College Football Playoffs Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024
One of the most exciting games of the college football playoffs is the matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers. Both teams enter this game with a record of 10-2 SU and now look to get this win to advance to the next round, where the winner will take on the Oregon Ducks on New Year’s Day!
Our friends over at BetOnline have set the line in this game at Ohio State Buckeyes -7 and the total is 46.5 points. Let’s take a deep dive into both of these teams and find out where the value lies.
Tennessee Volunteers Preview
The Tennesse Vols enter this game with two losses on their record. Those losses came against Arkansas back on Oct. 5, 2024, by a score of 19-14, and then on Nov. 16, 2024, against Georgia, where they lost 31-17.
Their season isn’t really full of credible wins for the Vols, which certainly has to be concerning for anyone willing to take a chance here with Tennessee. They played just 2 teams with a winning record this year, and went 1-1 in those games. So strength of schedule is a major concern here for their supporters!
On the other side of the equation, when you look at the times they were dogs this year, they went 1-1. They were getting 7.5 points against Georgia and lost by 14. They were getting 3.5 points against Alabama and won that game outright 24-17.
Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
The majority of talk around the Buckeyes is about Head Coach Ryan Day. Many people are calling for his job, saying that losing to Michigan Wolverines should call for his demise but what many people are seeming to forget is the Buckeyes are in the midst of a National Title hunt!
The Michigan game needs to be put behind them, and the focus needs to be on the Volunteers! The issue with the Buckeyes is their Offensive Line is like the walking-wounded. They are hurt and now facing a Tennessee defense that is ranked 8th nationally in Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game and 4th in Total Defense!
Therefore, they are going to need QB Will Howard to have a great game and use his arm to lead this team. They can not have turnovers, and more importantly, they must be able to move the ball down the field.
Spooky Express Handicapping
Don’t overlook the Buckeyes here and in the future in the College Football Playoffs. In this particular game, they have a major benefit on their side…. WEATHER! It is going to be cold, with temps in the 20’s and Tennessee just isn’t used to that. It is going to be a BIG adjustment for the Vols to play in such cold weather compared to Ohio State, who do it normally 4-5 games a year.
Therefore, we give the edge to the Buckeyes here. Win here, and then go get some revenge on the Oregon Ducks in round 2. Give us the Buckeys -7 over the Tennessee Volunteers!