Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers Clash Rekindles Rivalries: Which Familiar Faces Will Steal the Spotlight?

This Saturday night, two titans of college football collide under the bright lights of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Oklahoma Sooners, reeling slightly after a tough loss, bring their 6-2 record to face off against the Tennessee Volunteers, who’ve been riding high following a solid win—also holding a 6-2 standing. The showdown at the revered Neyland Stadium, a colossal venue known for its electric atmosphere and seating over 100,000 fans, promises more than just a game; it’s a dramatic chapter in the evolving saga of these storied programs. With ESPN’s top commentators lining up for the call and stakes sky-high within the SEC landscape, this matchup isn’t just pivotal—it’s pulse-pounding. Adding a dash of personal history, former Sooners quarterback Josh Heupel now commands the Volunteers’ sideline, bringing a host of familiar faces along for the battle. It’s more than a game—it’s a clash of legacies, loyalties, and hard-fought redemption. LEARN MORE

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tennessee Volunteers will face off in a huge game for both programs on Saturday. OU is 6-2 following a loss to Ole Miss, while the Vols are also 6-2, coming off of a win over Kentucky.

The game will be broadcast from Knoxville, Tennessee in the iconic Neyland Stadium on ABC at 6:30 p.m. CT. The matchup gets the primetime Saturday Night Football slot, with ESPN’s lead crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call. This game is a massive one in the SEC, and for the hopes going forward of both programs.

Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium holds 101,915 people, and there will surely be more in the building for this contest under the lights. It’s the sixth-largest stadium in the country, trailing only Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M and LSU. Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is the 14th biggest in the nation.

Amongst all those faces in the crowd, and with all of the connections, obvious and otherwise, between OU and Tennessee, the Sooners will be seeing quite a few familiar faces on Rocky Top. They’ll be trying to come in to what will be a hostile environment and steal a win in East Tennessee.

Of course there’s Josh Heupel, who’s been the head coach of the Volunteers since 2021. He is OU’s most recent national championship-winning quarterback, and he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy while leading a 13-0 national title season in 2000, in Year 2 of the Bob Stoops era.

The first Stoops-era starting QB became OU’s quarterbacks coach in 2006, and he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and play-caller in 2011. After the 2014 season, Stoops fired the longtime assistant, and one of the program’s favorite sons, after a downturn on offense. Heupel got OC jobs at Utah State and Missouri, before taking his first head coaching gig at UCF. His success there got him the Tennessee job, and he’s resurrected the proud program over the last few years. In his comeback to Norman last year, Heupel led a 25-15 defeat of the Sooners in their SEC opener.

But Heupel’s staff with the Vols is littered with names Sooner Nation will recognize. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle has been Heupel’s right-hand man for years, and played for Heupel at OU from 2006 to 2008. Halzle was a backup quarterback behind Paul Thompson and Sam Bradford, but he’s followed Heupel everywhere he’s been, earning promotions along the way.

Senior offensive analyst Seth Littrell also has a complicated relationship with the Sooners. He was a fullback for the Sooners from 1997 to 2000, playing the final two years of his college career alongside Heupel for Stoops. He and Heupel were captains on the national title team in 2000. Littrell returned to Norman as an offensive analyst in 2023 after he was fired as the head coach at North Texas in 2022. After one season in that role, Littrell was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and QBs coach ahead of the 2024 season. However, Littrell was historically bad as OU’s play-caller, and he was let go just seven games into the season. He’s landed on his feet with Heupel and the Vols, but he’s not the only offensive analyst OU will recognize.

Landry Jones is in his first season as a coach, serving as an OA on Heupel’s staff. Jones is the all-time leading passer in Sooners football history, playing his entire career for Heupel from 2008 to 2012. Heupel was Jones’ quarterbacks coach for three seasons, then his offensive coordinator in 2011 and 2012. Jones’ prolific collegiate career led to time in the NFL, mostly with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a short stint in the 2020 version of the XFL with the Dallas Renegades (coached by Bob Stoops). One of the backup quarterbacks during Jones’ run in Norman is also on Heupel’s staff.

Cayden Cochran is another offensive analyst, and he played under Heupel at OU in 2011. He was at Southern Miss coaching tight ends from 2021 to 2023, and he enters his second season on Heupel’s staff.

While the Heupel-OU narrative won’t be as loud as it was last year, it’s still one of the big talking points any time the former QB and OC takes on the Sooners. As it turns out, Heupel has assmebled quite the crew of former Oklahoma players and coaches; all of them trying to give their old team another loss this Saturday.

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