Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

As the College Football Playoff approaches, Ohio State is gearing up to host Tennessee in a first-round matchup on Saturday night in Columbus. However, before they can focus on the Volunteers, the Buckeyes must first move past their shocking 13-10 loss to rival Michigan on November 30th.

Or at least attempt to do so.

Both teams, with 10-2 records, will battle for the chance to face No. 1 seed Oregon (13-0) in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on New Year's Day. The No. 8 seed Buckeyes and No. 9 seed Volunteers are evenly matched and it will be a highly anticipated game.

During the media availability on Monday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and several players were bombarded with questions about their unexpected loss to Michigan. The team, who was favored to win by 21 points, was left reeling after their defeat.

"It was a terrible loss for all of us," said quarterback Will Howard. "But we can't let the Wolverines beat us twice. We have to move on and focus on the bigger picture. We still have a chance to win a national championship and make up for our mistakes in that game. We may not get a chance to play them again, but we can still come out on top and that's what we're striving for right now."

The Buckeyes are facing a tough challenge as the Volunteers have a strong defense, similar to Michigan's. In their previous game, Ohio State's offensive line struggled to gain yards, only managing 77 yards with an average of 3.0 yards per carry against Michigan's formidable defense. Tennessee's defense is also impressive, allowing only 99.6 rushing yards per game, ranking them eighth nationally. They also rank fourth in total defense (278.3 yards per game) and tied for fourth in scoring defense (13.9 points per game).

"The line of scrimmage will be crucial in this game," said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. "We need to control it defensively, from our first and second levels to our safeties. We want to put them in predictable third downs and then be able to rush the passer and get them off the field."

Tennessee's defense is led by defensive end James Pearce Jr., who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He led the team with 11 tackles for losses and 7 1/2 sacks.

"We're facing a formidable defensive group that is well-coached and has talented players at all three levels," said Kelly. "It will be a challenge for us, but our players are excited for it."

Knowing that running against Tennessee will be a challenge, Ohio State is relying on their talented receiving corps, including Jeremiah Smith (57 catches, 934 yards, 16.4 yards per catch, 10 touchdowns), Emeka Egbuka (60, 743, 12.4, nine) and Carnell Tate (41, 583, 14.2, four).

Smith was recently named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Receiver of the Year.

"We can't allow them to make big, explosive plays that give them momentum and field position," said Heupel. "We need to play with discipline, match up well, and make plays. There will be one-on-one situations and we need to win the majority of them."

There has been much discussion about how Tennessee will handle the cold weather on Saturday, with the temperature expected to be 28 degrees at kickoff.

"It's just a typical June day in South Dakota," joked Heupel, who is from that state. "But when you step on the field, the weather doesn't matter. The temperature doesn't matter."

PREDICTION

Tennessee Volunteers

Ohio State Buckeyes