Mark Ingram considers Oklahoma over Auburn a '100% guaranteed bet'

Jackson Arnold will return to Norman this weekend, as the now-Auburn quarterback is readying for a massive showdown against Oklahoma. John Mateer and the Sooners will be hoping to deliver a loss to Hugh Freeze’s Tigers in Week 4.

Mark Ingram believes that’ll come to fruition. The former Alabama running back explained that he’s expecting Oklahoma to win, and the game to not be particularly close, on the latest episode of The Triple Option.

“You know I’ll never go Auburn. I’ll never root for Auburn. I would never say Auburn’s going to cover. A confident bet is Oklahoma outright,” Ingram proclaimed. “I do see Oklahoma and John Mateer winning by at least a touchdown.

“If you want a confident bet, a 100% guaranteed bet? Go Oklahoma on the money line. I got John Mateer and the fighting Sooners covering this by at least a touchdown.”

Ingram’s opinion may be rooted in hatred for Auburn, but it doesn’t make it wrong. He has Josh Pate on his side, at least. On the latest episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, the analyst explained that he doesn’t have a ton of faith in Arnold’s success during his return to Norman.

“I don’t love this spot for Jackson Arnold,” Pate said. “The pass game is very limited. Watched a lot of Auburn football this year and almost everything in the passing game is within the line of scrimmage.”

All told, Oklahoma’s defense has looked stronger than ever, and how they decide to defend Auburn is the most interesting part of the equation heading into Week 4. It’s something that took center stage a couple of games ago when Michigan was in town, and Brent Venables knew the Wolverines wanted to run the ball. In turn, they attempted to force Bryce Underwood to drop back throughout the game.

Using a similar strategy against Arnold might turn out to be OU’s course of action. It’s not something Pate sees Auburn being able to successfully break down: “Give me Oklahoma to win,” Pate added. “Give me Oklahoma to cover. I just don’t love the spot for Auburn at all.”

Alas, Gaylord Memorial Stadium plays host, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. Fans are going to pack the stadium and bring quite the energy for the massive SEC showdown. An important one for both teams, with Pate and Ingram rolling with the Sooners.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.