The Ohio State football team came into its first-round matchup against Tennessee with a lot of pressure. Following the embarrassing loss to Michigan, fans wanted Ryan Day fired. The vibes were as bad as they have been in the last few years. Then, there was the supposed "stadium takeover" from Tennessee.
That stadium takeover failed. While there were a decent amount of Vols fans in Ohio Stadium, they were made sad very quickly. The Ohio State Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. They ended up winning the game by spanking the Vols 42-17.
It was the Jeremiah Smith show in the first half. He scored a big touchdown to start the game. He ended up with six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. They didn't ignore him as they did in the second half of the game against TTUN. Will Howard was great, too, throwing for 311 yards.
The Ohio State football team spanks Tennessee
TreyVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins also played great in this game. They each had a pair of touchdowns as the Buckeyes ran for 150 yards in the game. It was a completely dominant effort from the offense, and the offensive line deserves a lot of credit for their performance too.
The offensive line did have a rotation, but it worked out. They were able to open up some holes and keep Howard upright in the passing game. It was a surprising performance that should give the team confidence as they head to the Rose Bowl for their next game against Oregon.
Defensively, the Buckeyes played very well. They didn't allow Tennessee to get into a rhythm. Nico Iamaleava only threw for 156 yards. They absolutely shut him down. It was clear that the Vols weren't ready for the cold, either. They let it affect them in a big way.
This was the most complete performance that Ohio State has played this season. The team has all of the tools to win it all.