Monday Musings: Vols heading to Oklahoma with momentum and hype

IIIIIIITTTTTTTT’SSSSSSSS MONDAY!!!!!!!

And it’s another Tennessee Volunteers victory Monday. Being Monday, you all know very well what time it is.

As such, let’s climb up into the cockpit, put on our checkerboard suits and helmet, count down, and blast off into the Tennessee Vols-related sky of thoughts deep inside my noggin.

1) Well, there’s really not much point in talking about what we saw on Saturday as far as the Xs and Os from the Vols’ 71-0 massacre of the Golden Flashes.

And I say that because the Vols could have hung 100 points on that team if they wanted to. Seriously. Easily. 65-0 at the half. That’s so far beyond ridiculous, it’s hard to put into words.

And Kent State is an FBS team! Not a good one, obviously. Perhaps the worst, if we’re being honest, or among the worst. But it’s still an FBS team no matter how you slice it with FBS-level players. Being able to go Wilt Chamberlain on the scoreboard against any FBS squad is among the most incredible things that a team could do – certainly something that seems completely foreign to just about any UT team over the last two decades.

But anyways, I kind of got off track there. Yeah, not much point in talking about the Xs and Os because the resistance is going to be far, far, far, far more difficult the rest of the slate. UT players won’t be able to just juke at a guy and have him basically fall over, like DeSean Bishop did on his long touchdown run.

Impressive, nonetheless, don’t get me wrong there.

2) Tennessee goes to Oklahoma this weekend as roughly a touchdown favorite, depending on which site you go to.

I’ve seen 7 and 7.5 points. Regardless, that’s a huge number to lay going to a place like Oklahoma. How huge is that number? How rare is that? When’s the last time that someone’s been that big of a favorite against the Sooners?

Well, according to ESPN Stats and Info, it’s the most points that a ranked OU team has been given as a home underdog since 1978. From the days of disco music and Jaws 2. Quite the throwback in time.

It certainly appears as though UT has gotten the attention of the folks in Vegas with their strong play this year. That number’s a little bit too high for my liking, to be honest, but if the Vols execute well on Saturday, it’s one they can cover.

3) Oklahoma on offense presents a potential opportunity for Tennessee’s defense on Saturday night.

And I say that because the Sooners haven’t been all that strong up front. OU’s running game hasn’t been working all that well, with the exception of QB Jackson Arnold running for 97 yards for Oklahoma last week.

Among OU running backs over the last two weeks who’ve gotten more than one rushing attempt, they have averaged less than four yards per carry. Against teams like Houston and Tulane, that’s not very good.

Tennessee’s defensive line could be in for a disruptive evening.

4) On the other side of the ball, that’s a bit more interesting.

OU’s defense has been strong to start this season, but they haven’t faced an offense of the ilk of Tennessee yet, to speak the obvious. The Sooners’ front has been pretty dominating so far, and their back end has held up pretty well in coverage.

However, that secondary hasn’t had to face a wide receiver group with the talent and depth that Tennessee has. Nico Iamaleava has been threading needles and looking every bit of a future star in this league.

I think things could be shaky at first, as Nico faces his first ever true road environment. But I think you’re going to see him settle in and make throws as the offense starts to get going in earnest late in the first half.

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I’ll give a prediction later in the week, but for now, I’ve got a good feeling as the week begins.

Go Vols!