Tennessee vs. Ohio State Expert Pick and Prediction – December 21, 2024

TENNESSEE VS. OHIO STATE EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – December 21, 2024 — Welcome to the first time in recent memory that Tennessee will visit a Big Ten stadium. The Volunteers typically don’t play Big Ten teams during the regular season, in part because SEC teams usually matched with Big Ten opponents in bowl season. Tennessee tended to opt for ACC foes when it scheduled out of conference, and it hasn’t played Ohio State outside of one bowl game in 1996.

Ohio State also opted to play teams outside the SEC, although that was often because teams from that league wouldn’t come to Columbus. The Buckeyes had no trouble getting teams like Texas, Virginia Tech and Oregon to come to Ohio Stadium, but bringing the SEC north was something that never happened.

Related: The Return of Rich Rodriguez

The playoff changed that, as Tennessee makes the trip north for a heavyweight matchup . Unlike Indiana or SMU, nobody’s questioning whether either of these teams belong in the postseason. Ohio State could have had a bye if it had won against Michigan and won a rematch with Oregon, but the Buckeyes let the Wolverines into their heads again at the worst possible time. This is their chance for redemption, although the loss to Michigan seems to have dampened Ohio State fans’ enthusiasm.

Tennessee fans have been gobbling up tickets to Ohio Stadium, which could mean a lot more orange in Columbus than expected.

The Odds

Kickoff

When: Saturday, December 21 at 8 p.m.

Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

TV: ABC

Public Bets: Unavailable

Public Money: Unavailable

Tennessee vs. Ohio State In-Season Trends

The Vols didn’t exactly look great down the stretch, going just 2-3 ATS down the stretch. They did answer nicely against UTEP and Vanderbilt, but the Miners were terrible and the Commodores always have problems against Tennessee. The Vols didn’t really seem like themselves after the Alabama win, which came back in mid-October.

Related: Why Ohio State Should Fire Ryan Day

Ohio State stood up nicely against Indiana, but had Michigan in its head in the final game. The Buckeyes covered in three of their final five games, and they play much better when they are emotionally freed. But in front of a nervous crowd in Columbus, that will not be the case here.

Weather

The good news is that there won’t be snow in Columbus. But it’s still going to be pretty cold: 26 degrees and cloudy.

The Difference-Makers

Nico Iamaleava has to be more aggressive. Ohio State gets after the quarterback like nobody’s business, and if Iamaleava is settling for short passes, the Vols aren’t going to go anywhere. Tennessee has to find a way to attack the Ohio State defense and make the Buckeyes make plays.

Related: Mack Brown’s Firing

Will Howard has to put together a stronger second half. Outside of the game with Indiana, a game that the Buckeye defense and special teams won, Howard hasn’t really done much in the final 30 minutes of games. If Ohio State isn’t getting the job done late, the Volunteers will win this game on the back end.

The Pick

Neither side is really where it was early in the season. The big question here is whether Ohio State will have the Michigan game out of their heads. If the Buckeyes have gotten their minds right, they have the edge here. If they’re still a mental mess, Tennessee can absolutely win.

Related: Defense of James Franklin

When you don’t trust either side, take the points and take the stronger unit. For both sides, that’s the defense.