Tennessee’s visit to Norman will be historic for a plethora of reasons. A win would get the Sooners off to a great start in their debut season in the SEC.
After a never-ending wait, the Oklahoma Sooners are mere months away from their first season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. They are in spring practice, laying the groundwork for Team 130’s journey into unchartered territory.
Next season will start with three consecutive home games, which will allow the Sooners to build confidence behind a new quarterback in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and an offensive line that will need all the game reps to gel. But week four will provide the Sooners with a huge early-season test.
247Sports believes that Oklahoma’s first SEC game could define their 2024 season. The Sooners are set to host Tennessee, which already has added intrigue. Former Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag] will be making his first appearance in Norman since the two sides parted ways after the 2015 season. This provides an added flair for what will be an emotional and raucous game in the Sooners’ SEC debut.
Brad Crawford, college football analyst for 247Sports, said this about the game.
Golden opportunity. Why? The Sooners could be 3-0 and ranked inside the top 15 when the Volunteers stroll into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium with a chance to make an early statement ahead of a trip to Auburn. How’s it going to look for the Sooners if they stub their toe at home against an equally-talented, ranked SEC opponent and get off on the wrong foot within the conference? The rest of the schedule is brutal for Brent Venables. He needs to take care of business at home. — Crawford, 247Sports
Crawford brings up valid points. There’s not much that separates Oklahoma and Tennessee in terms of talent. So, the outcome will be determined by execution and coaching.
It will be the biggest home game of Brent Venables’ tenure as head coach, so it will be interesting to see how the Sooners respond in the moment.
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