College Football Playoff week has arrived in Columbus, as No. 8 seed Ohio State is preparing to host No. 9 seed Tennessee in the first home Playoff game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night.

When the game was announced, it seemed like a nightmare matchup for the Buckeyes. Though there is a mismatch in the trenches in favor of the Vols, I still think there’s a way for Ohio State to take advantage of its strengths. Here are my takeaways from a week of watching Tennessee film after a season of covering Ohio State games:

Vols defensive line is as good as advertised

The main reason everybody thinks this is a bad matchup for the Buckeyes is because of the Tennessee defensive line against a struggling Ohio State offensive line.

The Vols are led by James Pearce Jr., one of the best edge rushers in the country. He has 52 pressures — tied for eighth nationally, per PFF — and can win with power and speed. But the strength of Tennessee is stopping the run.

Tennessee is giving up a national-best 0.82 yards before contact, according to TruMedia. The Vols are in the top 10 in tackles for a loss and rush defense, as well.

How do they do it? There’s a lot of talent along that line beyond Pearce. Defensive tackle Bryson Eason, a 310-pound senior, is physical and disruptive at the point of attack. A lot of teams have one good defensive lineman, somebody an offense can scheme to stop, but Tennessee has multiple impact players and rotates up front.

The linebackers attack the gaps quickly too. Tennessee is missing captain Keenan Pili, who tore his ACL against Florida, and his loss is notable. Still, the entire defense comes together to stop the run. If Ohio State misses one block or is slow on a pull, Tennessee will exploit that and be in the backfield.

It’s one of the reasons Tennessee is so good inside the red zone defensively. The Vols are giving up a touchdown on just 44.1 percent of red zone attempts, fourth nationally. Simply put, you can’t run at Tennessee and expect to gain yards consistently. That’s the fear many Ohio State fans have because they just watched the Buckeyes attempt to do that against Michigan and fail miserably.

But Ohio State isn’t going to just give up on the run game. Nor should it, given the presence of talented running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. The last thing Ohio State needs to do is throw the ball 50 times and let a Tennessee defense that is ranked seventh nationally in pressure rate tee off on quarterback Will Howard.

What Ohio State can do is add some more creativity to its offense.

Teams have had success with some jet sweeps and motions against the Vols at times. That’s not a new concept to Ohio State, which has used various jet sweeps and touch passes with receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State can build off those motions. It’s deep enough at receiver to show different motions to make Tennessee watch multiple things on one play.

The Buckeyes are going to run the ball, and Tennessee is going to stuff them on multiple occasions. That’s just the reality. But if Chip Kelly can scheme up some runs on the outside, different motions and ways to get Tennessee moving other than right up the designated gaps, they can have some success.

And “some” success is all Ohio State might need to open up the passing game.

There are plays to be made through the air

Pearce, who is projected as the No. 19 pick in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft, is versatile and makes an impact often. If Ohio State is going to throw the ball, it will need tackle Josh Fryar to win more often than not against Pearce. Even in the moments he doesn’t win, he can’t give up immediate pressures and Howard is going to need good pocket awareness to step out of harm’s way.

Tennessee is really good at changing things up with its pass rush, even when rushing four. There have been times when it just lets Pearce go to work, but it is also willing to run some four-man stunts to create free shots at the quarterback for him.

If Ohio State’s offensive line can hold up, the Vols’ secondary can be beaten, though there’s talent there as well. Sophomore Jermod McCoy is a second-team All-SEC cornerback who has given up just 27 catches on 58 targets this season, according to PFF. He makes plays on the ball with four interceptions and baits well in zone coverage. Even when he gives something up, he’s usually in the right place to make the completion difficult.

Still, Ohio State has a deep receiving corps led by Smith, Egbuka and Carnell Tate that is built to win against man coverage and also make contested tight-window catches against zone coverage. If Howard has time and Kelly puts the ball in his talented receivers’ hands, that’s where Ohio State’s advantage can be. And it will have to be in the red zone, where running will get harder.

Ohio State has to trust its receivers in the matchup, as they’re the Buckeyes’ biggest matchup advantage.

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Stopping the run is priority No. 1 for Ohio State defense

The first name on the board in defensive meeting rooms has to be running back Dylan Sampson. He’s had a terrific season as Tennessee’s workhorse back, running for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors.

He’s a good back and his numbers speak to that, but they’re also a byproduct of his carries. He carried the ball 256 times this season, which is 69 times more than anybody else in the SEC. He runs behind a good offensive line, but teams have had success slowing him down when they get bodies to him quickly. He’s averaging 3.62 yards after contact, which ranks 52nd among 159 FBs running backs with 100 carries, per TruMedia. A good number, but not scary if you’re Ohio State, which ranks fifth in yards per rush allowed (2.85) and ninth in yards before contact allowed (1.15).

The key is to be consistent about getting as many bodies to the ball as soon as possible.

I’ll use the Tennessee-Alabama game as an example. In the first half, the Crimson Tide had Sampson and the Tennessee offense bottled up, shutting them out. But in the third quarter, they put together a seven-play, 91-yard drive. Every positive play was a run, and Sampson ran for 53 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown. That opened the game up for Tennessee, which went on to win 24-17.

It sounds easy from behind a computer to just say “stop the run,” but this is going to be a full-team effort. Sampson and backup DeSean Bishop are good at finding small creases to make defenders miss and create a big play.

DYLAN SAMPSON CONTINUES TO BALL THIS SEASON 🔥

A 27-YD TOUCHDOWN TO RETAKE THE LEAD VS. GEORGIA 😤 pic.twitter.com/HmuJLppFvZ

— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024

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There was a run by Sampson in the loss to Arkansas where a safety came down in the box and went right to go around a block, but one quick juke from Sampson to his right led to a 53-yard run and a touchdown one play later.

Ohio State linebackers Cody Simon, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles have to be in the right gaps. One big run could open the floodgates for the Vols. It’s also going to take some help from the safeties, who will surely have to creep into the box at times.

Sampson is statically comparable to Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who ran for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries but was held to 86 yards by the Buckeyes. But Iowa doesn’t have Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. Iamaleava adds to the game with his athleticism, legs and arm strength.

Stopping the run game is hard enough, but mix that with Tennessee’s tempo and it makes it even more difficult. The Vols are 13th nationally in total plays, averaging 74 per game. Ohio State is going to have to rotate up front, which means important reps for players like Kayden McDonald and freshman Eddrick Houston inside.

Tennessee isn’t one-dimensional on offense, as Iamaleava is a talented redshirt freshman with a cannon for an arm. Still, the Vols have been inconsistent despite coach Josh Heupel’s reputation for explosive offenses.

Part of that is because of Iamaleava’s inconsistent accuracy. He’s completing 65 percent of passes this season but hasn’t been great downfield. On passes thrown with 15-plus air yards downfield, according to TruMedia, Iamaleava ranks 49th with a 43.4 percent completion rate and is 83rd in off-target rate at 31.3 percent.

Second, I’m not sure Tennessee has a truly elite receiver. I do like Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton Jr., an explosive weapon who has 647 yards and six touchdowns on just 25 catches, but the others have struggled. Squirrel White is small, just 5 feet 10, and has drop issues, and Bru McCoy (who missed the regular-season finale with an injury) hasn’t consistently made a big impact.

I don’t think Ohio State can live by stacking the box and playing straight man coverage every play, especially knowing Davison Igbinosun’s struggles with pass interference penalties. Although Tennessee isn’t going to take shots just for the sake of doing it, it sets them up well off its strong run game. If the box is loaded, a play-action call will come in. One misstep by a defensive back, and Iamaleava lets the ball fly.

That’s where Ransom and Downs are key. Whichever of the two is the deep safety must be ready for any play-action shots from Tennessee. Cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Igbinosun have to hold up in coverage, but Tennessee has speed on the outside, which means one mistake by the safeties could lead to a big play.

Fortunately for Ohio State, Ransom and Downs have been arguably the best safety duo in the country, both earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. They give Ohio State — which has allowed a national-low four passing touchdowns all season — an advantage.

Final thoughts

I’ve gone back and forth on this game since the matchup was announced, but I think it comes down to two things: which version of Howard shows up and how Kelly and Ryan Day approach the game plan after the issues against Michigan.

The offensive line is the offensive line. At this point in the season, that’s just a mismatch that Ohio State is going to have to find a way to scheme around. Ohio State needs Howard to flush his performance against Michigan and bring back the one who threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon or who put two bad mistakes against Penn State behind him to lead the Buckeyes to a win anyway. I tend to think he’ll play well, but I’m not sure which play calling we’ll get from Kelly.

I don’t think they’ll run out the same game plan against Michigan. It just won’t happen. I side with the belief that Ohio State is going to let it loose, much like it did in its 2022 Playoff game against Georgia.

I’m set on predicting Ohio State to win this game, but there’s no doubt that Tennessee provides some matchup issues for the Buckeyes to overcome.

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(Top photos of Will Howard and James Pearce Jr.: Michael Reaves and  Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)

A police officer and a suspected gunman were killed during a shootout in Tennessee on Saturday afternoon following the cop’s pursuit of the “suspicious” man reported lurking around a neighborhood.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the slain officer as Rick Finley, a part-time cop for the Selmer Police Department and a full-time deputy for the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office. He was shot and killed by 39-year-old Daniel Holmes, who was then shot dead by Finley’s colleagues, officials said.

The officer responded to a call reporting a “suspicious person” around 3 p.m. outside a home in Selmer, Tenn. Holmes was allegedly stalking around the neighborhood attempting to force his way into a home and even fired multiple rounds at the front door, according to the TBI.

Holmes then fled the scene and was found by the responding officers, including Finley, one street over. He opened fire at the cops and shot Finley multiple times, killing him, TBI said.

Lt. Ron Pilkington, an officer responding to the scene after Finley, arrived moments later and “was able to return fire, killing the suspect,” according to the agency.

TBI is investigating the shooting.

Who deserves to be No. 1?

That debate lies in the Southeastern Conference, which has had a historic out-of-league season that will certainly see it get a double-digit number of teams in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, we could see 12-13 teams from the SEC make the Big Dance, as the league soared at a wild rate on Saturday, going 13-1 on a loaded day of basketball.

Tennessee or Auburn?

Well, let’s start with the team we had at No. 1 last week, which is going to stay at No. 1 this week. The Volunteers saw their best two guards foul out in Champaign on Saturday, with Chaz Lanier exiting with 3:40 on the clock and Zakai Zeigler committing his fifth foul on Kasparas Jakucionis with five seconds left. 

So, who was Tennessee going to turn to at Illinois in a 64-64 game? Jordan Gainey answered the bell, delivering a coast-to-coast drive and a lay-in to silence Champaign and lift Tennessee to an incredible 66-64 victory.

Jordan Gainey’s coast-to-coast game-winner secures Tennessee’s win

Gainey, a South Carolina Upstate transfer now in his second year with the program, finished with 23 points in the win. Lanier, a North Florida transfer, continued his All-American-caliber play with 17. Notice a trend? Rick Barnes knows how to recruit in the portal. He’s found gems in recent years, with now-Los Angeles Laker Dalton Knecht coming off an amazing college season last year and charging the Volunteers to the Elite Eight. Tennessee is 10-0 and should enter conference play at 13-0. What a start.

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As for Auburn, the Tigers may not be No. 1 right now, but if you argued that Bruce Pearl’s team is the best in the country, you’ll get zero opposition from me. I’m serious: I’m at 51-49 in favor of Tennessee right now for my No. 1 team, and it’s really because the Vols have no blemishes and just won an incredible road game against a good Illinois team.

As for Auburn, Johni Broome continued his national player of the year candidacy on Saturday, showing why he is the front-runner at the moment. The fifth-year senior totaled 21 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a 91-53 win over Ohio State, notching the Tigers’ first 20-20 game since Kevin Ardister in 1989. What makes Auburn so potent? Broome is surrounded by a flurry of explosive guards, with Denver Jones pouring in 14 points and freshman Tahaad Pettiford drilling three triples. In total, Auburn shot 13-for-30 from beyond the arc. This team has the No. 1 offense in the country according to KenPom and ranks 12th defensively. You never have to worry about Pearl’s teams guarding, but this one scores it at a high rate.

Here are five other rapid fire takeaways from a crazy weekend of hoops.

Another freshman star is born

Liam McNeeley showed America that he’s the third-best freshman in the country, trailing only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers superstar Dylan Bailey, who beat Seton Hall at the buzzer Saturday with a wild triple. McNeeley’s 26-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist performance with no turnovers was a master class at Madison Square Garden on FOX Primetime Hoops, as UConn beat Gonzaga 77-71 for a third straight résumé-boosting win.

No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 18 UConn Huskies Highlights

McNeeley’s performance of 25-plus points and no turnovers was the first by a Connecticut freshman since Shabazz Napier in 2012, and it’s what leads the Huskies back into my top 15 this week after their 0-3 performance at the Maui Invitational. 

Credit to Dan Hurley and his team for evolving as quickly as they have. They lost starting center Samson Johnson early on Saturday (concussion protocol). Tarris Reed got into foul trouble and Alex Karaban was 0-for-7 from 3-point land. And yet, they found a way with Jaylin Stewart and Reed in double-figures, and the defense showing material growth yet again. Connecticut has regained its mojo.

The Aggies are tough!

Texas A&M showed me a lot on Saturday in a 70-66 win over Purdue. The Aggies, playing a pseudo road game in Indianapolis, made Trey Kaufman-Renn work on the interior and totally outmuscled the Boilermakers with a 34-23 advantage on the glass. Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne was terrific, with 16 points on 6-of-6 from the floor to go along with nine points. Buzz Williams’ team is in my top 15 this week after five straight victories over high-major opponents.

Mark Pope has the Wildcats rolling

In the first Kentucky-Louisville game since 2001 without John Calipari or Rick Pitino, Big Blue Nation can rejoice. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals for the 14th time in 17 meetings, winning 93-85 in Lexington to improve to 10-1 on the season. What a difference Mark Pope is already making with a new-look offense that can ride a different hot hand every time out. On Saturday, it was Lamont Butler. Get this: The San Diego State transfer had 33 points on a perfect 10-of-10 from the floor (he shot 7-for-12 at the line, but 6-for-6 from 3) — and six assists! Butler is my national player of the week.

Dayton is for real, folks

How about an upset in Dayton! The Flyers, who entered my Top 25 last week but were not in the AP Top 25, proved us right with a comeback from 13 down to stun No. 6 Marquette, 71-63. That’s an outstanding win for Anthony Grant, who also owns a win over UConn. UD is a top 20 team in my book and a gem of an at-large squad for the Atlantic 10.

Time to get nervous in Tucson?

The Arizona Wildcats are 4-5, and it’s panic time in Tucson. UCLA rallied from 13 down with 10 minutes on the clock to stun Tommy Lloyd’s team and improve to 9-1 on the season. Tyler Bilodeau was key down the stretch and finished with 17 points, and Mick Cronin’s team is off to its best start since 2021. Out of the four West Coast additions to the Big Ten, two of them are conference title contenders, the Bruins and Oregon. 

Let’s get to our Top 25! 

1. Tennessee Volunteers (10-0)

The Volunteers are the best defensive team in the nation, but it’s normally a given that Rick Barnes has a squad that guards you when you get off the bus. This team is top-15 nationally in KenPom offense and Chaz Lanier is one of the five best players in America.

2. Auburn Tigers (9-1)

The Tigers’ next marquee game comes Saturday in Birmingham against Purdue. If they can win that one, they’ll go into SEC play having only lost at Duke. No shame in that. 

3. Iowa State Cyclones (9-1)

The Cyclones proved themselves yet again on Thursday, rallying from 13 down to beat archrival Iowa, 89-80. Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson continued to show why he was a portal gem of a pickup, with 19 and 10.

4. Kentucky Wildcats (10-1)

If you predicted Mark Pope would have a top-4 team in the country just six weeks into his first season, we’ll let you pick our lottery numbers, as well. Big Blue Nation is dreaming big and this feels different, with one of their own leading them into a new era. 

5. Duke Blue Devils (8-2)

The Blue Devils blew out Incarnate Word 72-46 this past week, with Khaman Maluach going for 17 points and seven rebounds. The freshman is such a game-changer, specifically defensively, when not in foul trouble. Up next: George Mason on Tuesday.

6. Florida Gators (10-0)

The Gators thumped Arizona State, 83-66, on Saturday to stay undefeated on the season. Walter Clayton continues to play like one of the top 7-8 players in the sport, if not better, delivering 25 points in the victory.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2)

The Crimson Tide commanded Creighton, 83-75, in Tuscaloosa on Saturday to notch yet another quality win to their résumé. Mark Sears is one of America’s best players, delivering 27 points, six rebounds and four assists in the victory, while Kansas transfer Labaron Philon had 16 and 5.

8. Marquette Golden Eagles (9-2)

I’m not going to heavily fault the Golden Eagles for losing on the road to a very good Dayton team.

9. Houston Cougars (6-3)

Houston is ranked No. 15 in the AP because they have three losses, but I am not letting that impact my thinking at all! They’re top-4 in both KenPom and Torvik metric systems and still as tough as any team in America, with L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp leading the way.

10. Kansas Jayhawks (8-2)

The Jayhawks commanded NC State, 75-60, on Saturday with a nice bounce-back performance behind Hunter Dickinson, who tallied 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. It was South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo’s finest act as a Jayhawk, as he had 26 points on 9-of-14 from the floor. That’s what Bill Self thought he was getting in his transfer class: shotmakers. Mayo supplied it Saturday and Kansas is back in my top 10.

11. UConn Huskies (8-3)

12. Texas A&M Aggies (9-2)

13. Ole Miss Rebels (9-1)

14. Oklahoma Sooners (10-0)

15. UCLA Bruins (9-1)

16. Oregon Ducks (9-1)

17. Purdue Boilermakers (8-3)

18. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-3)

19. Dayton Flyers (9-2)

20. Memphis Tigers (8-2)

21. San Diego State Aztecs (7-2)

22. Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2)

23. Michigan Wolverines (8-2)

24. Michigan State Spartans (8-2)

25. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1)

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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