ESPN College GameDay Picks Its Destination for Week Four, an SEC Debut

It's a clash of unbeatens and top-ranked teams, so it wasn't surprising when ESPN's College GameDay tabbed #6 Tennessee at #15 Oklahoma for the Week Four edition of their show, a matchup of 3-0 teams and the Sooners' first conference game in the SEC.

Heisman candidate Nico Iamaleava leads the Vols into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. In lopsided wins over Chattanooga 69-3, North Carolina State 51-10 and Kent State 71-0, the sensational redshirt freshman from Long Beach, California has passed for 698 yards and 6 touchdowns, ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. He's vaulted into fourth in the Stiff-Arm Trophy odds at FanDuel, tied with Oregon's Dillon Gabriel at +900, within shouting distance of the current leaders, Cam Ward of Miami, Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss.

OU has a new quarterback of their own in Jackson Arnold, a 6-1, 211 sophomore from Denton, Texas. He's opened the year with 484 yards passing and 7 touchdowns while connecting on 63% of his throws, rushing for 159 yards and two more scores.

The Sooners blasted Temple 51-3 on August 30 but had a tough time with unranked Houston a week later, edging the Cougars 16-12. OU punted 8 times and was outgained by the visitors. Two first half TD passes by Arnold provided the difference, along with a late safety and a failed Houston two-point conversion.

Head coach Brent Venables' squad seemed to find more of its stride this weekend in a 34-19 win over 1-2 Tulane. Arnold ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, 169 yards passing, 97 on the ground.

GameDay will talk extensively about the matchup of quarterbacks, but the big edge in the game comes on defense. UT features one of the stingiest and most tenacious defensive units in the country, one that's allowed just 160.7 yards per game and 3.07 yards per play this season, second in the nation behind Ohio State.

Against Kent State the Vols were stifling, giving up just 112 yards in the shutout. Having allowed just 13 points in three games, head coach Josh Heupel says being elite on defense is both a tradition and a priority in Knoxville:

Tennesse is a 7.5-point favorite on the road for the game, 4:30 P.M. Pacific Time kick on ABC.