No. 8 seed Ohio State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 SEC), 42-17, on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, during the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes eliminated Tennessee from the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Vols’ 2024 season has concluded.
“We’ve got to play better,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “We’ve got to coach better. Ohio State is a good football team. Tonight wasn’t one of our best performances this year, and so at the end of the day we’ve got to continue to grow. We’ll start again and start retooling, rebuilding and grow as a football team. Two years ago, I don’t know, we finished sixth in the country. There’s a standard inside of our building, and we’re going to continue to grow.”
PHOTOS: Ohio State defeats Tennessee at Ohio Stadium
Below are five takeaways from Tennessee’s season finale.
Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
According to the University of Tennessee, the temperature at kickoff for the Tennessee-Ohio State game was 25 degrees, tying the third-coldest game for the Vols since 1950.
Nov. 25, 1950 vs. Kentucky – 10 degrees
Nov. 22, 1952 vs. Kentucky – 18 degrees
Nov. 26, 1977 vs. Vanderbilt – 25 degrees
Dec. 21, 2024 at Ohio State – 25 degrees
Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Saturday’s contest marked the first road game for the Vols against a Big Ten member at the time of the meeting. Tennessee’s previous matchups versus Big Ten opponents were played in bowl games or at a neutral site during the regular season. The Vols are the fourth team to play at Ohio Stadium as an SEC member (LSU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt).
Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Tennessee concluded its 2024 season with a 10-3 record and 6-2 in SEC play. The Vols recorded their second 10-win season in the last three years. Tennessee’s 30 wins from 2022-24 are the most for its program in a three-year…
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