Oklahoma v. Tennessee

The Sooners and the Vols are two of the most successful teams in college football history, but they have only met twice in their history.  On January 2, 1939 they met in the Orange Bowl, where the Vols cruised to an easy 17-0 victory -- their fifth shutout in a row.  On January 1, 1968, Oklahoma and Tennessee again met in the Orange Bowl in a game that also decided the UCFC.  This time the Sooners prevailed, pulling out a 26-24 thriller that allowed them to keep the Big Gold Trophy.

This year's game is not expected to be so dramatic.  Vegas thinks that the teams will combine to score 57 points and that Oklahoma will win by 21.  That works out to something like a 38-17 win for the Sooners, with the possibility of an extra Sooner field goal to cover the spreads.  One story here is that Bob Stoops, the Oklahoma coach, is an outspoken critic of the Southeastern Conference, which he claims is overrated.  Stoops's team pounded Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in January, and he will want to underscore his point with a crushing win over Tennessee tonight.  But at least for a quarter or so, this should feel like a big-time game.