COLUMBUS, Ohio — During the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday night, Will Howard connected on two touchdown passes to freshman standout Jeremiah Smith, leading Ohio State to a dominant 42-17 victory over Tennessee. This win sets the stage for an anticipated rematch with No. 1 Oregon at the upcoming Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were instrumental in the victory, each rushing for two touchdowns. With an 11-2 record this season, the Buckeyes provided their fans with an early festive surprise, helping to alleviate some concerns that lingered after their recent loss to Michigan.
“You could tell from the jump that they had a look in their eyes that they were going to win this game,” Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day remarked after the game.
Howard had an impressive performance, completing 24 of 29 passes for 311 yards, marking his second game this season with over 300 yards. Smith contributed significantly, finishing with six receptions for 103 yards, making him the sixth freshman in history to achieve over 100 receiving yards in a College Football Playoff game. Henderson added 80 rushing yards on 10 carries.
“We really put together a full, all-out performance, and I think that’s what we needed to show,” Howard stated following the game.
The eighth-seeded Buckeyes started strong, scoring on their first three possessions while Tennessee’s offense struggled, resulting in three consecutive punts. Tennessee, seeded ninth, managed to make it onto the scoreboard with a field goal and a touchdown in the second quarter, but failed to generate any meaningful offense in the second half until a late touchdown that held no significance.
“We didn’t play the way we needed to,” Tennessee’s coach Josh Heupel expressed. “Our execution wasn’t good enough, both offensively and defensively.”
Ohio State’s 473 total yards reflected the most significant offensive yield against Tennessee’s defense this season. The frigid game time temperature hovered around 25 degrees, marking a historic moment as this was the first college football game held in December at the 102-year-old Ohio Stadium.
Injuries played a major role in Tennessee’s performance, as star running back Dylan Sampson struggled with a hamstring issue, registering just two carries for six yards. Key receivers Squirrel White and Dont’e Thorton Jr. also faced health challenges that hindered the Vols’ attacking capabilities.
On the other hand, Ohio State executed a game plan that contrasted sharply with their earlier performance against Michigan, successfully utilizing long throws to their dynamic playmakers while maintaining an effective run game. “We called this game more aggressively,” Coach Day admitted.
Defensively, the Buckeyes demonstrated their prowess, further solidifying their status as one of the nation’s best. They effectively pressured Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, sacking him four times, two of which were by JT Tuimoloau. Tennessee managed only 256 total yards, with most coming in the later stages of the game when the contest was already decided. Iamaleava ended the night with a career-low 104 passing yards on 14 completions out of 31 attempts, although he did rush 20 times for 47 yards.
“I challenged the team at halftime,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles stated. “As long as we did our job, everything was going to turn out all right, and I thought we came out strong in the second half.”
The game also saw a notable turnout of Tennessee fans, who made their presence known among a crowd of over 104,000, marking one of the largest visits from an opposing fan base in recent memory, with many fans seemingly acquiring more tickets than the allotted 3,500 provided by the NCAA.
Looking ahead, the Buckeyes will face Oregon again on January 1 in a second-round matchup at the Rose Bowl, aiming to turn the tide after their previous nail-biting loss to the Ducks on October 12.