Tennessee impresses in big road win over Oklahoma
Tennessee earned a massive road win over Oklahoma on Saturday night.
The Vols are now 4-0 on the season and appear to be cruising to a potential College Football Playoff berth for the first time in program history.
Tennessee’s offense wasn’t perfect against the Sooners, but it did enough to secure a win over Brent Venables and Oklahoma. Nico Iamaleava threw for 194 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts.
Defensively, Tennessee was dominant. Oklahoma’s offense sputtered in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and had under 100 total yards in the contest until midway through the final stanza. The Vols also forced 3 turnovers — including 2 crucial fumbles by Jackson Arnold – to help secure the win.
Oklahoma did manage to score 2 touchdowns late in the game with Michael Hawkins under center, but the outcome was not in doubt thanks to work the Vols did earlier in the contest.
Tennessee now has 4 dominant wins this season, with each of them coming by double digits. The Vols have looked like one of the most complete teams in the country through 4 weeks. Tennessee will likely be viewed as one of the top contenders in the country to make the College Football Playoff entering Week 5.
Here’s some of the reaction from college football fans and media to Tennessee’s big win:
That's 18 straight quarters that @Vol_Football's defense hasn't allowed a TD going back to the bowl game last year against Iowa. Vols are good in a lot of areas, but what separates this team from past Tennessee teams is a DL that's been elite to this point.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) September 22, 2024
Josh Heupel barely tried to score a touchdown in the second half and only felt mildly threatened.
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) September 22, 2024
Tennessee a top 5 team in the country. Lock them in to the College Football playoffs.
Even if they go 10-2 with a loss to Georgia and Alabama they make the college football playoffs
— John Stoned 🐻⬇️ (@KingCalebSZN) September 22, 2024
The SEC has 5 playoff worthy teams! Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee! LSU and Missouri outside shots!
— Anthony Strong (@TonyStrong631) September 22, 2024
Tennessee is playoff bound.. National championship good.. Without a doubt
— Carbonbased Sports (@AuburnF8ful) September 22, 2024
Not sure what else people need to see, this Tennessee defense is ELITE.
— The 1796 (@The1796) September 22, 2024
If you’re watching the same game then you know that Tennessee is just decent o line play from being a playoff team
— BaseVols (@OmaVols) September 22, 2024
Tennessee is legit. Vols looks every bit like a playoff team.
— Mike O (@joeyrattlesnake) September 22, 2024
tennessee and the u are contender programs again
going to be a fun cfp this year
— slickrickystyle (@slickrickystyle) September 22, 2024
Miami
Tennessee
Utah
Ole MissAll fun teams i would like to see make the playoff
— Rico Bo$co (@Return_Of_RB) September 22, 2024
Boy that Defense!!!
Oklahoma ain’t squat. Ou has 5 new starters on the oline and still almost beat the champions of life. I noticed your classless obese coach didn’t didn’t try any onside kicks in this game.
Your coach is so big I was seeing and writing double.
Yet he would still probably stomp you out.
Jelly Belly Josh is a buffet Queenie.
Reminds me of ur wife
Jelly belly Josh is eating all yo players.
Keep replying to yourself. Sooner or later, you’ll make sense.
Bring on more salty self-replies
I can tell you are very concerned with Josh Heupel’s weight based on the posts you continue to make. You are trying your hardest to be a troll, but unfortunately it just isn’t landing. No one cares if you think Josh Heupel is over weight. I’m failing to see how that is supposed to be a dig at Tennessee fans? We just care about him winning games, and that’s exactly what he is doing. Get a life doofus.
Poor Tennessee can never win. They can only play their schedule. But their schedule is full of ranked teams who ain’t squat RIGHT AFTER they play them.
I don’t consider that an especially impressive win. Seemed kinda pedestrian to me. Glad for the win, but… “Yawn.”
I honestly think Heupel played conservative in the second half because the field was atrocious
They could not close the show. No killer instinct.
I’m looking forward to when you go silent after next weekend’s beatdown by Georgia. Hope you enjoyed the past, boomer.
Oh he can’t go silent unless he’s asked who it will be – Pac 12 Alabama or Choking Georgia looking up at VOLS in 7 days. That’s the only thing that shuts both their mouths…except tdow.
They played very conservative. Who cares, we won.
Don’t over think this, it had little to do with the field conditions and everything to do with OU’s Dline getting to Nico in less than 2 seconds. With dominating defensive fronts on both sides of the ball, the only chance OU had was turnovers. Heupel put the ball on the ground made it a short game and secured the W. By doing this, it was essentially over at the half. Only 10 points difference, yes, but the coaching decisions put this game out of reach by the half.
This is another reason college football fans should be in an uproar about the NFL clock style. If you’re up more than a couple of scores at the half with a solid D, the game is all but over. It makes for a dull second half.
TinRSee did not look that good against a weak Oklahoma team. To many mistakes. Oklahoma did not capitalize on critical mistakes.
I guess we can’t all squeak out a win against South Florida and beat our chest about it.
Lol i know. Must be nice to be bama and not have to earn that #4 ranking. Squeaking by usf and played absolutely nobody so far.
Sit down before you fall down, old man.
Poor Tennessee. Their schedule is full of ranked teams who are weak RIGHT AFTER they play them.
Yeah, everybody knows how murderous Chattanooga, NC State and Kent State are.
Good win for my Vols.
Welcome to the SEC Sooner fans. You have a tough schedule ahead of you and I wish you success.
Also, I hope the Dolby kid’s injury is not as bad as it looked. I really felt for this young man.
I think they mowed the yard high to slow the away team. Wasnt like Red Arbach soaking the nets or anything. But that gave vols D to turn it lose. I was happy to watch Nico give Coach the game ball. Those men played for their coach
The Oklahoma Oilers did a good job greasing the field.
You got that right Crank. That field was very slippery. Makes you think it was done on purpose.
Should have brought out those classic 3/4″ inch John Cooper cleats from 1995!!
Tennessee takes home a quality win over a top 15 opponent, at night, on the road in Norman. That’s a really good win for the resume. Tennessee gets their SEC campaign started with a win and put themselves in play for the playoff.
Nico made some good plays and a couple of errors. Redshirt freshman will do that against good defenses.
Heupel has a team that provides him the option to win in a manner other than offensive onslaught. Sure, Tennessee have scored more. Did they need to? No. They kept the risk to an absolute minimum. Get the points you need, keep the game in front of you, and make OU play catchup.
I’ll take a win like that any day of the week.
Very impressive vols… deff a top 4 team . That defense is most certainly impressive !
Whole lot of pissy sour grapes on both sides in this comment section.