The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tennessee Volunteers are on a collision course this week. They’ll meet in Norman on Saturday night on ABC as both teams look to stay undefeated in 2024.
It’s OU’s first conference game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], as they will face off against one of the founding members of the league. The Vols are an iconic program, and under fourth-year head coach [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], they’ve become a force to be reckoned with once again.
Heupel has a long history with Oklahoma, helping them win a national championship in 2000 as the Heisman Trophy runner-up at quarterback. He spent ten seasons on the coaching staff, including his stint as the offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2014.
But it’s been nearly a decade since Heupel was fired from his post, and he’s reinvented himself in the years since. When OU’s move to the SEC leaked in the summer of 2021, one of the subplots was that it would only be a matter of time until Heupel and the Sooners met face-to-face. As it turns out, it’ll come in Oklahoma’s inaugural conference game in the league.
It’s a big week for both Heupel and Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], who has decidedly seen more on-field things to work on from his team that Heupel has. In a week that is sure to be filled with memories, stories, and a healthy respect for one another, it was Heupel who swung first in a very chucklesome way.
During a press conference on Monday, Heupel lauded the fanbase at Oklahoma, before adding he hopes he gets treated differently than most opponents who step onto Owen Field.
“Should be a great crowd,” Heupel said. “It’s a passionate fanbase. I’m expecting them to extremely quiet for us (on offense) out of respect to me and our program.”
Josh Heupel said he’s expecting Oklahoma fans to be quiet when Tennessee is on offense out of respect 😂 pic.twitter.com/PSGeIfBEOP
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 16, 2024
In one of the biggest home games the Sooners have had in recent memory, it’s the first opportunity on a big-time stage to show that OU is “SEC-ready” in all aspects of the program, from top to bottom.
While that primarily applies to the team on the field, it includes the fanbase and the crowd in Norman as well, as a lot of eyes will be on the Sooners that night. The SEC is known for their raucous atmospheres and rowdy fans. That’s what Oklahoma has signed up for with the entry into the new conference and the scene in Norman needs to match up as best it can with the best of the SEC.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.