First look at Tennessee: Star players, stats to know about Buckeyes CFP opponent

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is in. Yes, after a 10-2 regular season that included wins over both No. 11 Indiana and No. 6 Penn State, the Buckeyes earned the right to host a first-round game. They’ll play No. 9 seed Tennessee on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The winner will play No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.

It’s officially a Win Or Go Home scenario in the Horseshoe, and Lettermen Row is taking a first look at the Tennessee Volunteers in a matchup of two powerhouses in their respective conferences. Let’s dive in with an early look at the Buckeyes’ first-round opponent.

Offense

Star players

QB Nico Iamaleava: The former five-star, can’t-miss quarterback prospect from Southern California made headlines in his recruitment because of his insanely lucrative NIL deal, and he has started living up to the price tag. Iamaleava is completing nearly 66 percent of his passes for 2,512 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has 89 carries for 311 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. He was incredible during the Vols nonconference slate but went through a stretch of struggles in SEC play — but he’s a star in the making.

RB Dylan Sampson: Somehow snubbed for the Doak Walker Award finalist list, Sampson is a stud tailback who will challenge Ohio State. Sampson has 1,485 rushing yards and 22 touchdown runs on 256 carries this season; the rushing yards lead the SEC by more than 200 yards. He earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year for his incredible year on the ground.

WR Dont’e Thornton: He’s 18th in the SEC with 647 receiving yards on just 25 grabs, making him the Volunteers’ clear-cut top deep threat option. Ohio State will need to have a good plan to defend him down the field.

WR Bru McCoy: The former five-star prospect is 33rd in the SEC with 432 receiving yards. He’s not the star that Thornton is down the field, but he is a productive second option for Iamaleava.

C Cooper Mays: He’s the anchor of the Tennessee offensive line, which has helped Sampson become one of the best running backs in the SEC and around the country.

Statistics

Points per game: 37.2 (8th)

Yards per game: 462.9 (8th)

Rush yards per game: 232 (9th)

Pass yards per game: 230.9 (62nd)

Pass yards per completion: 12.48 (46th)

Red zone offense: .817 (88th)

Tackles for loss allowed per game: 4.67 (39th)

3rd down conversion percentage: .481 (14th)

Sacks allowed per game: 2.17 (73rd)

Turnovers lost: 15 (42nd)

Defense

Star players

DE James Pearce: The star junior defensive end and future NFL first-round draft pick has 35 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks on the season, making him one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in the SEC and all of college football. He also has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

LB Arion Carter: The leader of this Tennessee front seven has 65 total tackles and seven tackles for loss, and he added an interception to his stat line this season. Carter has become a star in just his second season of college football; expect him to be a superstar defender in the SEC moving forward.

DB Will Brooks: The do-it-all defensive back has three interceptions on the year — one of those returned for a touchdown. Brooks has 54 combined tackles to go with three tackles for loss. He’s part of the country’s 4th-ranked defense, and a big part at that.

DB Jermod McCoy: The first-team All-SEC defensive back had 39 tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions and nine pass deflections on the season, making him one of the most productive defensive players in college football. He will be key for the Volunteers against the seemingly unstoppable Ohio State wide receiver group.

Statistics

Points allowed per game: 13.92 (4th)

Yards allowed per game: 278.2 (4th)

Passing yards allowed per game: 178.7 (17th)

Rushing yards allowed per game: 99.6 (8th)

Red zone defense: .735 (11th)

Tackles for loss per game: 7.8 (7th)

3rd down conversion percentage: .295 (5th)

Turnovers gained: 20 (32nd)