FB PREVIEW: #7 Vols head north for playoff battle against #6 Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After three weeks of rest and preparation, it’s finally time for No. 7 Tennessee’s College Football Playoff debut, traveling north to face No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday night in prime time at Ohio Stadium.

Saturday night’s first-round showdown in Columbus marks the Volunteers’ first-ever road game against a Big 10 team at the time of the meeting, as well as the program’s first game at Ohio State.

In the first year of the expanded 12-team playoffs, UT enters as a No. 9 seed having posted a 10-2 overall record and a 6-2 record in the Southeastern Conference, while the Buckeyes are a No. 8 seed at 10-2 overall, including a 7-2 record in the Big 10.

The complete 2024 CFP bracket can be found HERE.

TRANSFER INFORMATION

Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN with Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Marty Smith (field reporter) and Holly Rowe (field reporter). Coverage is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The game will also feature an ESPN Megacast with several additional broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks, all listed below.

Main show (ABC & ESPN): LINK
McAfee Field Pass (ESPN2): LINK
Command Center (ESPNU): LINK
SkyCast (ESPNews): LINK
SkyCast 2 with Vol Network (SEC Network): LINK
Spanish broadcast (ESPN Deportes): LINK
Band halftime performances (ESPN3): LINK

Fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1), 65 stations throughout Tennessee and the Southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 82), and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 82). . 82) listen. 82) and the Varsity app. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app. Fans attending the game are encouraged to listen to the radio broadcast via Vol Network Stadiumcast on 91.1 FM. The broadcast will also be part of SEC Network’s SkyCast.

Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will make the decision, while VFL Jayson Swain will handle side duties for the Vol Network radio show. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours before kickoff at 6:00 p.m. ET. The pregame show is hosted each week by John Wilkerson, Hubbs, Swain and a rotating VFL special guest. The Vol Network will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024.

The Spanish broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990, with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and VFL Fuad Reveiz in conversation.

SEC Network will be on-site at Ohio Stadium. A special edition of Marty & McGee airs at 6 p.m., followed by SEC Now at 7 p.m

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Fans are encouraged to visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com for game day information.

Additionally, fans should note Ohio Stadium’s bag policy – any size bag or purse is permitted NOT allowed at Ohio Stadium. Purses, clutches or wristlets no larger than 5 x 8 x 1 inches are permitted. Fans should also be aware that Ohio Stadium is a stadium CASHLESS Venue. Debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted at concession stands.

All fans who purchased tickets through the official Tennessee Athletics contingent are asked to enter through Gate 6.

MUST KNOW

Volumes are set to make their CFP debut

Tennessee will make its first College Football Playoff appearance this Saturday night when it takes on Ohio State at The Shoe. The contest will be the Vols’ first game at Ohio State and only their second ever meeting with the Buckeyes. The winner of Saturday’s game advances to the CFP quarterfinals and will face No. 1 seed Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California.

D-Samp, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Junior runs back Dylan Sampson organized one of the most productive rushing seasons in SEC history and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. Sampson has also earned All-America honors from seven different networks after setting four single-season program records.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native enters this weekend’s contest with a Tennessee-record 22 rushing touchdowns, a mark that leads the Power Four and is tied for fourth nationally and tied for fifth with LSU’s Leonard Fournette (2015). ranked in SEC history. Sampson has found pay dirt at least once in 11 games this season and scored multiple touchdowns seven different times. He ranks second in program history for career rushing scores with 35 points and needs just two more to match Gene McEver’s record of 37 set in 1928-31.

Sampson also enters the CFP first-round matchup at Ohio State University as the SEC’s leading rusher with 1,485 yards, another program single-season record, after rushing for a career-high 178 yards in the regular-season finale at Vanderbilt and thus Travis Stephens surpassed previous record of 1,464 yards set in 2001.

Championship caliber defense
Led by defensive coordinator and Broyles Award finalist Tim BanksThe Vols have one of the best defensive units in the country all year long and are among the FBS leaders in points defense (t-4 – 13.9), yards per play allowed (4th – 4.33) and total defense (4th – 278.3). Third-down defense (5th – 29.5), tackles for loss (7th – 7.8), rushing defense (8th – 99.6) and red zone defense (11th). – 73.5).

Tennessee has held opponents to fewer than 20 points in 11 of the last 13 games, starting with the 35-0 shutout of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl last season. During that span, the Vols have posted three shutouts, including two this season (71-0 against Kent State on September 14th and 56-0 against UTEP on November 23rd). It is the first time since the final two games of the 2002 regular season against Vanderbilt and Kentucky that UT has recorded multiple shutouts in a season. Tennessee and Texas are the only SEC teams to hold 10 of their opponents under 20 points this season.

Nico is playing his best football
quarterback Nico Iamaleava enters Saturday’s game playing its best football of the season. The redshirt freshman has passed for four touchdowns in consecutive games, becoming the first UT player since Tyler Bray to do so in three consecutive games during the 2012 season.

Iamaleava is the first Tennessee freshman quarterback in school history – real or redshirt – to win 10 games in a season as a starter. He is also the first UT signal caller ever to do so since Casey Clausen posted a 10-3 record as a senior in 2003. Iamaleava is seeking to become the first Vols quarterback since Clausen to win at least 11 games in a season as a starter. He went 11-2 as a sophomore in 2001.

Non-conference success
Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest with a non-conference winning streak that stands at 14 games, its longest since 27 straight wins against non-SEC opponents in 1969-73. The current streak dates back to a season-opening win over Ball State on September 1, 2022. The Vols’ last non-conference loss came to Purdue in the 2021 Music City Bowl.

Under head coach Josh HeupelUT has a 17-2 record in non-conference games and has outscored its opponents 950-246. The Vols have also won their last four games against teams not ranked in the conference (No. 17 Pitt vs. No. 10 Clemson vs. No. 20 Iowa vs. No. 24 NC State). Since the start of the 2022 season, Tennessee is 14-0 against non-conference teams. Only Georgia (15-0) has a better non-conference record in the FBS during that span. The Big Orange are seeking their first road win against a non-conference top-10 team since defeating No. 6 Miami 10-6 in Miami on Nov. 8, 2003.

ESPN College GameDay on site
For the third time this season, ESPN College GameDay will be on site at a Tennessee road game. The Vols celebrate their 27th on Saturday^Th All-time appearance on the show. In the last five College GameDay appearances for the Big Orange under head coach Josh HeupelThey have a record of 3-2 with wins over Oklahoma (2024), Alabama (2022) and Florida (2022).

HISTORY OF THE SERIES

Tennessee leads the series 1-0

The Vols and Buckeyes will meet on Saturday night for the second time in the history of the two programs. Tennessee won the series’ only previous contest, posting a 20-14 victory in a battle of the top five teams at the 1996 Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Running back Jay Graham was named the game’s MVP after rushing for 154 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 182 yards and a score and hit star wideout Joey Kent seven times for 109 yards.

ABOUT OHIO STATE

Ohio State is participating in the College Football Playoff for the sixth time in program history and is ranked third in the FBS behind Alabama (eight) and Clemson (seven). The Buckeyes are one of six teams to win a national championship in the CFP era and won the first-ever playoffs in 2014. They are led by head coach Ryan Day, who compiled an impressive 66-10 overall record during his time in Columbus.

The Buckeyes are led by one of the most dominant defenses in the country and are ranked No. 1 nationally in points allowed per game (10.9), yards allowed per game (241.1) and red zone defense (55.2). All-American safety Caleb Downs leads Ohio State’s defense with 61 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one interception. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles leads the team with 76 total tackles, while senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau has wreaked havoc with 11.5 TFLs and six sacks, a team-high.

Offensively, OSU ranks 16th^Th in the country, averaging 35.5 points per game. The Buckeyes boast a balanced attack as they rushed for 3,052 yards and rushed for 2,030 on the year. The dynamic backfield duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have combined for 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this season. Quarterback Will Howard was also effective, completing 73 percent of his passes for 2,860 yards and 27 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. Ohio State has one of the most talented receiver corps in the country with the trio of Jeremiah Smith (57 rec., 934 yards, 10 touchdowns), Emeka Egbuka (60 rec., 743 yards, 9 touchdowns) and Carnell Tate (41 rec.). . , 583 yards, 4 TD).