5 things we learned from the CFP win

Here are five things we learned from Ohio State’s 42-17 win over Tennessee in the opening round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday night:

This was Ryan Day’s most important victory

After a fourth straight loss to arch-rival Michigan, Day’s stakes were at an all-time high.

While athletic director Ross Bjork expressed his support and even assured in a radio interview that Day would return next year, this did not quell speculation that Day would be training for his job in the postseason.

The specter of an early playoff exit that threatened to end the Buckeyes’ season before Christmas was ever-present.

But a win lowered the temperature around the program and provided a potential springboard for a run.

Day has better wins in his six seasons at the helm. In its other playoff triumph in 2020, the Buckeyes dismantled second-seeded Clemson and reached the national championship game.

But the impact of the win against Tennessee was profound. Few results of his term had the potential to influence direction as much as the future.

The offensive line strengthened

Tennessee’s pass rush spelled trouble for the Buckeyes’ patchwork offensive line.

The Volunteers are deep in the trenches with a group of defensive linemen led by James Pearce Jr., and few defenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision have wreaked as much havoc this year.

But the Buckeyes’ offensive line gave quarterback Will Howard time in the pocket as he completed 24 of 29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

According to Pro Football Focus, Howard was pressured just six times on 31 dropbacks. He was never sacked and only hurried twice.

It was just the third time in 13 games this year that Tennessee failed to record at least one sack.

“Look at their games,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said, “and they went after everyone they played. “It was a credit to our offensive line to keep Will clean.”

Skilled talent was an advantage

The Buckeyes’ playmakers shined in their opening series.

Howard relied on wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith on five of his first 10 plays.

That included Howard Smith sprinting down the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown on the opening series and hitting Egbuka down the seam for a 40-yard completion for their second score.

Kelly dialed another early call to running back TreVeyon Henderson, who ran out on a wheel route, resulting in a 21-yard gain.

“We did some things that maximized our strengths and minimized our deficits,” Day said.

Those things seemed to be about relying more heavily on their perimeter talent than they did in the loss to Michigan.

The Buckeyes exploded from the start. In the first half, Howard attempted 21 passes while he and the running backs rushed 14 times.

Jim Knowles’ defense remains stingy

Tennessee’s fast pace was somewhat unusual for the Buckeyes, who have mostly seen slower-playing offenses in the Big Ten. The Volunteers were only their second opponent this season with a total of 70 games.

But the speed didn’t matter.

Ohio State held Tennessee to 256 yards of offense, the fewest yards of the Josh Heupel era. Since Heupel arrived on Rocky Top in 2021, the Volunteers had only failed to surpass 300 yards rushing in a game twice.

An apparent hamstring injury limited running back Dylan Sampson, the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher, who carried the ball just twice for 6 yards.

Much was left to the credit of Nico Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman quarterback who combined for 51 pass and rush attempts that combined to average less than 3 yards per play.

Knowles, the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator, said they mixed up coverages, which led to Iamaleava holding the ball longer, contributing to four sacks.

An SEC win sparked celebration

At several points during the explosion, fans at Ohio Stadium erupted in mocking chants.

“SEC! SEC!”

As the players left the field, they also joined in the chant, even more pleased at having toppled a Premier Conference opponent.

The Buckeyes’ last win over an SEC team was a decade ago, when they upset Alabama during their national championship run.

Day had lost all three of its games against SEC teams before Saturday, including two in the playoffs.

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5 things we learned from the CFP win

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