Saturday brings the first-ever College Football Playoff game in Ohio Stadium and the first-ever December tilt in the Shoe. The Buckeyes’ opponent for said firsts is an SEC foe, one which will travel north to play in temperatures that will feel below 20 degrees. An 8 p.m. kickoff will provide a night-time atmosphere fans have long craved since Ohio State played six consecutive noon games to close its regular season.

The postseason stakes are obvious. If the eighth-seeded Buckeyes handle business at home against the ninth-seeded Volunteers, a date with top-seeded Oregon at the Rose Bowl in the CFP quarterfinals awaits. If they lose, their all-in season ends without any hardware.

More than that, head coach Ryan Day and the assistants he employs face an uncertain future after a disastrous 13-10 loss to Michigan on Nov. 30, the fourth straight time the Wolverines have beaten Day’s program. Athletic director Ross Bjork may be backing his football coach entering the CFP, but a third straight season ending with back-to-back losses would have to call Day’s job security into question.

Tennessee is no slouch of an opponent either, featuring a stifling defense and consistently effective run game that should challenge the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball. 

“I’m excited for our players, but I’m excited for our fans to get back together this Saturday in the Shoe for a historic event,” Day said on Monday. “This is right now the first time it’s ever happened before, and I think for everyone to get back together is exciting. And I know our players are that way.”

The Headlines

Man the Interior

Center Carson Hinzman leads a group of interior offensive linemen who need to rise to the occasion for Ohio State.

Two season-ending injuries to left tackle Josh Simmons and center Seth McLaughlin have cost the interior of Ohio State’s offensive line its two best players since former left guard Donovan Jackson has slid out to replace Simmons. The unit is coming off two rotten performances.

Cracks started appearing against Indiana, where the Buckeyes rushed for just four yards per carry and only achieved that number thanks to a 39-yard run by TreVeyon Henderson in the final minute of a blowout 38-15 victory. Take out that play and Ohio State managed just 76 yards on 28 carries, 2.7 yards per attempt. OSU picked up just three yards per carry against Michigan, with left guard Austin Sierevled, center Carson Hinzman and right guard Tegra Tshabola looking completely overmatched by Michigan defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

That prompted a shakeup of the unit, and now sophomore Luke Montgomery will work in and potentially start at left guard. Day said that Siereveld will rotate with both Montgomery and Tshabola as the Buckeyes run through different lineups to see what can get the ball rolling against Tennessee.

Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly also noted that the Buckeyes need to do a better job scheming around their holes up front. That means more ingenuity on the ground, but also probably a heavier reliance on the passing game.

“You got to get the ball to those guys (at wide receiver),” Kelly said. “We’re really talented on the perimeter and sometimes people are scheming up to take things away, play two deep (safeties) and double cover some guys and force you to play a little bit left-handed. And I think you still have to find ways and we have to be creative enough that you can still get the ball in those guys’ hands.”

Tennessee’s defensive line is among the nation’s best. Defensive end James Pearce Jr. is a projected first-round draft pick and starting defensive tackles Bryson Eason and Omari Thomas weigh in at 310 and 325 pounds, respectively, with a combined 12 TFLs in 2024. There’s depth too, as seven Volunteer defensive linemen have played more than 210 snaps this year, per Pro Football Focus. Tennessee is eighth nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (99.6) and fourth in yards allowed per carry (2.8). 

“They know how they need to play in this game,” Day said of Ohio State’s offensive line. “Not that everything has to be perfect, but we gotta rock off the ball and knock people back. They have a good front. Might we swing and miss every once in a while? OK. But we’re not gonna swing and miss by not being aggressive. We’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to go after these guys and make sure we’re moving back the line of scrimmage.”

Pin down the ground game

Tennessee’s spread, high-tempo attack is centered around an effective ground game, a physicality that should serve the Volunteers well as hits are felt in cold weather. Stopping that element of their offense will be essential for Ohio State.

The Volunteers rank No. 9 in the country in rushing yards per game (232) and No. 26 in yards per carry (5.1). Running back Dylan Sampson, the SEC Player of the Year, has been a consistent gasher of opposing defenses, collecting 10 100-yard rushing performances during the regular season and averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

If the Buckeyes can successfully contain Tennessee’s rushing attack, its passing offense just isn’t as consistent or efficient. The Volunteers are 62nd nationally in passing yards per game (230.9) and 32nd in completion percentage (64.7%). Quarterback Nico Iamaleava can’t be ignored as a threat on the ground either with 311 rushing yards this year. 

“He’s faster than everybody thinks,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “He’s fast, and he makes a lot of plays with his feet.”

Tennessee creates space for Sampson and Iamaleava in part through wider splits for their wide receivers and tight ends, which line up further away from the offensive line than most teams to draw linebackers and safeties away from the box.

“Sometimes it kind of stretches the linebackers outside the box,” linebacker Sonny Styles said. “You get a linebacker apex between the endman and the receiver. So you’re coming in from a wider angle to make the play. It’s a little different than what you see with most teams. You apex a lot, but not to that extent. So you got to counteract that with different looks. You might not be apexing all the time. Sometimes you might stay in the box. Sometimes you might not match the receivers’ width.

“But I think you got to be sharp with your eyes. When you’re coming from that far, you got to know exactly what you’re seeing. And once you see, you got to go because you got a lot of space to make up.”

Suppressing the running game will be the first step to stymying Tennessee’s offense.

Lean on the Defense

Outside of the team’s 32-31 loss to Oregon this season, the most points Ohio State’s defense has allowed in 2024 is the 17 Nebraska scored on Oct. 26.

The defense has been dominant enough to live up to its Silver Bullets moniker of old. Knowles’ pupils possess the No. 1 scoring and total defense in college football. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in passing yards allowed per game (144.3) and No. 7 in rushing yards allowed per game (96.8).

Ohio State’s defense tried to carry the team to victory against Michigan, but the offense killed the momentum generated by Caleb Downs and Jack Sawyer’s interceptions and all of the other stops made by the unit as the Buckeyes failed to score in the second half. Not that Knowles is using that to shrug off any responsibility.

“Did we win? No, we did not,” Knowles replied when a reporter said the defense must have felt it had done enough to beat Michigan. “It’s that simple. This is a team game. It’s the greatest team sport there is, and if it takes (a score of) 3-0, it’s 3-0. We have to look at it and always strive for perfection. Every game’s different, so you’re not going to walk away from a game in this sport at this level and say, ‘Well, we did our job.’ That’s not how it is.

“These guys sweat and bond, and we all know the time and effort they put in. They stick together, so whatever it takes to win, either you do or you don’t. There were plays that we could have made. There were, and our guys would tell you that.”

As it applies to Tennessee, the spread, RPO-heavy, up-tempo style of its offense is unlike many Ohio State has seen this season, save for Oregon and the occasional two-minute drill. But Knowles said his defense has been “built” for no-huddle offenses since he was at Duke in 2010.

RELATED Jim Knowles Prepared for Tennessee’s Up-Tempo Attack

While Tennessee’s receiving corps isn’t the caliber of what the Ducks diced cornerback Denzel Burke with in Week 7, with only one wideout above 450 yards, the Volunteers can threaten deep with leading receiver Dont’e Thornton. Thornton has 25 receptions for 647 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 25.9 yards per reception, the most in the country.

Ohio State will hope to move the ball better with an improved game plan that involves its vaunted receivers more, but its offensive line is still patchwork. The Buckeyes will have to rely on their defense to reach the CFP quarterfinals.

Watch Out for These Guys

Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson

Sampson picked up 1,485 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns this season, both marks leading the SEC. Many of his carries will come out of run-pass option looks, forcing defenses to respect the passing game as he gets downhill.

“He’s a smart runner,” Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon said. “He’s patient, but he’s got a good feel for his blocks. And I mean, he’s a great player. He won SEC Player of the Year for a reason. So it’s a big challenge for us and we’re up for that challenge. We enjoy being able to look for players to try to stop and have a real focus on in-game. They’re going to do a good job with him. We’re going to have to do a better job.”

Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr.

Defensive end James Pearce Jr. anchors Tennessee’s defensive front. (Credit: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Pearce has piled up 35 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for the Volunteers, the latter two numbers team-highs. He’s had at least one tackle for loss in seven of Tennessee’s past eight games, and will test the development of Ohio State left tackle Donovan Jackson, who has held his own against some other elite edge rushers in November.

Ohio State S Caleb Downs

The Buckeyes’ loss masked an unbelievable performance by Downs against Michigan, as the unanimous All-American safety piled up 11 tackles with an interception. Ohio State utilized him in all sorts of areas be it back deep, in the slot or in the box, and expect more of the same from the queen of Knowles’ chess set.

Game Week Talk

“The Shoe isn’t as loud as the SEC. It’s a different animal here. Whether you’re at South Carolina at nighttime or whether you’re at Arkansas at nighttime, whether you’re at Neyland (Stadium) at nighttime, or the daytime for that matter, it’s loud here.”– Former Ohio State/Current Tennessee safety Andre Turrentine

Safety Andre Turrentine, who spent his freshman year in Columbus before transferring to Tennessee, provided some potential bulletin board material to Ohio State – or at least its fans. To say the Shoe is quieter than Arkansas or South Carolina’s home venues should be a motivator to Saturday’s patrons.

Ohio Stadium provided raucous environments for the Indiana and Michigan games and should be charged up for a playoff game at night, regardless of whether there’s a bit of orange mixed in.

“Tempo, spread you out horizontally, vertically, and then they’ve done a very good job running the ball. Their running backs are running very hard. Offensive line’s doing a good job and quarterback’s played well this season.”– Ryan Day on Tennessee’s offense

It’s more than the above-mentioned splits that Tennessee uses to space out defenses. Between Thornton’s deep threat and the horizontal passes mixed into the Volunteers’ RPO game, they can stress teams in all areas of the field.

“Great confidence in both of them. Jermaine also. … There are ups and downs in any season, in any career, but those guys are great players, and they’re really good people, and they work hard, and they’re resilient, and they bounce back, and they’re going to have a great game.”– Jim Knowles on Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun

Burke allowed seven receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon, per PFF, but he’s otherwise played well for Ohio State this season. He hasn’t allowed more than 36 yards in any other game, and against Indiana’s high-powered aerial attack he surrendered just one catch for 6 yards.

Davison Igbinosun might be one of the most penalized defenders in college football, but he’s also allowed just 21 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown this season. He’s collected seven pass breakups and two interceptions, including one of the best defensive plays in Ohio State history at Penn State.

Tennessee is sure to test Burke and Igbinosun vertically. But Knowles has confidence in them and top backup Jermaine Mathews Jr., alongside stud nickel Jordan Hancock, to hold up in coverage. 

Get Smart

• Ohio State suffered a 20-14 loss to Tennessee in the 1996 Citrus Bowl, the only previous meeting between the two teams.
• Ohio State has a 3-4 record in College Football Playoff games while Tennessee is making its first CFP appearance.
• This game will be the first ever played at Ohio Stadium in December.
• The game will be Ohio State’s ninth home game of the season, marking the first time since 1910 that the Buckeyes have played nine home games in one year. It’ll be the first time the Buckeyes have ever played nine games at Ohio Stadium in the same year.
• ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Columbus for the second time this year and at the site of an Ohio State game for the fourth overall time this season.
• Former Ohio State safety Andre Turrentine is now a starter for the Volunteers.
• Former Ohio State cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson is now a defensive analyst for the Volunteers.
• Tennessee’s roster includes three players from Ohio: wide receiver Jackson Locke (Granville), tight end Titus Rohrer (Bryan) and offensive lineman William Satterwhite (Barberton). None of them have seen regular playing time this season.
• Ohio State’s roster includes no Tennessee natives, though Quebec-born freshman tight end Max LeBlanc played his high school football at the Baylor School in Chattanooga. 

How It Plays Out

Line: Ohio State -7.5, O/U 46

This has all the makings of a low-scoring brawl. The cold weather will slow things down a touch, Ohio State’s been dominant on defense since its second bye week and Tennessee is more complete on that side of the ball as well. Both offenses have deficiencies, the Buckeyes on the offensive line and the Volunteers with their passing game consistency.

The talent on the Buckeyes’ roster should give them the tools they need to come out victorious, especially if Kelly and Day draw up a better scheme than the plan of shoving the ball up the middle against Michigan’s vaunted defensive tackle tandem three weeks ago. 

Thirteen of Eleven Warriors’ 14 staffers picked Ohio State to win, the lone holdout being senior editor Johnny Ginter. Everyone sees it as a close call, however, with 12 predictions having the Buckeyes by 10 points or less.

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