Saturday, Sept. 20
3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Pacific
ABC
The Oklahoma Sooners hope to become a College Football Playoff contender this season. Can we fully and conclusively say they already belong in that conversation? If they can hammer Auburn, they will certainly earn more respect heading into the end of September and the start of October. Their game against Auburn is dominated by one person who has a lot to prove in this SEC clash:
Auburn-Oklahoma is the Jackson Arnold Bowl
One quarterback becomes the focal point of a September Saturday in the SEC
The Jackson Arnold story is a multi-layered collection of plot points heading into Auburn-Oklahoma. Arnold played for the Sooners, failed, and transferred to Auburn. Oklahoma fans were exasperated watching Arnold last season. The Sooner offense simply couldn’t get off the ground, and Arnold undeniably had a lot to do with that.
However, it’s not as though Oklahoma had healthy receivers. The Sooners were crushed by injuries in that position group. OU’s previous offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell, could not put the pieces together. Nothing really worked for the 2024 OU offense. The Sooners feel they have significantly upgraded at quarterback with John Mateer, and they think they have made a dramatic improvement at offensive coordinator with Ben Arbuckle, who joined Mateer in coming over from Washington State as part of a 2-for-1 package.
Thumping Jackson Arnold would make Oklahoma fans feel vindicated. Losing at home to Arnold will drive Sooner fans insane. This isn’t what most college football experts would classify as a game with playoff-level significance, but it means a great deal to Oklahoma, if only because the negative consequences of losing would be overwhelming and borderline unbearable.
Auburn Tigers-Oklahoma Sooners Odds
Hear TJ Rives and Jason Powers break down this game on the 3Dog Thursday Podcast by clicking Play below:
Spread: Auburn +7 (-110), Oklahoma -7 (-110)
Total: 46.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Underdog moneyline: Auburn +220
The betting calculus for this game might involve Jackson Arnold to some degree, but the bigger picture has to include Oklahoma’s defense. Brent Venables has struggled to coach offense at OU, but he has not had a problem fielding quality defenses. Oklahoma put Michigan’s Bryce Underwood in bubble wrap earlier this month. Underwood entered that game with a lot of hype and fanfare; Oklahoma contained him. If OU can do that to Underwood, Arnold will have a tough time solving the Sooner defense.
The other obvious component of this game which demands attention is John Mateer. He is a mobile and elusive quarterback who can make improvisational plays. Auburn’s pass rush will need to cave in the pocket and not allow Mateer to find any running lanes. If Oklahoma does get an early lead thanks to a good drive or two from Mateer, the Sooners’ pass rush can then focus on Arnold, and the game could spiral for Auburn.
One other point is worth noting: These teams have both won nonconference games against Power Four opposition. Auburn won at Baylor while Oklahoma handled Michigan. How much stock you put into Baylor and Michigan, good or bad, might influence how you treat this game as a bettor.
Ultimately, Oklahoma’s defense should have the upper hand against Jackson Arnold. OU minus the seven points doesn’t feel especially risky.