Future Opponent Week 4 Game to Watch: Auburn vs. Oklahoma

At 2:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturday afternoon, No. 11 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Auburn. Both teams enter the weekend 3-0, with Oklahoma currently sitting as a 7.5-point favorite. Here are some things to watch heading into the first in-conference matchup for both programs.

Looking the part in non-conference play

So far in 2025, both Auburn and Oklahoma have each had a statement win in non-conference play. Auburn opened the season with an impressive 38-24 win on the road against Baylor. Meanwhile, Oklahoma in Week 2 earned a statement 24-13 win against a highly touted Michigan team in Norman, Oklahoma. 

In its two other games, Auburn crushed Ball State 42-3 and coasted to a 31-15 win against South Alabama after scoring 21 second-quarter points. The Sooners demolished Illinois State 35-3 in their season opener and stomped Temple last week for a 42-3 win. 

An old face returns to Norman 

Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold was under center last season for the Sooners and appears to have benefited from a change of scenery. In 2024, Arnold put up 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions to go with 1,421 passing yards and three touchdowns for Oklahoma. So far this season, Arnold has thrown for 501 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, and already has 4 rushing touchdowns. 

Arnold’s running ability is a better fit for head coach Hugh Freeze’s offense than Payton Thorne, and the junior looks much more comfortable under center. Saturday’s road game will be a big test for Arnold and by far the most raucous atmosphere he’s played in all season. Arnold was often to blame for the Sooners’ offensive struggles last season. This weekend, Jackson will need to make short and intermediate throws for the Tigers to win. Through three games, Jackson is averaging just 167 passing yards per game. Saturday presents a compelling opportunity for revenge for Arnold if he can take care of the football and string some completions together.

Mateer putting on a show so far in 2025 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has lived up to the hype so far in 2025 and is one of College Football’s most exciting quarterbacks. Mateer has thrown for 944 yards, completed 67.6 percent of his passes, and thrown for 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions so far this season. Mateer has particularly impressed as a runner and already has 33 carries for 161 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. After making headlines for some alleged sports bets on his Venmo account before the season, Mateer has made his play on the field the number one headline and is already on several pundits’ Heisman watch lists. 

While Mateer’s numbers are impressive, two questions remain about the remainder of his season. The first is turnovers. Already, Mateer has already thrown 1 interception in every single game. This should concern Oklahoma fans a bit, as Temple and Illinois State do not have good defenses. 

The other concern for Mateer is durability in the run game. 33 carries through three games is a lot of carries for a quarterback. If this trend continues through conference play, Mateer could be beat up or miss time due to injury by the end of the season. While Mateer is undoubtedly a dynamic runner, his running style opens him up to getting injured, and Oklahoma has relied on his legs quite a bit. Vanderbilt fans remember all too well how quarterback Diego Pavia’s heavy load of carries impacted his production towards the end of the season. If something doesn’t change for Oklahoma, the same could be true for the Sooners and Mateer by the end of the season.

“The others” on Saturday

With so much attention on both quarterbacks headed into Saturday’s matchup, here’s a breakdown of what NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal commonly refers to as “the others” (players who don’t make headlines, but are essential to their team’s outcomes).

For Auburn, the Tigers are led out of the backfield by running back Jeremiah Cobb. Through three games, Cobb is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and has 314 yards on 46 carries for 4 rushing touchdowns. At receiver, Auburn is led by a trio of Eric Singleton, Jr., Cam Coleman, and Horatio Fields, who all have 10 or more catches through the first three games. Singleton Jr. has 13 catches for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns, Coleman has 10 catches for 149 yards and 1 touchdown, and Fields has 10 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensively, Auburn is led by defensive end Keyron Crawford, linebacker Xavier Atkins, and safety Kaleb Harris. Crawford has been a one-man wrecking crew with 16 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception through three games. Atkins has 12 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovered through 3 games. Harris has 12 unassisted tackles through the first three games. Auburn’s defense already has 11 sacks through its first three games, and look for the Tigers to generate some pressure on Mateer early. The Tigers’ front four will be the best unit Mateer has faced so far this season.

When Mateer is not running, Oklahoma’s lead running back is Troy Blaylock. Through three games, Blaylock is averaging 5.4 yards per carry for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Sooners have some dynamic pass-catching options through tight end Jared Kanak, receiver Deion Burks, receiver Keontez Lewis, and receiver Isaiah Sategna II. Kanak has 14 receptions for 245 yards, Burks has 17 catches for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns, Lewis has 15 catches for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Sategna II has 13 catches for 157 yards. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Oklahoma is led by linebackers Sammy Omosigho, Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie, and Owen Heinecke. Omosigho has 14 total tackles and 1.5 sacks, Lewis has 13 tackles, McKinzie has 12 total tackles, and Heinecke has 11 total tackles through the first three games. The strength of the Sooner defense appears to be the pass rush, which has recorded 7 sacks so far. Surprisingly, Oklahoma’s defense has yet to record an interception or recover a fumble this season.

A good test for both defenses 

So far this season, both Auburn and Oklahoma’s defenses have been stingy, with Oklahoma allowing just 6.3 points per game on 181 yards per game and Auburn allowing just 14 points per game on 287 yards per game. While Auburn’s pass defense leaves a bit to be desired, its run defense has allowed only 67 yards per game, while Oklahoma’s run defense has allowed 96.3 yards per game. Whichever defense can establish itself on the line of scrimmage will have a massive advantage in this game.

Prediction

This game will come down to the wire with Auburn’s defensive line making life difficult for Mateer, and Oklahoma giving up some plays on the ground to Arnold and the Tigers’ run game. Sooners win a tight one 21-17 due to some breakdowns in Auburn’s secondary.