Brent Venables reacts to Josh Heupel's request for quiet Oklahoma crowd: 'Wishful thinking'

With Josh Heupel returning to Norman, the Tennessee head coach is hoping Sooner Nation can help his team out — for old time’s sake. Heupel joked in the media, saying the Oklahoma crowd would be quiet when Nico Iamaleavea and the offense are on the field “out of respect.” A smile was cracked after delivering the line.

Brent Venables was asked about the comment, warning Heupel to not count on it.

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“I think that’s wishful thinking,” Venables joked.

The buzz surrounding Norman on Saturday is expected to be incredible. A ranked matchup is enough to get any crowd excited but when you consider it’s the first-ever SEC matchup for Oklahoma, intensity is only added. ESPN College GameDay is in town to celebrate the occasion as well.

While this might be uncharted waters in recent Oklahoma history, Venables notes Tennessee plays in front of loud crowds consistently. Heupel has plenty of examples to use for his team ahead of kickoff and Venables knows he will have them ready to go.

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“But I will say this — Tennessee has been in the most hostile of environments in all of college football. Has operated at an incredibly high level despite that. This won’t be their first rodeo from that standpoint. At the same time, energy and momentum is a real thing and [Oklahoma fans] can help create that here at home.”

The Oklahoma crowd has been a hot topic heading into the game, outside of what Heupel had to say. Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman called out the fans following Saturday’s win during Tulane, saying the fourth quarter attendance “wasn’t up to standard.” He also summoned another former OU head coach to help out.

“It usually starts out great, but the fourth quarter wasn’t up to standard,” Stutsman said via George Stoia of On3’s Sooner Scoop. “…Maybe Bob Stoops will call them out.”

Venables believes the fans can wind up playing a huge role. Tennessee’s offense has been putting up historic numbers early in their season. However, this will be the first true road game of Iamaleava’s career as the starting quarterback. He traveled with the Vols last year as Joe Milton played but never got the full experience.

Watching Tennessee play at Florida, Alabama, and even Missouri will not be on the same level as Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. By 6:30 p.m. CT, it might be the loudest venue in all of college football despite Heupel’s requests.