Oklahoma Sooners will be without key player when they take on the Tennessee Vols

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without a key player on September 21 when they host the Tennessee Vols in Norman.

Sooners head coach Brent Venables announced on his coach's show this week that starting offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett will miss the rest of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery for a torn bicep.

Hatchett, who has played left guard and center for the Sooners this season, transferred to Oklahoma from Washington.

Oklahoma's offensive line was already banged up before Hatchett's injury with Branson Hickman and Troy Everett still sidelined.

The Sooners' offensive line could be in for a tough night against Tennessee in two weeks. The Vols might have the best defensive line in the nation. And Oklahoma's offensive line play hasn't exactly been stellar so far this season (OU gave up three sacks and seven tackles for loss in a narrow 16-12 win against Houston this past weekend).

One thing working in Oklahoma's favor is that the game against Tennessee will be a night game, which should create a hostile environment that could cause problems for a Vols team that, at times, hasn't played well on the road under Josh Heupel.

Tennessee's elite depth, however, could be too much for Oklahoma to overcome, despite the home field advantage.

Related: NC State HC Dave Doeren explains how Josh Heupel and Tennessee surprised his team in blowout loss to Vols