Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt anticipates a tight contest when the Tennessee Vols take on the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman this Saturday night. Speaking on *The Joel Klatt Show*, Klatt revealed that he expects a one-point difference to decide the game, predicting Tennessee will come out on top.
Klatt believes the Vols will secure the win, but he’s not expecting a blowout. One major factor influencing his prediction is Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who will be making his first career road start in a hostile environment.
“I see this being a really close game,” Klatt remarked. “It’s hard to confidently say that a young quarterback in his first road start will dominate, especially with Tennessee being a touchdown favorite in most sportsbooks. I’m not taking the 6.5 points. I’m going with a 21-20 Tennessee victory, but I think Oklahoma covers.”
Klatt’s analysis is grounded in a fair assessment. The Vols should have the upper hand due to their overall talent and depth, but the team has struggled in primetime road games under head coach Josh Heupel. This matchup presents an opportunity for Tennessee to break that trend and boost their potential playoff campaign.
While Klatt is calling for a close game, there’s still a possibility the Vols could run away with it if their high-powered offense clicks, reminiscent of their dominant performance in Baton Rouge two years ago against LSU. However, the Vols have yet to showcase that kind of offensive explosion in a night road game under Heupel, making it difficult to predict a lopsided win in Norman.
With Klatt’s razor-thin margin of victory prediction, fans on both sides can expect a dramatic, down-to-the-wire battle this Saturday night.
