COLUMBUS, OH— Ohio State and Tennessee concluded the four-game opening weekend of the first round of the College Football Playoff in Columbus; the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams were closely seeded as Ohio State was eighth and the Volunteers were seeded ninth in the rankings.
The Buckeyes got off to a fast start with a 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a 38-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead over Tennessee with 12:46 to go in the first.
After a punt from the Volunteers on their first drive, the Buckeyes scored another touchdown, finished off by Quinshon Judkins from the one yard line to give Ohio State a 14-0 lead early in the first. Tennessee was forced to punt again and Ohio State went on another touchdown drive, capped off by TreVeyon Henderson’s 26-yard touchdown run to give Ohio State a 21-0 lead in the first with 3:27 to go. After a dominant fifteen minutes, Ohio State led, 21-0 over Tennessee.
In the second quarter, Tennessee saved the game from getting completely away from them after Will Brooks intercepted Howard in the end zone to give the Volunteers possession, down 21-0. The Vols turned the turnover forced into a field goal on a 62-yard drive and trailed 21-3 early in the second.
After a three-and-out for the Buckeyes, the Volunteers went on a 16-play, 75-yard Touchdown drive, highlighted by a two-yard touchdown run by Nico Iamaleava to cut Ohio State’s lead to 21-10 at the half.
After the half, Ohio State’s defense got Tennessee off the field and drove down the field and scored on another hookup from Howard to Smith through the air, this one for 22 yards out, and Ohio State took a 28-10 lead with 9:10 left in the quarter. Quinshon Judkins added another one yard score late in the third to push the Buckeyes’ lead to 35-10 with a minute to go in the stanza.
The fourth quarter wasn’t any better for the Volunteers as Ohio State’s Henderson scored on a 26-yard touchdown jaunt and the Buckeyes took a 42-10 lead early in the period. The final ended up being 42-17, in favor of the Buckeyes as they will get a rematch against the #1 Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
