Everything you need to know about today's CFP game

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tennessee and SEC Player of the Year Dylan Sampson will make their College Football Playoff debut in a prime-time matchup against Ohio State.

The game begins at 8:00 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium, also known as The “Shoe.” It will air on ABC and ESPN to conclude the first round of the CFP. The winner will play No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.

The ninth-seeded Vols (10-2) boast the fourth-best defense (13.9 ppg) in the country and talented redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

The eighth-seeded Buckeyes (10-2) boast the No. 1 scoring defense (10.9 ppg) and a number of quality players, particularly at running back, wide receiver and safety.

NICO IN COLD WEATHER? Tennessee QB not sweating in CFP against Ohio State

Score Tennessee vs. Ohio State

teams	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	final
Tennessee	xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
Ohio State	xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Tennessee vs Ohio State update

This will be updated when CFP play begins.

What channel is Tennessee vs. Ohio State on today?

Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo

Watch Select Tennessee Games Live with Fubo (Free Trial)

Tennessee vs. Ohio State start time

Location: Ohio Stadium (102,870) in Columbus, Ohio

Tennessee’s game against Ohio State begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 21st at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

The game will be broadcast live on ABC. Streaming options are available through the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers. Chris Fowler will handle play-by-play duties while Kirk Herbstreit will serve as broadcast color analyst. Holly Rowe and Marty Smith will serve as sideline reporters.

Tennessee vs. Ohio State story

Series balance: Tennessee leads 1-0
Tennessee last win: 20-14 (January 1, 1996, Citrus Bowl)
Ohio State’s last win: no

Tennessee vs Ohio State prediction

Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20: A good comparison for this matchup is Ohio State vs. Penn State, which the Buckeyes won 20-13. Tennessee runs the ball well and touts a physical defensive front. That should be enough to keep the score low and close. If the Vols can capitalize on trips to the red zone with touchdowns instead of field goals, they will win. But the safe bet is that Ohio State’s stingy red zone defense will do to Tennessee what it did to Penn State. So the Vols will cover the spread, but the Buckeyes will get a nail-biting win. Check out more predictions from our Knox News staff.

Tennessee vs Ohio State betting odds

Saturday’s BetMGM lines and odds:

Money line: Ohio State -110

Tennessee vs. Ohio State injury updates

Tennessee: DB Jourdan Thomas (out), LB Keenan Pili (out). Athletic competitors Bru McCoy, Dont’e Thornton and Squirrel White left the Nov. 30 Vanderbilt game with injuries but practiced this week in non-contact red jerseys. Your status will be updated shortly before the game.

Tennessee vs. Ohio State transfer portal

Tennessee players in the portal: WR Kaleb Webb, WR Chas Nimrod, WR Nathan Leacock, WR Nate Spillman, RB Cam Seldon, RB Khalifa Keith, OL Vysen Lang, QB Ryan Damron, LB Jalen Smith, CB Jordan Matthews.

Weather update for Tennessee vs. Ohio State

The forecast is for 23 degrees and cloudy skies at kick-off.

Tennessee football schedule 2024

Always east

August 31st: Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3
September 7th: Tennessee 51, NC State 10
September 14th: Tennessee 71, Kent State 0
September 21st: Tennessee 25, Oklahoma 15*
Oct. 5: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14*
Oct. 12: Tennessee 23, Florida 17 (OT)*
Oct 19: Tennessee 24, No. 11 Alabama 17*
November 2nd: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18*
November 9th: Tennessee 33, Mississippi State 14*
November 16th: No. 2 Georgia 31, Tennessee 17*
November 23rd: Tennessee 56, UTEP 0
November 30th: Tennessee 36, Vanderbilt 23*
Dec 21: No. 9 seed Tennessee at No. 8 seed Ohio State | 8pm ET | ABC/ESPN

Denotes SEC game*

2024 Ohio State football schedule

Always east

August 31st: Ohio State 52, Akron 6
September 7th: Ohio State 56, Western Michigan 0
September 21st: Ohio State 49, Marshall 14
September 28th: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7*
Oct. 5: Ohio State 35, Iowa 7*
Oct. 12: #1 Oregon 32, Ohio State 31*
Oct 26: Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17*
November 2nd: Ohio State 20, No. 4 Penn State 13
November 9th: Ohio State 45, Purdue 0*
November 16th: Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7*
November 23rd: Ohio State 38, No. 8 Indiana 15*
November 30th: Michigan 13, Ohio State 10*
Dec 21: No. 9 seed Tennessee at No. 8 seed Ohio State | 8pm ET | ABC/ESPN

Denotes Big Ten games*

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Get the latest SEC football news and insight by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.