COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Vol invasion of Ohio Stadium was real. It just didn’t contribute to the outcome of Saturday night’s first College Football Playoff game in the way Tennessee had hoped.

About 20,000 volunteers headed north to experience the opening weekend of the first 12-team College Football Playoff in person. They stocked up on heavy orange jackets from Knoxville to the Arkansas border and posed for photos at the Ohio Welcome Visitor Centers.

They scoffed at the suggestion that freezing temperatures and snow flurries would deter fans of an SEC program. Or that Vol Nation couldn’t make its presence felt in the Big Ten’s 102,000-seat palace.

“Don’t tell us we can’t do this,” said 62-year-old Paul Lindsay of Jackson, Tennessee.

Tennessee fans packed bars in Columbus on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. They overtook the audience Saturday morning during ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcast. Three miles from the Horseshoe, they sang “Dixieland Delight” at the Red Door Tavern, where the only fan dressed in Ohio State colors among 200 in the building left four hours before kickoff.

“We played ‘Rocky Top’ at every Waffle House within 50 miles,” said Coty Dishongh, 33, of Spring Hill, Tennessee.

During warmups, Tennessee fans outnumbered the home team. They enjoyed the moment, singing the chorus of the famous Tennessee anthem while the Ohio State officials and scarlet-clad fans got uncomfortable.

Never in modern history has an Ohio State opponent faced such strength. Rival Michigan brought no more than 7,000 spectators to see its best teams.

Unfortunately it didn’t matter. Final score: Ohio State 42, Tennessee 17.

The Buckeyes jumped out to a three-touchdown lead in the first quarter. Before they took control, there was an electric atmosphere in the areas of the stadium where both home and away fans were mixed. Tennessee fans occupied most of the seats in the lower level of the North End Zone. The seats on the east side of the stadium also featured orange clothing.

Tennessee fans are a passionate bunch. They used the 3,500 tickets made available to the visiting team in accordance with CFP protocols. Vol Nation also received access to the code that Ohio State provided to its donors and season ticket holders for presale through Ticketmaster. And they snapped up tickets in large numbers that were available through third-party sellers.

“Really, Ohio State kind of gave us a gift by allowing us to get as many tickets as we wanted,” Dishongh said Saturday morning in the parking lot of a Sheetz gas station outside Columbus. “They just hand them out to us.”

His wife, Tiffany, nodded in agreement. A fourth-generation season ticket holder, he’s the “guru” in Tennessee, but she went along with it.

“I got married here,” said Tiffany Dishongh. “It’s definitely a lifestyle. We are committed. I started as a fan when they were shit. So it’s nice to actually get some payoff.”

Brian and Lori Sitton of Jackson, Tennessee, purchased tickets through StubHub at the top of Ohio Stadium. When prices dropped, they downgraded and gave the original cards to their college-age son. They made the eight-hour drive on Friday.

“That was our Christmas present,” Lori said.

“We just want to be a part of it,” Brian said.

And that’s just right for Tennessee. Despite Saturday’s loss, the Vols got their first chance to play in a CFP game. “We’ve been hungry for a team like this for 15, 20 years,” said Kevin Painter of Maryville, Tennessee.

The opportunity to be among the first four fan bases to enter a stadium as attendees of a playoff game? It was an easy decision.

“That’s why I’m here because of the historical significance,” said Harold Conner of Knoxville, a 1968 UT graduate.

They came in confident. Conner’s wife, Joyce, stayed home for this trip but had already purchased tickets to the Rose Bowl. Instead, Ohio State will face Oregon on New Year’s Day in Pasadena.

“I don’t even know if I can put into words the opportunity and the nature of what’s going on here,” Lindsay said. “We’ve seen really good times. And to achieve that, if it’s the first of its kind, what an opportunity to be here to do this.

“It seems like the other side is not (that excited). I hate that part of it.”

“It doesn’t mean any more to Tennessee fans than it does to Ohio State fans,” said Josh Lindsay of Nashville, Paul’s 34-year-old son. “They love it as much as we do. But I feel like we’re one of the most expressive fan bases out there.

“Look outside in every direction. You’re going to see 100 Tennessee fans.”

Yes, Ohio State entered the postseason in a bit of a daze after losing at home to Michigan to close out the regular season. The disappointment undoubtedly contributed to Tennessee fans being able to easily snag tickets.

To their credit, the Buckeyes provided a quick answer to questions about their focus and commitment after putting their hot start behind them with a knockout second-half blow after Tennessee cut the lead to 11 at halftime.

By the fourth quarter, the sections of the horseshoe that were once painted orange had largely emptied. But the volunteers walked proud of their appearance. They want to return to that postseason spectacle next year — if not as SEC champions, then as hosts of a first-round game.

Of course, with all the joy that was the weekend in Ohio, the volunteers would rather welcome a top team to Knoxville in December.

“If this game had been at (Neyland Stadium), you might have had 5,000 fans of the opposing team,” said Brian Broyles, Tennessee senior vice chancellor for advancement. “Maybe. Maybe. Because we would have made sure it was orange and white throughout the stadium.”

(Photos: Mitch Sherman for The athlete)