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Tennessee fans are so ready for Oklahoma’s first visit to Neyland Stadium that they can hardly contain their excitement.
Aside from perhaps Oregon vs. Michigan State, this may be the most anticipated college football game of the week.
It will certainly serve as a measuring stick for both the progress of Butch Jones at Tennessee, as well as the conference as a whole with one of the Big 12’s elite programs coming to SEC country.
Here are five impact players to watch in the Tennessee vs. Oklahoma game this week (in no particular order):
1. Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs – Tennessee’s trip to Norman last season wasn’t pretty. The Vols were outmanned and outplayed in a 34-10 loss to the Sooners. But Tennessee fans can take heart in knowing that starting QB Joshua Dobbs was not a part of that equation, as he had yet to rise to the top of the depth chart at that point in the season. Defending his dual-threat abilities is something Oklahoma didn’t have to deal with from Justin Worley last season, so there is hope that Dobbs adds the missing ingredient to a better offensive performance in this match-up this season. It doesn’t hurt that the Vols are also 6-1 in Dobbs’ last seven starts, providing confidence for everyone involved on the Tennessee side.
2. Oklahoma LB Eric Striker – Never afraid to give his opinion, Oklahoma’s star linebacker has made himself the focus of not only the Vols offensive coaching staff with his play, but also their fan base with his comments about the SEC. In speaking to the Tulsa World about playing against Tennessee, he said he didn’t understand why the conference always gets love and left them with this to think about: “I hope SEC players don’t let it go their heads. Because this is how you get beat. I look forward to it. Gas ‘em up. Bring ‘em back down to earth.”
3. Tennessee RB Alvin Kamara – The expectation level for sophomore RB Jalen Hurd was clearly set prior to the season, and he delivered with three-touchdown game against Bowling Green. But it was JUCO transfer Alvin Kamara that was turning heads in his first game with the Vols, running for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He has suddenly become the X factor to the Tennessee offense, because if he’s able to continue to play at that level with Hurd and Dobbs operating in conjunction, the Vols are going to be a very hard team to beat both on Saturday and for the rest of the season.
4. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield – Much like the discussion of the unknown of Joshua Dobbs to the Oklahoma defense, so too is Mayfield an unknown to the Tennessee defense. Last season Trevor Knight drew the start at QB for the Sooners, throwing for 308 yards. Mayfield will threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns in Oklahoma’s opener against Akron before giving way to Knight. If the Sooners are going to win in Knoxville, they’ll like need a 300-plus yard performance out of Mayfield.
5. Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin – The junior linebacker sometimes gets lost in the discussion of Tennessee’s dynamic pass rushing duo of Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett, but he’s an equally important part to the Vols defense in this game. After leading the Vols win nine tackles in Week 1 (eight unassisted), they will again lean heavily on his ability to wrap up against an Oklahoma “Air Raid” offense that will attempt to get the ball in the hands of skill players while in space.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
