Oklahoma waited 38 months from announcing its withdrawal from the Big 12 to making its SEC debut. More than three years of eager anticipation culminated in a 25-15 home defeat that was even uglier than the final score suggested.
The Sooners begin their SEC membership under ideal conditions: a top-10 opponent entering Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the return of the Prodigal Son as the visiting head coach, and a prime-time televised kickoff.
However, Oklahoma managed just 222 total yards — just 36 yards on the ground — and no touchdowns in the first 51 minutes and 45 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, who led Oklahoma State to the previous national championship, watched as his Vols led 19-3 at halftime.
Tennessee has become known for its explosive offense under Huupel, and they showed that with Norman, especially Nico Iamaleava to Donte Thornton Jr. Dont'e Thornton Jr.'s 66-yard touchdown pass sparked a 19-point run.
But it was Tennessee’s stacked defense that really stole the show. Perhaps that's a fitting welcome to the SEC, given the conference's reputation for tough defense.
Tennessee's set on the sideline, with Huupel by his side, evoked memories of Oklahoma's 2000 Bowl Championship Series-winning team. Facing a team coached by a former OU assistant coach who was fired in 2014, the Sooners' inability to move the ball only added to the disappointment of a lackluster performance in their SEC debut.
Tennessee's big win didn't disappoint everyone in Oklahoma, though. Heupel, whose mother, Cindy, who died in May, drove from Aberdeen, S.D., to Norman to watch the Sooners play when the Vols were coaching.
“She's looking forward to this game. She has a lot of friends across the state and they know she's looking forward to it. Heupel said at the post-match press conference. “It’s a road game for me but a home game for a lot of my family, which is pretty unique.”
carolina blues
If Hubert Davis' North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team faced 2024 NCAA Tournament qualifier James Madison, the UNC Tar Heels basketball team would likely be lower than Mack Brown's 70 points for the Tar Heels on Saturday.
“Awkward day. Shocking day,” Brown said at the postgame press conference. “You shouldn’t lose to a Power Five team in North Carolina, period.”
The Tar Heels lost more than just that, especially to a team that was coming off a top-25 season. North Carolina allowed 611 yards, effectively launching a Heisman Trophy run for JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III.
Barnett passed for 388 yards and scored five touchdowns while rushing for 99 yards and two more touchdowns. Not since Dalton Knicht scored 37 points in the Dean Dome last basketball season has a visitor made such an offensive impression on Chapel Hill.
North Carolina's weak defensive performance, coupled with NC State's dismal performance at Clemson, made UNC football the center of a disappointing Week 4.
While the Wolfpack's loss in Death Valley wasn't a surprise — NC State entered the game as a 17-point underdog, the final 59-35 score was a touchdown and a one-point margin.
Saturday marked the low point of an overall disappointing start to the season for North Carolina. The team started the year ranked in the top 25 and looked poised to move into the upper echelons of the ACC after a few solid seasons under Dave Doeren.
Instead, NC State regressed. The 41-point loss to Tennessee in Week 2 pales in comparison to Saturday's drubbing. The final score could have been much worse had Dabo Swinney not called the game away with Clemson leading 52-7 in the third quarter.
Things got to the point where ESPN color commentator Greg McElroy lamented that the team's “poor” snaps were “unrecognizable” compared to past teams under Doron.