After a choppy, physical first half in Norman, the Oklahoma Sooners pulled ahead after the break en route to a 34-10 victory.
Oklahoma-Tennessee First-Half Quick Hitters
Here's what we learned:
Oklahoma Might Just Have The Best Defense In The Country
The Sooners' front seven absolutely dominated Tennessee's raw offensive line. While the Vols have a lot of young talent on offense, they weren't able to find much room to work with, and when they did put drives together, the Sooners forced turnovers to spoil the party. LB Eric Striker was an absolute terror, wreaking havoc in the backfield time and time again.
Tennessee's Future Is Bright
The Vols got rocked in this one, but they're still headed in the right direction. Butch Jones is doing things the right way in Knoxville, and QB Justin Worley fought hard despite getting almost no protection from his offensive line.
Sterling Shepard Is The Real Deal
Oklahoma's junior WR might eclipse his receiving total from his first two years by week five. A constant vertical threat, Shepard finished with five catches for 109 yards. If the Vols had kept it close and the Sooners hadn't turned to the running game early, Shepard could have had twice that.
Oklahoma Is A Legitimate Playoff Contender
The Sooners have two games left on their schedule against ranked teams - #19 Kansas State on October 18 and #8 Baylor November 8. If they can take care of business against those two teams and keep their focus over the rest of the season, they'll be a playoff lock. Even losing a close game to Baylor would keep the Sooners in the conversation, given how dominant they've looked this far.
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