Tennessee

College Football Playoff by the numbers: Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Published

12 months ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

College Football Playoff

First Round

No. 9 Tennessee (10-2) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)

7 p.m. CST Saturday (ABC, ESPN)

Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

0 Previous games have been played in Ohio by Tennessee. The Volunteers have played football in 25 other states. Saturday’s game will be the first played at Ohio Stadium in December.

1 Previous game between Ohio State and Tennessee. On Jan. 1, 1996, the Volunteers defeated the Buckeyes 20-14 in the Citrus Bowl. The teams were tied for fourth in The Associated Press Poll entering the game.

2 Ohio State players have more than 750 rushing yards – RB Quinshon Judkins, who has 805 yards and eight TDs on 147 rushing attempts, and RB TreVeyon Henderson, who has 751 yards and six TDs on 108 rushing attempts. Seven other teams in the nation have two players with 750 rushing yards in 2024.

2 Tennessee players have been the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, including RB Dylan Sampson in 2024. The other SEC Offensive Player of the Year for the Volunteers was QB Hendon Hooker in 2022. Tennessee had six offensive players earn the SEC Player of the Year Award before the league split its individual honors in 2002 – HB Beattie Feathers in 1933, HB George Cafego in 1938, WB Bo Fox in 1939, TB Johnny Majors in 1955 and 1956, QB Heath Shuler in 1993 and QB Peyton Manning in 1997.

2 Ohio State players earned consensus All-American recognition for the 2024 season – C Seth McLaughlin and S Caleb Downs. McLaughlin is injured and will not play against Tennessee. Last season, Downs made nine tackles for Alabama in the Crimson Tide’s 34-20 victory over Tennessee on Oct. 21, 2023.

5 Victories, 14 losses and one tie for Ohio State against SEC opponents. The Buckeyes’ most recent game against an SEC opponent is a 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29, 2023. Ohio State has a 2-13 record against SEC opponents in postseason games. The Buckeyes have a 26-29 overall bowl record.

6 First downs on 21 fourth-down attempts for Tennessee’s opponents in 2024, a 28.6 percent rate of success that is the lowest in the nation entering the bowl season. Ohio State has converted the most fourth downs in the Big Ten this season at 18-of-26 when going for it – a conversion rate of 69.2 percent.

10 Of 29 red-zone possessions for Ohio State’s opponents have ended with TDs, a 34.5 percent TD rate that is the lowest in the nation. Tennessee has scored touchdowns on 37 of its 60 red-zone possessions.

11 Days until the next game for the winner of Saturday’s contest. The Tennessee-Ohio State winner will face No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in a CFP quarterfinal game.

12 Victories and five losses for Tennessee against Big Ten opponents in bowls. The Volunteers have one game against a Big Ten opponent that didn’t come in a bowl – a 23-22 victory over Iowa in the Kick-off Classic on Aug. 30, 1987, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tennessee’s most recent game against a Big Ten opponent is a 35-0 victory over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. Overall, Tennessee has a 31-25 record in bowl play.

14 TDs have been scored against Ohio State in 2024, the fewest in the nation. The Buckeyes also have yielded the fewest points at 131 and have the best scoring defense in the nation at 10.9 points per game. Tennessee ranks eighth in the nation in scoring with an average output of 37.3 points per game.

14 Consecutive non-SEC opponents have been beaten by Tennessee since the Volunteers lost to Purdue 48-45 in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2021. The streak is the longest for Tennessee since it ran off 27 consecutive victories over non-SEC opponents between a 36-13 loss to Texas in Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1969, and a 28-19 loss to Texas Tech in the Gators Bowl on Dec. 29, 1973.

21 Years since the previous time a Tennessee QB started in 10 victories in one season. Nico Iamaleava is the first freshman QB to start 10 victories in a season at Tennessee, and the first in any class to do so since Casey Clausen in 2003.

25.9 Yards per reception for Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. in 2024, the best average in the nation entering the bowl season for any player with at least 25 receptions. Thornton has 25 receptions for 647 yards and six TDs. Thornton has six receptions that have gained at least 50 yards apiece, the most in the nation.

36 Years since an SEC team played at Ohio State. On Sept 24, 1988, the Buckeyes beat visiting Ohio State 36-33. Two other SEC teams have played at Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat Vanderbilt 20-0 on Oct. 14, 1933, and Kentucky 19-6 on Oct. 5, 1935.

42 Penalties have been marked off against Ohio State’s opponents this season, the fewest in the nation. Tennessee has been penalized 99 times, the most in the SEC in 2024.

57 Receptions for 934 yards and 10 TDs for Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, who broke freshman school records in all three categories set by Cris Carter in 1984.

424 Punt-return yards for Tennessee, the most in the nation entering the bowl season. The Volunteers have averaged 15.7 yards on 27 punt returns in 2024. Eight punts have been returned against Ohio State for 45 yards this season.

1,485 Rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs for Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson in 2024, both single-season school records. Sampson also set a school single-season record with 136 points.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE SEC, GO TO OUR SEC PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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Tennessee

Chronic wasting disease in Tennessee whitetail deer continues creeping eastward

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Chronic wasting disease in Tennessee whitetail deer continues creeping eastward

WAYNE COUNTY, Tenn. — Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in whitetail deer continues creeping in an eastward direction in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has received the first-ever positive chronic wasting disease (CWD) test result in a road-killed deer found in Wayne County. Since Wayne County is already within the current CWD Management Zone, wildlife feeding and carcass transportation restrictions are already in place.

This means CWD has now been confirmed in 20 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. This is the third county where CWD has been confirmed East of Kentucky Lake, what some people hope might provide at least a partial impediment to CWD’s eastward expansion. The first CWD case confirmed in Tennessee came in 2018. Of course several cases have also been more recently identified in the northwest corner of Alabama.

In Wayne County, there are no changes to the deer hunting season dates and regulations. However, hunters are now eligible for the Earn-a-Buck Program. Hunters can earn additional bucks by harvesting antlerless deer in Wayne County and submitting them for testing. Hunters who have already submitted antlerless deer for testing this fall will be provided an earned buck. For more details on the CWD Management Zone and Incentive Programs, visit CWDinTN.org.

As a reminder, Wayne County is subject to the following wildlife feeding and carcass transportation restrictions:

Deer carcasses can move within and between counties in the CWD Management Zone.
Hunters may not move whole or field-dressed deer carcasses or unapproved parts outside of the CWD Management Zone. Only approved parts may be moved out of the CWD Management Zone.
Once a carcass is brought into the CWD Management Zone, it cannot be moved out of the zone.
Approved parts are free to be transported anywhere statewide. Approved parts are listed below:
Deboned meat
Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull)
Cleaned teeth
Finished taxidermy and antler products
Hides and tanned products
Within the CWD Management Zone, the placement of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable natural and manufactured products is prohibited.
Feeding restrictions do not apply if the feed or minerals are:
Placed within one hundred (100) feet of any residence or occupied building; or
Placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer; or
Placed as part of a wild hog management effort authorized by the agency; or present from normal agricultural practices, normal forest management practices, or crop and wildlife food production practices.

Hunter’s participation in CWD testing is critical for the continued surveillance and monitoring of CWD throughout the state.

Hunters can access CWD testing through participating taxidermists and meat processors or by using drop-off freezers.

The Wayne County drop-off freezer is available at: Beech Creek Fire Hall, 5775 Beech Creek Road, Waynesboro, TN 38485.

CWD is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cervids, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose.

The agency partners with certified laboratories to test samples, and TWRA has already submitted approximately 8,400 samples for testing this hunting season.

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Tennessee

Titans QB Cam Ward Talks Past, Present and Future

Published

16 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Titans QB Cam Ward Talks Past, Present and Future

NASHVILLE – Cam Ward discussed the past, present and the future on Wednesday.

During his regularly scheduled session with reporters, the Titans quarterback also discussed what it’s been like handling the pressure of being the number one pick and the face of the franchise.

“I just wake up and go about my business, honestly,” Ward said. “I don’t really see no pressure. I mean, I get to do something every day that I like to do. I’m going to always remember the hard times that I went through my rookie year. I’ll remember the good plays that I made in my rookie year. I’ll remember how many reporters came to report on the team one year. And I’ll remember in the next couple of years when there’s a lot more reporters out here trying to get footage on us.

“You’ve just got to continue to take your day by day process. We continue to feed into each other as the locker room, continue to give emphasis on the coaching staff, what we’re looking for ahead. And we’re ready to turn it back around.”

In 14 starts this season, Ward has thrown for 2,638 yards with 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

He needs just 181 pass yards to break Marcus Mariota’s Tennessee record with 2,818 passing yards (in 2015).

Ward has shown improvement in recent weeks – he has back-to-back games with two touchdown passes (zero such games in his first 12 starts) and this past Sunday was his first career game without taking a sack (3.8 sacks per game in Weeks 1-14).

Ward discussed some of the highs and lows of his rookie season.

Ward said he feels like he hasn’t had his signature game yet while saying “I don’t think I’ll ever have a signature game in my career, honestly.”

“Every game there’s going to be some bad tape,” he said. “Whether it’s one play, two plays, from myself or another teammate. So I don’t really try to chase having a perfect game. I try to just chase having a good play every play. Because at the end of the day, I’m going to have a bad play. I’m going to throw another interception. I’m going to fumble the ball again at some point in my career. So the more I can continue to stress myself, limit the little bad plays and just continue to build on what I already know, what I’m good at, and then just continue to put the ball in space to my playmakers, I think that will serve me better in the long term.”

The Titans face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and after that the team has games left vs the Saints and Jaguars.

Ward knows there will be changes on the horizon, including the team naming a new head coach for 2026.

Ward on Wednesday was asked if he wants to meet the head coaching candidates during the process.

He said he’s actually talked to Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker about the process.

“I want to meet all of them,” Ward said. “Every coach who’s going to get the opportunity to come here, I want to meet them, have conversations throughout the whole process with them because that’s someone that I’m going to be here with for that time. So, we got to just continue to — me being around and being open to it no matter whoever we try to hire because I know at the end of the day who we do hire is going to be the right fit for us. Whether it’s a defensive person or an offensive person, they’re going to make sure that every person is in the right place, and make sure every person is set up for success.

“Yeah, I have had a conversation with them about wanting to be involved. They know how much I want to be involved. And then especially just not even with the scheme part of it just as the head coach who he is on a everyday basis. And then, we’ll get into the scheme what I know I’m good at, what I want do, what he thinks will also help me.”

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Tennessee

Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal

Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger plans to enter the transfer portal, Knox News has confirmed.

On3.com and Rivals.com were the first to report Merklinger’s decision. The transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.

Merklinger has also opted out of the Music City Bowl. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Nashville. Starter Joey Aguilar will play in the bowl game, so Merklinger was not expected to be a factor. Freshman George MacIntyre will serve as the backup.

Merklinger spent two seasons at Tennessee but barely played and failed to win the starting job. He played six games and went 19-of-33 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2024, Merklinger was a third-string freshman when Nico Iamaleava started. In 2025, he competed for the starting job but lost to transfer Joey Aguilar.

By the end of the 2025 season, Merklinger was neck and neck with freshman George MacIntyre for the backup job. And it didn’t appear that Merklinger would factor in the starting job in 2026.

Merklinger, a native of Savannah, Georgia, was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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