COLUMBUS, Ohio — On the opening drive, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sprinted past the Tennessee defense for a 37-yard touchdown and celebrated with high-fives from Buckeye fans near the tunnel. Moments later, linebacker Cody Simon delivered a crushing hit on Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, leaving his helmet cracked and the Vols reeling.
Ohio State jumped out to a commanding three-touchdown lead in the first quarter and never looked back, securing a dominant 42-17 win in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The victory came as a much-needed response after their devastating loss to Michigan three weeks earlier.
“I’m proud of how they responded,” said Ryan Day, marking his first win over an SEC opponent as Ohio State’s head coach. “You could see from the start that they were determined to win this game.”
Ohio State didn’t just win; they throttled Tennessee, delivering their largest margin of victory over an SEC team, surpassing the previous record of a 20-point win against Vanderbilt 91 years ago, according to ESPN Research.
“We did a great job of not letting up,” said Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who only played five snaps in the fourth quarter before the backups took over. “We could’ve let them back into the game, but keeping the foot on the gas was huge.”
Howard set the tone after a tough performance against Michigan, bouncing back with what could be considered his best game of the season. He threw two interceptions in the loss to the Wolverines, but on Saturday, he completed 24 of 29 passes for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for 37 yards. Ohio State led 42-10 early in the fourth quarter before rotating in backups.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly praised Howard’s focus, noting that the quarterback was so in sync with the offense that he was calling plays before Kelly could finish relaying them.
“The credit goes to the players,” Kelly said. “They were awesome. They were firing on all cylinders.”
After a quiet second half against Michigan, Smith was nearly unstoppable against Tennessee. He finished with a game-high 103 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, including a 22-yard score on the opening drive of the second half.
"He's the guy, man," Howard said of Smith. "I think he's the best receiver in the country. You see what he does with the ball in his hands. He's everything you want in a teammate and a receiver."
Running back TreVeyon Henderson powered the Buckeyes on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 54 yards receiving.
Defensively, Ohio State stifled Tennessee, not allowing quarterback Nico Iamaleava to complete a pass until 9:36 left in the second quarter. By that point, the Buckeyes were firmly in control with a 21-0 lead.
“These guys have a lot of pride,” Day said. “I think this says a lot about who our guys are to be able to respond like that in such a big way.”
The dominant performance set up a rematch with Big Ten champion and No. 1 seed Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Oregon edged Ohio State 32-31 in Eugene on October 12. Following Saturday’s win, ESPN BET opened Ohio State as a one-point favorite over Oregon. The Ducks covered as 3.5-point underdogs in their previous meeting.
Both Smith and Howard made key mistakes on the final drive of that October loss to Oregon. Smith was called for offensive pass interference, pushing the Buckeyes out of field goal range. Then, on the final play, Howard slid after a scramble, running out of time and preventing Ohio State from attempting a potential game-winning field goal.
“Yeah, I’m excited, man,” Howard said of facing Oregon again. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for all of us. We’ve all been looking forward to this, and for another shot at those guys. The way that last one ended doesn’t sit right with me. It still bugs me.”
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