The Oregon Ducks have been thrown into a situation where they’ll play one of two opponents in the Rose Bowl following the first round of the College Football Playoffs. The winner of Tennessee vs Ohio State will make the trip to Pasadena, CA to face Oregon and one critical question looms:

Who should the Ducks want to play?

Today I’ll make the case that Tennessee is the preferable matchup for Oregon, but potentially not for the reasons readers may think.

Talent

This is the obvious one. Ohio State’s roster is simply better than Tennessee’s at most positions, making them a tougher out from the jump. The Volunteers don’t really have players who stack up with Ohio State’s star-studded lineup that features receiver Jeremiah Smith, EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau, and safety Caleb Downs.

Coaching

While people can go back and forth on the matchup between Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and Ohio State’s Ryan Day, the difference in staffs really shows up with the coordinators. The Buckeyes feature one of the strongest coordinator tandems in all of college football with OC Chip Kelly and DC Jim Knowles and while Tennessee’s are certainly strong, they don’t bring the pedigree Ohio State’s do.

Rematch

Any seasoned football fan can tell you it’s easy enough to beat a good team once, but having to do it a second time can be the difference. Having faced Ohio State once before, its staff will be much more prepared for what Oregon brings to the table and how they’ll attack the Buckeyes’ defense.

The simple paper analysis of the Ducks winning by one point at home in the first game then having to rematch at a neutral site does not bode well for Oregon, as the not-at-Autzen bump would make this (on paper) an advantageous spot for Ohio State.

Rebound

This is what makes the biggest difference in my mind. All you really have to do is think about what a win would mean for each of these two teams.

An Ohio State win means it’s fully bounced back from its embarrassing loss to Michigan to end the regular season and is back on track culture-wise. On the flip side, Tennessee winning that matchup could mean basically anything from them being the best team in college football to them having squeaked by a team that’s lost all motivation and locker room cohesion.

In my mind, Ohio State beating Tennessee would prove a lot more about it as a program than would Tennessee beating Ohio State. I don’t have any doubts about whether or not the Volunteers will come to play nor the quality of the team. What I’m saying is if the Buckeyes get it done in the first round, look out.

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans ‘ most consistent scoring threat in an ugly season now is on the injury report, and that’s why they brought back a player for a bit of insurance.

Kicker Nick Folk worked through some soreness, making a pair of field goals for Tennessee’s only points last week in the Titans’ loss to the Jaguars, his longest a 46-yarder. Both Folk and Brayden Narveson were on the field Wednesday during the portion of practice open to reporters, though the Titans listed Folk among six who did not practice.

Coach Brian Callahan said it was just some “general soreness” for Folk. But as good as Folk has been this season, he turned 40 last month. So the Titans (3-10) signed Narveson to the practice squad Tuesday after he spent training camp with them in case they need an option Sunday when they host Cincinnati (5-8).

“You’re always mindful of it with kickers and that kind of leg soreness,” Callahan said. “So he finished the game but was sore. … He doesn’t do anything on Wednesdays anyway. He’ll try to kick (Thursday), and we’ll see where he’s at. So I don’t really know how to feel about it either way. I just know he’ll kick tomorrow, and then we’ll have a better feel for his status after that.”

Folk has an NFL record streak of 85 consecutive field goals made on attempts from less than 40 yards, which included a 39-yarder that put the Titans up 6-0 last week. He ranks 14th in NFL history with 403 field goals and trails Arizona kicker Matt Prater by just four. Prater, who has 407 field goals, currently is on injured reserve.

The kicker signed a new deal this offseason after New England traded him to Tennessee in 2023 with Folk going on to lead both the NFL and set a franchise record, making 96.7% of his field goals (29 of 30). Folk has been nearly perfect this season, making all 22 extra point attempts and is 21 of 22 on field goals, including matching his career-long with a 56-yarder earlier this season.

Narveson had an impressive preseason for Tennessee, letting Folk focus on preparing for the regular season. The rookie from N.C. State was 6 of 7 on field-goal attempts, including a 59-yarder. He also made a 46-yard attempt as time expired in a 16-15 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. His lone miss was a 58-yarder at the end of the Titans’ preseason finale that was nearly returned for a touchdown. He made his first try only to have it nullified because a timeout had been called.

Green Bay claimed Narveson when Tennessee waived him at the final roster cutdown. The Packers waived Narveson in October after the kicker missed a league-high five field-goal attempts.

“If for some reason he can’t go Sunday, Brayden will be ready to roll in and he’ll kick and do all that,” Callahan said of Narveson. “So obviously it’s nice to have some familiarity with him, and he’s here in case we need him.”

Levis update

Among the Titans who practiced fully Wednesday was quarterback Will Levis. He said after the loss to the Jaguars that he played the second half after getting a shot after aggravating his right, throwing shoulder. He sprained the AC joint in that shoulder early in a win over Miami on Sept. 30 and later missed three games with the injury.

“Feel good,” Levis said after a 75-minute practice. “Just going to see how the week goes and see how the body responds, but I definitely feel better than the last time I nicked it up.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

An Alabama wide receiver who has found success against Tennessee is in the transfer portal according to On3 Sports’ portal database.

After spending three years with the Crimson Tide program, wide receiver Kendrick Law is set to look for a new home with one year of eligibility remaining.

Law has played at Alabama for three seasons and posted season-best games against Tennessee during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The best game of Law’s three-year career came as a freshman against Auburn in 2022, but his best games in 2023 and 2024 came against the Volunteers.

In 2024, Law recorded season-highs in receptions and yards against Tennessee in Knoxville with four grabs for 37 yards. Tennessee fans will perhaps best remember Law for his penalty during Alabama’s final drive in the fourth quarter against Tennessee DB Boo Carter that took the Crimson Tide offense from 4th and 7 to 4th and 22 before the try eventually ended up unsuccessful.

Law posted a season-high in yards against Tennessee during the 2023 season as he racked up 38 yards on two receptions against the Volunteers in Tuscaloosa.

More from RTI: Tennessee’s Playoff Path Includes Three of Top Four Championship Title Contenders From Sportsbook

Kendrick Law posted an encouraging sophomore season in 2023 but failed to reach the same numbers during the Crimson Tide’s up-and-down 2024 campaign. Law stuck it out with head coach Kalen DeBoer after the departure of Nick Saban but looks to be headed elsewhere as he wraps up his collegiate career.

The 5-foot-11 receiver and Louisiana native totaled 105 yards and one touchdown on just 10 receptions throughout the 2024 regular season, meaning that nearly half of his season production (receptions) came against Tennessee.

Law only played in six games this season, though, as he battled injury throughout the year. Law suffered an injury against Georgia in late September and didn’t return to the field until the Tennessee game on Oct. 19.

Kendrick Law is one of nine players listed in Alabama’s transfer section in On3 Sports’ portal database.