The countdown is almost over for one of the most important games of the year for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee football team. Neyland Stadium is going to be rockin' this weekend for the first night game of the year. Could this be bad news for Oklahoma?
Another Tennessee CB hurt is the last thing Tim Banks needs vs John Mateer
We hope so, as the No. 18 Sooners have an upset in mind, but Tennessee knows exactly what's going to be at stake in this one. This is going to be a see-saw battle and the oddmakers in Vegas agree. According to the FanDuel sportsbook, Tennessee has opened as a small favorite, with the Vols at -3.5. This tells us that a lot of analysts think this is going to come down to the wire.
Tennessee has opened as a 3.5-point favorite against the Oklahoma Sooners
At the end of the day, no one in Knoxville is going to care if the Vols cover that spread or not - just get the damn win and move to 7-2. It's not going to be easy for Heupel and his players, however, as Oklahoma is surely going to be playing ticked off following a Week 9 loss to Ole Miss.
On the other hand, Tennessee's confidence is quite high after dismantling Kentucky on the road in Lexington. Joey Aguilar flirted with 400 yards passing, with three touchdowns to his name. The big concern for this team ahead of Saturday is on the defensive side of the ball.
Tim Banks is having a year to forget as defensive coordinator, which not a lot of us expected. It doesn't help that All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy tore his ACL and hasn't been able to hit the field yet this campaign. Rickey Gibson getting injured only made things worse.
Now, plenty of people are worried about Colton Hood and his availability against Oklahoma. If Hood can't play, the Vols defense might be in trouble. That's unknown, though, and Tennessee must focus on preparing for what's sure to be a tough battle. This could prove to be a heart-stopping showdown and the Vols will have to bring their A-game if they want to keep their CFP hopes alive.