The Tennessee Titans are one of the league’s worst teams with a 3-10 record after falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14.

One of the reasons behind the loss was the penalty battle. The Titans had a touchdown run from Tony Pollard, but the score was negated due to a holding penalty. Had the hold never happened, the Titans may have won the game.

Titans coach Brian Callahan was asked about the team’s penalties after the game.

“Yeah, they’re killer. We coach it and talk about it all the time. It is what it is. Penalties happen. We only had, I think, four or five today, which was improved. But yeah, those things got to get cleaned up. And we’ve stalled drives because of it on offense, we’ve given up conversions on third down on defense. Not today necessarily, but just in general, yeah. Those penalties got to get cleaned up and we’re working like hell to get them cleaned up,” Callahan said postgame.

Penalties aren’t a complete indicator in whether a team is good or bad, but it can have a massive outcome on games.

The Titans are the second-most penalized team in the NFL with 104. That’s only one behind the Baltimore Ravens for the league lead. But the Ravens are a playoff-caliber team, while the Jags are one of the worst teams in the league despite having the third-fewest penalties in the NFL.

Penalties don’t always cost teams games, but this was one of those instances where it did. If the Titans want to win any of their final four games for the year, fixing the penalties would be a good way to go about it.

In Week 15, the Titans face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the fewest penalties so far this season.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Chas Nimrod became the second Tennessee wide receiver to announce that he plans to enter the transfer portal as the Vols prepare to play Ohio State in a College Football Playoff game.

Kaleb Webb, another veteran backup, made the same announcement last week. Overall, seven Tennessee players have announced that they’re entering the transfer portal, which opened Monday.

Nimrod. a redshirt sophomore, played 27 games over three seasons at Tennessee. He made 29 catches for 315 yards and one TD in his career.

Nimrod is a versatile receiver who can play all three positions in UT’s offense.

In 2023, Nimrod made five starts as the Vols dealt with a series of injuries in the wide receiving corps. In 2024, he has mostly served as Squirrel White’s backup at slot receiver. And he’s a been a valuable utility receiver when White and others have sat out with injuries.

TENNESSEE TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER Here’s who is leaving Vols from 2024 team

Nimrod is a 6-foot-3, 202-pounder from Bentonville, Arkansas. He was a three-star recruit in the 2022 signing class, according to 247Sports Composite. But he took a redshirt in 2022, so he has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Meanwhile, Tennessee (10-2) plays Ohio State (10-2) on Dec. 21 (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) in Columbus, Ohio, in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

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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Ohio State fans are probably still stewing on the loss to Michigan, but the Buckeyes have a big game coming to Columbus. The Buckeyes opened as a touchdown favorite against Tennessee in a College Football Playoff first-round game.

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State

The Buckeyes and Volunteers both have elite defenses. Ohio State is the national leader in both points allowed per game (10.9) and yards allowed per game (241.1). Tennessee is tied for fourth in points allowed (13.9) and is fourth in yards allowed (278). Throw in winter weather in Ohio, and this one unsurprisingly has the lowest listed point total of the four first-round games.

The vibes around these two programs are very different entering the CFP. OSU coach Ryan Day is on the hot seat in Columbus and could use a win or two to keep his job safe. If Day loses another massive home game, things could get ugly.

The thought of a coach being on the hot seat after making the CFP is a twist new to the 12-team era. That’s what happens when you lose to your rival for a fourth straight year, with the last one coming against a 6-5 team that was barely functional at quarterback.

Tennessee has a talented quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, but the redshirt freshman threw for fewer than 200 yards on seven occasions this season. Running back Dylan Sampson has been the Vols’ workhorse with 1,485 yards. Tennessee’s offense has had a number of slow starts, with a string of four straight games where the Vols scored fewer than 10 points in the first half, including in a 19-14 loss at Arkansas. Iamaleava and Sampson will both need big games against the Buckeyes’ stout defensive unit to prevent another offensive lull.

Meanwhile, OSU will have to handle Tennessee’s nasty defensive line that features potential first-round pick James Pearce Jr. OSU quarterback Will Howard threw two picks against Michigan and will likely have to play better against a defense that could be even tougher.

The Buckeyes still have an absurdly talented receiver room featuring Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and freshman Jeremiah Smith. All three will likely be playing on Sundays in the near future, but OSU will have to protect Howard enough for him to be able to get those playmakers the ball. OSU’s offensive line has come under a lot of scrutiny this year, and Tennessee’s defense could be a matchup nightmare.

Flawed offenses against elite defenses? This game could be a grind.

The only time these programs met was in the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl, which the Vols won 20-14.

Tennessee at Ohio State odds

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Who’s in the College Football Playoff? How all 12 teams got here — and what to expect

Who will win College Football Playoff? Bruce Feldman fills out his bracket

The College Football Playoff’s seeding format may look funky, but it’s working as intended

(Photo of James Pearce Jr.: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)