College football rivalries are supposed to be fueled by passion, not poison. But as Auburn QB Jackson Arnold prepares to return to Norman for a matchup that’s already been billed as one of the biggest “revenge games” of the season, the chatter around him has turned ugly. The kind of ugly that crosses the line from trash talk to something far more personal. And that’s when a former teammate at Oklahoma stepped in. 

DL Isaiah Coe didn’t hesitate in firing back at a fan who suggested “Jackson Arnold will be carted off the field this weekend. It’s that serious.” “Crazyyyy Statement Lil Bro Still A Human At The End Of The Day,” he posted on X on September 17. In one tweet, he cut through the venom and reminded everyone that while Jackson Arnold may be the face of Auburn’s offense now, he’s still someone Norman once called its future. And that’s the twist because this “future” is coming home to face the program that couldn’t hold on to him. 

Jackson Arnold’s OU stint was supposed to be the stuff of legend. A five-star recruit, Elite 11 MVP, and Gatorade National Player of the Year, he was tabbed as the heir to Dillon Gabriel in Jeff Lebby’s system. But when the receivers fell apart and the offense sputtered, the prodigy’s confidence crumbled. He finished with just 1,421 passing yards before being benched for true freshman Michael Hawkins. As his father Todd admitted, it was “the lowest moment of his life.” And that benching was the push toward the transfer portal.

By Dec. 4, Jackson Arnold was gone. Ten days later, Hugh Freeze rolled out a new script at Auburn. For the Tigers, he was the missing piece of a rebuild. For the QB, it was a lifeline after feeling suffocated in Norman. Together, they’ve been undefeated so far in 2025, an unlikely pairing of a HC with something to prove and a QB desperate to rewrite his story. And what better place to prove it than against the school that let you walk?

Jackson Arnold’s Auburn reboot meets Oklahoma’s rise

The Oklahoma vs Auburn is a showdown with stakes. The Tigers haven’t beaten a ranked team on the road in four years. Jackson Arnold, now with eight total touchdowns in three games and receivers Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton thriving, gives Hugh Freeze the balanced attack he’s craved. On the other sideline, Oklahoma is back from the brink, powered by Washington State transfer John Mateer and a defense hungry for validation under Brent Venables.

Both teams are 3-0, both ranked, and both need this win to turn September momentum into something lasting. The tension mirrors last week’s Tulane-Duke storyline, where former Green Wave QB Darian Mensah came back to town only to watch his old team win. Hugh Freeze knows the danger. “Can you go steal a few in the road and hold serve at home? That puts you in a pretty good position. You got to go find a way to win a few on the road,” he said. “This is our first opportunity to do that, and I think our kids are excited about it. Our coaches are excited.”

Revenge, respect, or redemption. Call it what you want. But thanks to Isaiah Coe’s words and Jackson Arnold’s homecoming, this clash already feels personal.