(Photo: Clutchpoints)
College Football Playoff- First Round
(9) Tennessee Volunteers at (8) Ohio State Buckeyes
Tennessee: I’ve had the chance to watch them a few times this season and even early on, I said they were one of the three best teams in the country behind the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns. Yeah, go figure, the SEC is reigning supreme again. In the beginning, they were scoring points with ease and you were hearing more about Nico Iamaleava, the young Quarterback. I noticed some issues when they got into conference play and it started on the 21st night of September (see what I did there?) in Norman, Oklahoma when they played the Sooners. Sometimes, it takes one team to unveil the blueprint on how to limit an explosive offense and that’s exactly what happened as Oklahoma became the first team to hold this offense under 30 points. The following week, they were upset by the unranked Arkansas Razorbacks. When they reached SEC play, the Volunteers only scored 30 points one time, and that came in a win against Mississippi State, but one thing I will say is they can win games in several ways. As expected, Nico is going to generate a lot of talk, especially with him being the Quarterback, but this is a Vols team that can get physical and scrappy when necessary. Dylan Sampson is the true workhorse of the offense and I said back in November they go as he goes. He’s a shifty back with power, good vision, cut-back ability, hands to catch the ball and short area burst. They have an identity which is running the football and playing stingy defense, the two vital things needed to succeed in the SEC. This is the second-ranked group in the country against third down and, they allow 13 points per game. Josh Heupel has something special potentially brewing in Knoxville. Tonight they will make a trip to the shoe.
Ohio State: Many were high on them, myself included. During the off-season, they took full advantage of the transfer portal and added to their roster in a big way with the additions of Will Howard from Kansas State, Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss, and Caleb Downs, who once played for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. One thing I will say about Ryan Day is he hit the jackpot with his hiring of Jim Knowles to run their defense and since his hiring, this has been one of the best defenses in America. Ryan also hired Chip Kelly as the new Offensive Coordinator and they were exactly what you’d expect. The biggest name this year has been the young Wide Receiver, Jeremiah Smith. As expected, they got off to a quick start until the heartbreaking loss in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks. Even after that, the Buckeyes were able to keep things rolling and start up another winning streak until two days after Thanksgiving when they fell to the Michigan Wolverines for the fourth consecutive season. If there was anything more that Michigan wanted, it was to play spoiler and they did just that because the scenario was simple: Win and you have a rematch with Oregon for the Big Ten title in Indianapolis. When you’re hired as the Head Coach at this institution, outside of winning a national title, of course, you want to beat your arch rivals and they haven’t done so since 2019. This was supposed to be the year where they ran through their schedule and were one of the top four teams in the bracket, but Oregon and the team up north had other plans. Here they are as the eighth seed in the expanded playoff format and will wrap up the first round with a showdown against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee X-Factor: Will Brooks– One of the veteran players on this defense, There’s always a guy that adds toughness to the mix and that’s exactly what Will has provided. I remember watching their game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in week two back in September and he intercepted the football and took it back to the house for 85 yards, a pick-six! Will has a knack for making the clutch play when it matters, he intercepted Jalen Milroe when they defeated Alabama on the “Third Saturday in October”. He simply has that nose for the football and will be counted on to bring that same intensity tonight.
Ohio State X-Factor: Will Howard– He joined the Buckeyes for a game of this magnitude. Look at many of their wins during the regular season, when they won, it was because Will Howard was involved and played a part. He’s a nice pocket passer with the ability to move and extend the play or throw the football with a moving pocket. For them to be successful tonight against Tennessee, they need Will to play well, stay in control, and most importantly, take care of the football. Attack down the field and allow your Wide Receivers to make a play on the ball.
Final Thoughts: When the bracket was revealed on December 8th, this was the matchup that caught my eye in the first round outside of Indiana and Notre Dame. These two are more similar than people realize as they can both run the football and play punishing defense. This Quarterback matchup intrigued me from the get-go with Nico Iamaleava and Will Howard. The cold weather is expected to play a factor, but I don’t think this will bother Tennessee because they are a physical football team, and as I’ve been known to say, physicality travels, no matter the team and where they play. The one matchup I will be watching is this Tennessee defensive line against the Buckeyes offensive line and Ohio State has been vulnerable, especially within the interior. For the Vols, can Nico make a big play when it matters? Dylan Sampson will do what he does, but he can’t do it alone and this is where the Quarterback comes into the picture. There will have to be a moment where he will have to spin the ball to keep this Ohio State offense honest. When I saw the Buckeyes against Michigan, they continued to run the ball and it kept getting stuffed. I need to see Ohio State be more aggressive and use this trio of Wide Receivers a bit more often, they’re amongst the best in the country for a reason. Running the ball will be tough against the Vols’ defense tonight. This will be close until the fourth quarter. I’m picking Tennessee to get a win in the shoe.
Prediction: Tennessee 26, Ohio State 20
