Auburn football SHOULD beat the Oklahoma Sooners | Auburn Tigers Podcast

Intro to me Auburn's game against Oklahoma seems far more winnable now than it did a few months [Music] ago you are locked on Auburn your daily podcast on the Auburn Tigers part of the locked on podcast Network your team everyday yes welcome on into this special crossover edition of locked on Auburn and locked on Sooners hello to all the everydays for uh locked on Auburn I'm Zach blackerby for locked on Sooners he is Jay Smith of course locked on Auburn locked on Sooners part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day this matchup in week five I mean both teams circled it as soon as the schedule came out but for whatever reason since SEC media days there's been some jawing back in forth between the fan bases Jay I think I think Auburn is excited to welcome Oklahoma into the SEC and I think Oklahoma is excited to say yes yes we belong in the SEC absolutely for us it's of course the honor to join such an exclusive club right you know as a longtime SEC fan of one month you know it feels great to see that we're now in a home that actually respects us except for a lot of the teams are starting to talk a did a lot of jawing in a lot of nois is being talked right now yeah yeah well I mean a lot of the talk talk towards Oklahoma is well y'all aren't Texas and so we're going to treat y'all a little bit different which I'm sure y'all are just super thrilled about I'm totally used to at this point but I mean the storyline about Oklahoma and you you you came on the show and we did a thing you know during during SEC media days yep but the storyline from the outside looking in to Oklahoma and this is kind of the mismatch potential mismatch that Auburn folks are looking at in this week five matchup is his offensive line is brand new and this quarterback's first road start is going to be at Jordan hair stadium and that's that's not a favorable thing on the Oklahoma side of this matchup no it's true and so for us especially for Oklahoma in general this will be the first Inc conference game where we go to a stadium with over 880,000 seats probably in about four 13 14 years probably last time was Texas A&M because Nebraska has about over 80 A&M had over 80 at the time they're the last two that Oklahoma just as fan bases and as an institution had to go in conference now granted we've been to the Horseshoe we've been to nen Stadium right we've been to some places but we've never had to do it in conference so it's going to be different I think the first couple of years there'll be the adjustment period but I think that it's really going to be more of a challenge when teams really start to get to know each other right I think the big difference for me in the conversation and let me preface this for my Auburn brother in out there here in the SEC let me explain kind of where I was coming from when we were talking about the matchup understand this right what Auburn fans heard was in their minds is that Hugh free sucks Auburn's going to get blown out and Oklahoma's just going to run things that's what Auburn fans heard but that's not what was said what did you actually say like quot if you don't mind what I actually said was is that Hugh frees is in year two of redoing things there at Auburn he's cleaning up things and he's doing a great job sure Payton Thorne has kind of Hugh Freeze and Auburn Football regressed since his big year at Michigan State and I know that there's questions there and concerns sure but you have a you know you got quarterbacks in the stable that's going to get there but freeze has done a fantastic job of adding skills position guys the defense is still getting revamped and getting there but to me I mean you brought it with Charles Kelly as the defensive coordinator who just left you know Colorado CC CC yeah codc he's one of CC's and so for me it's give it a year with everybody together and I think Auburn's going to be a problem year three in Hugh free and state because I think that that's usually what happens especially when you're cleaning up it usually takes about two to three years to get to that point and I think that once Hugh gets the quarterback he really really would like to have oh Auburn's gonna be a problem but I didn't say I suck I just said that for us we've lucked out because yes our quarterback's new but he's worked with our OC for over a year they have a relationship in Rapport skills positions we've returned everybody we had one injury but our main guys are all back offensive line yes we do have some revamping to do there but they've all got over our starters will have over a thousand snaps to their career when they actually play so yeah I totally get but that's the thing it's remember if I'm not talking up my team and not giving some hope what am I doing here no I get it I get it no you you you need to rep your team for sure the the one thing I'm going to push back because everything you said there I'm I I can pretty much agree with but I don't think Auburn needs to be fully cleaned up to beat this version of the Oklahoma Sooners I think they can still be able to beat them especially at home if they're going to Norman I think this is a different conversation Jay but this is I mean the timing of this game I think is very interesting and beneficial for Auburn Auburn will be playing Oklahoma after probably beating Arkansas and improving to 4-0 Oklahoma's traveling to Jord Stadium to play Auburn after playing what could be a top 15 Tennessee team definitely top 20 unless something goes really really strange and you either lose to Tennessee and you're down in the dump and I think there's all all of a sudden a ton of pressure on Oklahoma because oh my goodness you don't want to start 0 and2 in conference this conference that you've been wanting to join for so long and then oh who's after Auburn Texas and then on the other side of it if Oklahoma does beat Tennessee you're on Cloud9 this is it we're here and I think all the pressure is on Oklahoma either way Jay is that unfair to say oh no no no that's 100% fair to say because it's the first rad game in a new conference in an environment we've never been in so yes I completely agree that's fair the one thing that makes Oklahoma fans so bullish is this Phil still put out his rankings and he he he's one of the foremost experts we all leverage his book to understand what's going on with his book and a few other experts outside of him have talked about this Oklahoma is considered to have the best linebacker and secondary room in the SEC we've got the most experience and this is a head coach who's defensive minded that's known for his defense is improving when he gets guys in the third year of it right he did that at Clemson he did that at Oklahoma right his three stops as DC or two stops as DC and then one stop now as head coach he's shown that Improvement by year three because now he's got guys in the system for three years and they actually know what to do right they're still trying to figure it out the first couple of years for us our expectation is to do what every other ACC team has ever done leverage defense to actually win G games right the defense has always been critical in the SEC that's why the sec's always been more dominant than the competition is that yeah you can come in here with these highflying offenses at some point we're going to shut you down and slow you down and that's what Oklahoma's approach is so that's the only reason why we're very bullish on our side yeah the guys on the other side of the BOS young if we can give ourselves a top two top three defense in the SEC we're going to terrorize a lot of people that's a big if not a big if though I mean if you have a top two or three defense in the SEC your first year in the conference like that's a big if Jay it's a massive if but the good thing is is we're bringing back all the experience we're bringing back 86% of our production on the defensive side of the ball number three in the country in a defense that works best when you have experience so that's really the the theorizing behind why we look at Oklahoma the way we do right now it ain't because we're known for having massive offenses we're not known for having defenses but we brought the dude back that actually had us in top 10 defenses in his era here and it's looking like we're getting back to that point if Oklahoma shows up in these first four games and the defense is as Stout as we expect yeah we we we don't expect to lose any games after that yeah so there's a lot at stake in this game and there's a lot of things that could alter uh exactly what this game will mean when we get to that specific week of the Season Jay but regardless it's going to be crucial for either team so what's at stake we tell you in just a moment right here on this crossover edition of lock on Auburn and locked on Sooners Jay quick question just a super quick question can you imagine buying tickets anywhere other than our great friends at game time absolutely not no way best prices best deals and the prices go down like as the game starts I haven't seen anybody been able to offer me the numbers they are at all no no no question about it and I love that when you pull up game time the price you see is actually the price you pay I mean how many times have you gone somewhere else and you saw oh this ticket's 20 bucks and you click on it and then by the time you get to check out you're spending $86 for this $20 seat game time what you see is what you pay I love the honesty and the upfrontness of it and then also when you click on it you get to see the view from your seat which I think is a really cool feature as well I love it as well I I I'm here for being able to know where I'm going to sit and see exactly where the seat is going to be at while also paying the price that Auburn vs. Oklahoma Game it's actually advertised I'm here for that I love it take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time download the game time app create an account use code locked on College it's all one word locked on college for 20 bucks off your first purchase terms apply again create an account and redeem code locked on college for 20 bucks off download game time today last minute tickets lowest prices is guaranteed thank you so much for making locked on Auburn or locked on Sooners your first listen every single day for your second listen go check out our guy Chris Gordy of lockdown SEC or if you want to go zoom out a little bit more check out uh check out Spencer mcclaflin over at locked on college football but every dayers know that we are your team every single day jay when you talk about what's at stake for this game the way we're talking about it on the side of it is we expect Auburn to be 4-0 we expect Auburn to take care of Cal and take care of um take care of Arkansas and say Okay can Auburn start five and0 when they beat Oklahoma or if they can beat Oklahoma to go into Georgia the following week can Alburn be a top 15 team heading into Athens like that's the goal and I think if they if they do this if they beat Oklahoma I think I think they've got a real shot at that but that's a big if like we discussed to me Auburn's over under according to our friends at FanDuel is seven and a half for them to go eight and4 or better they must beat Oklahoma at Jordan hair Stadium this is I've said it consistently since the schedule came out this is the most important game on Auburn's schedule to me that's the Auburn perspective of this game going into it and I respect that because it it Importance of Auburn vs. Oklahoma Game makes sense as you say as you calculate out the games and the one question I ask when it comes to playing Oklahoma yes it's critical you got to win this game but you have Georgia literally the following week the difference between us and you all is we get a bi-week before we see our rival and we always prepared during the bye for the Rival we don't think about Texas up until we get to that bye because we understand the implications of that and how everything every game around it typically affects it and so for us we get that break we really really need to go play a physical physical game that we're guaranteed to play mhm especially after playing a big physical game with you all so for me the the question I've been wondering with auburn is how is that Georgia game one week away in traveling there how does that truly going to affect the mindset in preparation for Oklahoma because looking ahead does happen teams do do that on accident especially coming off the high of a 4 and0 start would that actually do you think that could discombobulate a few things going into the Oklahoma matchup it could I don't think it's going to now granted you're to a fan base right now who saw their team lose to New Mexico State a year ago you know the week before the iron ball which was devastating devastating but I don't think this is a similar thing I mean if you ask the average Auburn fan and obviously the conversations with players is different they're going to say that every game is important but those home games do seem to matter more unless you're talking to an Auburn fan that lives in Georgia I think they're going to tell you that this game that we're discussing Auburn Oklahoma on September 28th means more for the 2024 Auburn Tigers of them going to Athens I mean now if you win in Athens boy does that change everything that changes your entire season it may change your recruiting class I mean that's a program potentially changing when but in as far as 20124 goes I think how Auburn prepares for Oklahoma is more important than how Auburn prepares for Georgia the following week I don't know if the coaching staff's going to see it that way or not we'll see I mean they're going to obviously prepare for both both but I don't think the look ahead thing is a factor here that's just my hunch that's just my guess and it makes sense Importance of Home Games right like if if the if the mindset and it's not let me put it let me put it this way I don't want people to take this wrong which everybody will Albert are already coming at you be careful exactly I know I already know going to take this wrong basically what what you're going to think you heard me say is that you guys are just going to just punt the Georgia game and get ready for Missouri after preparing for Oklahoma it's not what I'm saying but the mindset appears to be that Georgia's game's going to the Georgia game's going to be the Georgia game it's going to be whatever happens pull up set cool if not it doesn't end the season the focus is going to be knocking out these home games which to me I agree those are way more critical as far as the way that your team performs right you're at home in a comfortable situation if you get knocked around at your own home spot that's when things become an issue same thing for us as sooner fans we're looking at these home games for us as well in which we technically only have three of them uh in the SEC because our neutral side game with Texas we're the home team so we don't get the extra home game like they do this year uh you know as Georgia does the same thing with Florida or whatnot but for us it's we've got to prepare for South Carolina well for you know South Carolina Alabama as well as Tennesse and so mind framewise in conference we got to win those home games that way if we win those home games in our noncon that's six wins right there that's right there where Vegas is saying seven and a half for us all we got to do is sneak out at least two wins on the road or the neutral side game which I expect us to push Texas around again they're dealing with a lot of problems yeah that that's what's important so I get you I think for you all Oklahoma has to be a win after Arkansas unless Arkansas fires their head coach before they play you all and you got to deal with Bobby patrino and y'all know how players get when they get a new coach it seems like they get superpowers yeah I mean we we saw that a College Football Predictions few years ago when when Cadillac Williams took over for a few weeks the here here's a fun question so FanDuel has both of the teams that we're discussing Auburn and Oklahoma they win total at seven and a half yep which team is more likely to hit the over if they lose the game that we're talking about I'mma Be honest I think that both can hit the over even with the loss so I don't think can in a couple of formulas that I've had I have Oklahoma losing two games regardless right and one of those games is Auburn oh inter in the case mainly because it's the first road game I have them losing that game did you change your mind on that because you picked Oklahoma when we did this at media days right or am I remembering that wrong no I I I mentioned in the media days that I think that Oklahoma could lose this game like this is this is the one game that I'm watching as a toss a real tossup game because it's the first row game sure right on top of that I think the other one is potentially Alabama depending on how Kell neor goes in but it's a home game the one I don't want us to lose that is but the other the one I toss up in between there the two games I toss up for Oklahoma to potentially lose is Auburn or o Miss if they can go out and make sure they win one of those two games there's probably only one more loss left on the schedule that should be a 10 and two season there's no excuse for it not to be right schedule's tough yeah but I don't think I think that what helps a lot of the our opponents I think outside of Auburn because you guys actually have a pretty solid matchup as far as balance on your schedule but others like a Misouri uh or even like a LSU a lot of the schedule's a little bit easier so they don't have an excuse not to get double digit wins uh for the season but I can totally see you all walking into Columbia and knocking them off after that bye perfect spot right there so when I look at your schedule Arkansas should be a win like I said unless they fired a coach but I don't think he gets fired then I think he gets fired after that game after that loss is probably when he's gonna get fired George is gonna be a challenge a by week for Arkansas like two weeks after I think and so I think they may wait until a little little bit later but yeah we'll see perfect way to install your new quote unquote offense with the offensive coordinator you hired that Auburn's Football Schedule basically was your old Co head coach that you fired because he was doing anyway love that game but the Missouri and Kentucky back to back ones for you all I don't think missoui is going to be as much of a challenge because they've lost a lot as far as Staffing they've got a lot of things to really get integrated and it's talking about that man people aren't talking about all the stuff Missouri lost right and it's early enough for you all too to be able to take advantage of that right I'd say if it was November I'd say they probably should have things lined up and it should be a better game that Kentucky game though they're physical all the time I don't know how Mark stoop does it they're physical it's just it's a painful game they're they're physical against teams that stink and I don't think Auburn's gonna stink this year I mean I mean I've seen him against Georgia sure but not win but not win I'm mean I don't know I I just I'm not a believer in Kentucky but that has been a game where folks the more folks I talk to outside of Auburn they say that that one is one to watch so maybe yeah maybe I should start I give you this this is the one thing about why I say kuy's considerable yeah every three years Mark stops gets a 10- win season this is the third year now that he's basically on track if he keeps his cycle going he doesn't play ance schedule anymore Jay he doesn't play schedule he can't on vanderbild in South Carolina and a down Florida and a down Tennessee anymore that's gone that's true I mean I mean their tough ones are what Texas Tennessee Auburn Florida and O Miss and Georgia well actually they play every every body so they got a gauntlet we'll see yeah I mean they got they've got a real schedule now I just don't think they adjust we'll see all right so so who wins between Auburn and Oklahoma we'll tell you we all agree that it's a tossup but we'll tell you who wins in just a moment right here on this crossover edition of lock on Auburn and lock on Sooners all right Jay when you look at this week five matchup September 28th as the sooner head to Jordan hair stadium for their first road conference game I've been waffling back and forth on this all offseason sounds like you have as well in the last week or so I've gained a lot of confidence we call it the Boo at Auburn I might be booing a little bit little booing okay I think I'm booing just a hair but we'll um I I I think Auburn wins this game and I've been pretty consistent in saying that they weren't I right now as we record this I'm saying Auburn Beats Oklahoma on the 28th okay Key Players and Strategies um my confidence is still on the tossup level I think Oklahoma has a chance to pull this one out and it's going to have to be all defense that's probably the one or if Jackson Arnold decides to lose his mind on the road but I know that the environment's going to be hostile so I'm not going to rely on him just because he's you know true sophomore unless he decides to have a drake May type season which is kind of what I'm seeing in this trajectory based on his skill set I just don't want him to be a violent Runner and running people over but I do see him he has the skill set to do what Drake May did at North Carolina right but for us it's going to be defense so my question is going to be what does that alurn offense look like against our defense and I lean our Direction because of experience I think that the experience piece is going to be what's going to help us to be able to keep this a very close game I can totally see this being like 16 13 easily I yeah I think Auburn's Defensive Strength it's going to be lower scoring I'm there with you because the strength of Oklahoma is the same is the strength of Auburn it's defense and it's experience the same way I mean you talked about Oklahoma's experienced linebackers Auburn's right in that same boat they just they've gotten their snaps at other places and they've come to Auburn and so I mean you've got guys that are gonna be coming off the bench Dory myusi who's got a thousand snaps in his career at Duke I believe and then goate the the most recent Edition they brought from Maryland he's on like 22nd year of college football he's played a ton of snaps at Maryland so uh I yeah I'm with you I'm with you whatever the over under is for this game I'm probably taking the under on the fan sports book yeah I I think so because I mean I I think Auburn's defense is going to get the help of the home field advantage just by the nature of it being the the type of game that it's going to be in the conference and so that's going to hinder a new quarterback a Young quarterback taking his first road start as well as an offensive line that still probably doesn't have that Unity um just because it's going to be early on in the year and so I do think Auburn will get the benefit from that but the flip side of this when Auburn's on offense like they've got a quarterback that's played a ton of snaps yep but he's throwing the guys a lot of these guys who have been on campus for five minutes you have K Coleman who's the Freshman Phenom he did go through spring and every time he has like every time there's cameras around somebody catches him doing something just absolutely ridiculous absurd yeah I mean he's special there's no question about it but how often can you get him the football against a talented defense like Oklahoma DeAndre Lambert Smith the transfer wide receiver from Penn State he got here over the summer he's a late portal Edition he didn't go through spring at Auburn and so we'll see what happens with that he kind of messed his ankle up last week it seems like he's fine but they are being a little cautious with bringing them back it seems like and then Perry Thompson Malcolm Simmons Bryce Kane these are other freshman receivers that Auburn really likes but are they going to be ready by the end of September to play SEC level football just because they haven't been here that long so to me it's going to be interesting to see what all this the Auburn offense looks like and who is a part of the Auburn offense because that's the biggest question of fall Camp is all right you feel good about the line the offensive line you feel good about your running backs but the guys they're throwing to you know they're all talented Talent it's not the question but it's is who who's the coaching staff going to put in the game because they feel like they're ready that's that's what it comes down to it's all that cohesion and chemistry that's the one thing that's going to be that that that you know that that's the thing that that jumps out the most when I even think about even us right for our line they've have over a thousand snaps across the board the bigger question is is how much of a chem How Much Chemistry would they have and that's really important with offensive lines right so as long as they can get Jackson Arnold just enough time he has chemistry with the receivers with Nick Anderson 64220 w receiver he had 10 touchdowns last season almost 800 yards receiving and then the Phenom Deon Burks who was number 50 on Bruce felman's freak list right I mean he's 59 5 10ish 190 lbs but he bench presses 400 squats almost 600 it's kind of absurd the T the strength the dude has but he's going to be the dude that's going to take that slot route and he's going to be the one that's either going to burn people or he's going to catch it over the middle on a regular basis and so for Oklahoma we have some of those young pie the running back room Gavin Sawchuk of course he ran for 700 yards last year he's expecting to go for a th000 one of the fastest dudes in the country and then javante Barnes who was a freshman Phenom yeah playing against Florida state in the bowl game both him and Sauk had 100 yards injured most of last year they said he looks even better than what he did his freshman year so with him healthy we got our two backs we've got our wide receiver room the line and the quarterback of course is the question I know for you all picking up Jen Thompson from Texas at safety I I know that him playing against Oklahoma kind of helps a little bit understanding the wide receiver room because it's the exact same guys's still there Andrew Anthony's going to be back and healthy uh so we've got we've got about six receivers that'll be returning that's going to be healthy from last year that he'll be able to least point out things but I know that secondary is still pretty inexperienced that's the one thing that helps me on my offensive side is our wide receivers are going to just get there we just got to make sure Jackson Arnold has just enough time to launch it but that pick up of Phil bleedy on the defensive line we were talking to him as well yeah that's a solid experience piece to add to your defensive line that's going to be able to help to give you guys like the experience needed there like I said linebacker room is solid they're age they're good for us our defensive line is now our question is if long as we can get the pressure that we need the only the biggest concern I have going against this game against Auburn Hunter yeah game yeah jarquez Hunter is going to be is is where I'm at okay we we have to prevent you all from running it down the throat which is the good thing we've got all the we got six linebackers that's ready to play we just got to be able to get down hill and hit the question is going to be what do we look like after Tennessee healthwise cuz once you start getting into about that fifth week that's when you start seeing attrition kick in how do we all look healthwise going into that game it's going to be a good one though I'll tell you that and I again I stick to my 6 13 20 to 10 I I sense under 30 points combined in this game just because it should be a defensive battle yeah I I think I'm with you on that I think I'm with you on that Jay how can uh how can all the Auburn folks check out all the Oklahoma stuff you got going on yeah join us over there Promotion of Locked on Sooners Podcast locked on Sooners you know we we we're dropping some of course daily for you all come come hang out we're we're not like I said what you think you heard ain't what you heard I didn't say Auburn's going to be bad I said you're the trajectory needed for a guy like h f who has SEC experience so yeah come hang out with us we'll talk more Auburn especially as the week gets closer we're excited about that game and I plan on being in town so I'm ready to check out the hospitality there in Auburn Alabama we uh we will welcome you with open arms my friend hey uh be sure to check out locked on Auburn wherever you get your podcast and on YouTube please like the video please subscribe to the channels we'll see you next time on locked on Auburn and locked on Sooners