple factors. We know during the pandemic people were going to less medical visits, so adults and children were getting less vaccinations. Also, during that time people were isolating more.”

The department says nationwide they’re seeing the same thing, “We’re seeing it to be more in the adolescent and adult population. The good thing is that there is antibiotics to treat it, but even better, there is a vaccine.”

Sometimes when prevention isn’t enough, Beagle and the department agree on trying to stay home if you’re sick.

Beagle said, ”I kept them home when they were sick as much as possible and I know that’s hard for working families, but just trying to keep them home and keep it contained.”

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