Tennessee at Ohio State: College Football Playoff first round live updates, score, highlights
Ohio State and Tennessee are set to meet in the final College Football Playoff game in the first round, with the winner set to advance to the quarterfinals to take on top-seeded Oregon.
There should be no shortage of drama on Saturday night in Columbus, with both teams feeling good about their chances. The Buckeyes enter as the No. 8 seed, while the Volunteers are the No. 9 seed.
On3 will be following the game throughout the evening to provide live updates, so stay tuned below for all the latest from the pivotal postseason matchup. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET with a broadcast on ABC. Let’s dive right in.
FINAL: Ohio State 42 – 17 Tennessee
12/21/2024 10:39:26 PMThe game has gone final, with Ohio State winning 42-17 to advance to the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. It was a dominant win, and now a matchup with No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl awaits. Here are the final stats for the game.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 42 – 17 Tennessee, 1:56 4Q
12/21/2024 10:30:44 PMTennessee marches down the field and finally punches another score in after a long drought following the initial surge to get back in the game late in the first half. Nico Iamaleava took it in from 2 yards out for the score. He has now run 20 times in this contest for 47 yards and two scores. That’s simply not a recipe for success against a high-caliber opponent. Tennessee’s injuries on offense tonight cannot be overstated. Losing Dylan Sampson, Squirrel White and Dont’e Thornton was killer.
TRADING SERIES: Clock slowly melting away
12/21/2024 10:25:38 PMThe two teams have traded a few series now, with Ohio State bringing in two different backup quarterbacks. The air has been let out of the game, as the stands start to clear of Tennessee fans. Five minutes remain in the contest, with Tennessee currently in possession.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 42 – 10 Tennessee, 10:53 4Q
12/21/2024 10:05:37 PMOhio State is running up the score now, tacking on another touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the lead out to 32 points. This time it’s running back TreVeyon Henderson doing the honors, bursting up the middle for a 24-yard score. There’s still time on the clock officially, but this one is all but done and dusted for Tennessee.
END OF 3RD QUARTER: Ohio State 35 – 10 Tennessee
12/21/2024 09:55:50 PMThe third quarter has ended and Tennessee has a massive mountain to climb if it hopes to keep playing football this season. Ohio State’s defense seems ready to feast. Here are the stats following the third quarter.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 35 – 10 Tennessee, 1:18 3Q
12/21/2024 09:49:34 PMTennessee’s previous drive stalled out, and after thinking about going for it on fourth down in his own territory, coach Josh Heupel opted to punt it away. Back on the Volunteers defense to try to stop Will Howard and company. Easier said than done tonight. After Ohio State marched down the field, a couple Tennessee penalties in the red zone put Ohio State on the doorstep, and Quinshon Judkins finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. That puts the Buckeyes in absolutely dominant position with a quarter and change to play.
Dylan Sampson has checked back in…
12/21/2024 09:29:39 PMWith Tennessee’s season clearly on the line, running back Dylan Sampson has checked back into the contest. He hasn’t been in for a bit, so we’ll see how quickly he can get loose. His first touch comes on a swing pass to the flats, going for just two yards. It’ll be interesting to see how much he can do in the second half here.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 28 – 10 Tennessee, 9:16 3Q
12/21/2024 09:28:07 PMTennessee’s opening possession is stopped by Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes a chance to re-establish control in the contest early in the third quarter. They wasted little time in doing so. Will Howard was sharp, completing four passes on the drive, including a 22-yard strike to Jeremiah Smith for a touchdown. It was the freshman sensation’s second score of the evening and widens the cushion back to 18 points. Time will start to become a major factor for Tennessee.
Second half gets underway…
12/21/2024 09:13:21 PMWe’re back underway in the second half of the College Football Playoff contest, with Tennessee receiving the half’s opening kick from Ohio State. Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson was warming up and getting loose on the sidelines. According to ESPN’s Marty Smith, he is questionable to play in the second half. The Volunteers could certainly use him.
HALFTIME: Ohio State 21 – 10 Tennessee
12/21/2024 08:50:52 PMOhio State drives it quickly upfield but has to settle for a 56-yard field goal attempt to end the half and it comes up woefully short. The stats have evened up a bit after the lopsided first quarter.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 21 – 10 Tennessee, 0:20 2Q
12/21/2024 08:44:52 PMTennessee marches down the field after the three-and-out and punches it in, with Nico Iamaleava doing the honors after running several times on the drive. His 2-yard scoring plunge with 20 seconds remaining in the half makes it feel like a much more competitive contest. Ohio State is likely to be blanked in the second quarter despite some movement, and Tennessee has something it can build on on both sides of the ball.
THREE-AND-OUT: Tennessee comes up with a stop
12/21/2024 08:28:21 PMThe Tennessee defense does its job and comes up with a nice three-and-out thanks to a terrific stop on third-and-1 from the Ohio State 34-yard line. The punt goes 46 yards to the Tennessee 21, where the Volunteers will begin on offense. Can they string together multiple drives in a row and cut into the lead in the College Football Playoff showdown?
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 21 – 3 Tennessee, 6:39 2Q
12/21/2024 08:22:23 PMTennessee marches the length of the field following the interception, and finally Nico Iamaleava is showing some signs of getting into a groove. He completes three passes on the drive for 44 yards but the Volunteers are forced to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Max Gilbert. It’s a start.
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson banged up?
12/21/2024 08:18:22 PMTennessee star running back Dylan Sampson appears to be battling some sort of injury, and the ABC crew of Marty Smith and Chris Fowler discussed it live on the air in the middle of the second quarter of the College Football Playoff contest.
“Chris, when Ohio State had the ball last, Dylan was favoring extra stretching on his left hamstring,” Smith reported from the sidelines. “He was on the bike trying to stay loose, and I’ve not yet seen him on this drive.”
SIGNS OF LIFE: Tennessee comes away with an INT
12/21/2024 08:09:53 PMOhio State once again began marching on another offensive drive, and a shot to the end zone for Jeremiah Smith immediately sparked some controversy. Smith nearly came down with a terrific one-handed grab in between two defenders, but the ball came loose and Tennessee defender Will Brooks picked it off. Buckeyes fans will want a call for defensive pass interference, but that’s not reviewable. So after a review of the catch, the Volunteers come away with a key takeaway. Can they make something of it?
END OF 1ST QUARTER: The stats are lopsided
12/21/2024 08:02:12 PMThe first quarter of the College Football Playoff showdown was dominated by Ohio State and the stats bear that out. Tennessee has serious work to do to get back into the contest. The most jarring stat? Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has yet to complete a pass.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 21 – 0 Tennessee, 3:27 1Q
12/21/2024 07:48:55 PMOhio State catches a bit of a break as a punt gets into Caleb Downs’ gut and pops out. But he was able to recover the muff to preserve possession after the Tennessee offense was once again shut down on its second drive.
Then it was back to work for the offense. After picking up a key third-down conversion, Ohio State simply handed the rock to running back TreVeyon Henderson and he did the rest with a 29-yard touchdown run. It’s a three-score game already, with 3:27 still remaining in the first quarter.
Will Howard putting on a show early on
12/21/2024 07:34:10 PMThe Ohio State quarterback has started off red hot through the first two drives. So far he is 5-of-6 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown. He has completions of 40, 37 and 21 yards so far. If he keeps playing like this, the Buckeyes will be almost impossible to beat.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 14 – 0 Tennessee, 8:09 1Q
12/21/2024 07:31:37 PMTennessee couldn’t sustain much on its opening drive, eventually punting it back away to Ohio State. The Buckeyes would waste little time cashing in yet again, with Will Howard dropping some absolute dimes. A one-on-one shot to Emeka Egbuka went for 40 yards down into the low red zone. A couple Quinshon Judkins runs later and Ohio State is up 14-0 with 8:09 to play in the first quarter.
SCORE ALERT: Ohio State 7 – 0 Tennessee, 12:46 1Q
12/21/2024 07:31:19 PMOhio State takes the lead on its opening drive, despite some early hiccups that appeared to be related to crowd noise. The drive looked to be in trouble until a facemask penalty on Tennessee on third down extended the drive. Then Will Howard got hot and connected on back-to-back big passing plays, the latter going to star freshman Jeremiah Smith for a 37-yard touchdown strike. Game on!
GAME ON: Tennessee kicks it away
12/21/2024 07:19:33 PMThe game begins with the Volunteers kicking it away to the Buckeyes. And we’re off, with the crowd definitely something to monitor in the early going tonight.
Tennessee fans have shown up in droves
12/21/2024 06:55:54 PMCredit Tennessee fans for traveling remarkably well with the team and making a serious dent in the crowd split tonight at the Horseshoe. According to some estimates by reporters on scene, there may be as many as 30,000 Volunteers fans in the house. That should make for an electric environment both ways.
Ohio State opens as 6.5-point favorite
12/21/2024 06:17:30 PMWith the benefit of the home field in the College Football Playoff opener, Ohio State opened as a 6.5-point favorite in the contest, according to lines released by FanDuel. The opening over/under for the contest was set at 47.5 points, so offense could be at a premium tonight. Can either team take an early lead and dictate the tempo? That could be telling.