Top 5 matchups for Week 4 of the 2024 college football season
1. No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Oklahoma – Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Like a couple of other matchups this weekend, Tennessee and Oklahoma will play their first game as conference opponents in a contest that holds plenty of significance. The Volunteers and Sooners have played four times before with Oklahoma winning three of those contests. The first two came in the Orange Bowl in 1939 and 1968 before a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015.聽
No. 6 Tennessee enters Saturday as a touchdown favorite to grab its second win against the Sooners as the Vols have looked strong throughout the first few weeks of the season. Josh Heupel鈥檚 offense has put up at least 51 points in all three of the Vols鈥� wins, outscoring opponents 191-13. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has looked like a nice fit for the nation鈥檚 No. 2 offense that also features a dynamic rushing attack led by Dylan Sampson. Tennessee has the No. 2-ranked defense in the country as well which could be key to a victory as Heupel, a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma, makes his return to Norman.
Meanwhile, Brent Venables has Oklahoma off to a 3-0 start, but the Sooners haven鈥檛 been all that crisp with just a 16-12 victory over Houston and a 34-19 win over Tulane. Jackson Arnold has been inconsistent as a passer, but his dual-threat ability could be pivotal against the Vols just as it was with 97 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Green Wave. Oklahoma鈥檚 defense, led by linebacker Danny Stutsman, will also need to play better for the Sooners to earn a momentum-building win, while an impressive road victory would likely vault the Vols into the top five of the AP poll.
