In a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, No. 1 Oregon will face the winner of No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 9 seed Tennessee.
On December 21 (5 p.m. PT, ESPN/ABC), the Volunteers (10-2) and Buckeyes (10-2) will square off in Columbus, Ohio.
Five things to know about Tennessee and Ohio State before their first-round playoff matchup are listed below.
Ohio State Buckeyes
On Saturday, August 31, 2024, OSU head coach Ryan Day waits to rush onto the field prior to the first half of the college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Akron Zips in Columbus. Petkiewicz, David, cleveland.com Petkiewicz, David, cleveland.comPetkiewicz, David, cleveland.com
1) Since 2011, Ohio State has not had three consecutive losses in a season.
For the first time since finishing 6-7 in 2011, when Luke Fickell was the interim head coach, the Buckeyes will finish with three losses if they lose in the CFP.
2) Against ranked teams, Ohio State’s scoring defense is second out of the 12 playoff teams.
Seven of the top 14 teams in the nation are in the CFP, and OSU leads the nation in scoring defense. Even though Notre Dame only faced one rated opponent, the Buckeyes rank second in the playoffs for scoring defense.
On October 26, 2024, in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) plays against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.Getty Pictures
3) The majority of league coaches’ first team all-Big Ten selections
Three Ohio State players—Jeremiah Smith, Seth McLaughlin, and Donovan Jackson—were chosen by the Big Ten coaches to be on the first team all-Big Ten on both the offense and defense (JT Tuimoloau, Caleb Downs, and Lathan Ransom).
4) Tied for fourth place in red zone touchdown percentage
Ohio State is tied with Army for fourth place nationally with 38 red zone touchdowns (77.65%) on 49 visits.
In the first half of Saturday, October 26, 2024,’s college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers in Columbus, Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke (10) celebrates a spectacular stop on Cornhuskers wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. (17). Petkiewicz, David, cleveland.comPetkiewicz, David, cleveland.com
5) Shared the 70th position in passes defended.
OSU is tied for 70th place with 3.92 passes defended per game, 38 pass breakups, and 9 interceptions. It ranks second in terms of throw yards allowed per game (144.3) and tied for first nationally in terms of four touchdown passes allowed.
Tennessee Volunteeers
On Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) puts pressure on Virginia quarterback Tony Muskett (11). Wade Payne/AP Photo
1) James Pearce Jr. is one of the best edge rushers in the country.
Most people predict that the Vols defensive end will be selected in the first round. He has 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup, and 35 tackles—11 for loss.
On Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. (1) passes Vanderbilt cornerback Jaylin Lackey (27) to score a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)AP
2) The leader in receiving yards is Donte Thornton Jr.
With six touchdowns and 647 receiving yards, the former Oregon wide out leads Tennessee.
FILE: McKenzie Milton, 10, of Central Florida, rolls out to throw a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game versus Navy in Orlando, Florida, on November 10, 2018. For the majority of the season, Milton and the Knights have dominated outmatched opponents, but when they host Cincinnati on Saturday, they will face one of their most difficult opponents. (File: Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo)AP
3) On-staff McKenzie Milton
Milton, an offensive analyst with the Vols, was a teammate of Dillon Gabriel at UCF and Mililani High School. At UCF, both played for Josh Heupel.
4) 2-0 overall in the series
The two matches, in 2010 and 2013, were won by Oregon by a total score of 107-27.
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 03: William Inge, assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach, leads warm-up exercises prior to the Washington Huskies vs. Kent State Golden Flashes college football game on September 3, 2022, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.(Image courtesy of Jacob Snow/Getty Images/Icon Sportswire)Sportswire’s Icon via Getty Images
5) On-staff former co-defensive coordinator from Washington
Tennessee’s linebackers coach is William Inge, who worked for Kalen DeBoer at Fresno State and Washington.
No. 1 Oregon (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)/No. 9 Tennessee (10-2) in the CFP quarterfinal
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When:
Wednesday, Jan. 1
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Time:
2 p.m. PT
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Where:
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
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TV channel:
ESPN
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Oregon Ducks football 2024 season schedule, scores
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