KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After the second regular season with ten wins in three years under head coach Josh HeupelThe seventh-place Tennessee Volunteers have officially punched their ticket to their first College Football Playoff.

The ninth-seeded Volunteers will face eighth-seeded Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, December 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by ESPN and ABC.

The first-round winner advances to face top-seeded Oregon, the Big Ten champion, in the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year’s Day. The CFP quarterfinals begin at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) and Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) are meeting for only the second time. The two teams faced off in the 1996 Citrus Bowl, when MVP Jay Graham rushed for 154 yards and Peyton Manning completed 20 of 35 passes and a touchdown to give the Volunteers a 20-14 victory. It will be Tennessee’s first game at Ohio State.

Ohio State finished fourth in the Big Ten this season with key wins over playoff contenders Penn State and Indiana. The matchup will feature a battle between two of the top five defensive players in the country. The Buckeyes rank first in the FBS, allowing just 10.9 points per game and 241.1 yards per contest. Meanwhile, Tennessee is fourth in the nation with 13.9 points per game and fifth in the FBS with 278.3 yards per contest.

Tennessee, ranked No. 7, received the No. 9 seed as Boise State and Big 12 champion Arizona State received the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, with the Group of Five’s automatic bid. The Vols were one of three SEC teams to earn CFP spots, joining No. 2 seed SEC champion Georgia and No. 5 seed Texas.

Tennessee relied on the SEC’s top rushing attack, which managed 232.0 yards per game, led by the spectacular play of its junior running back Dylan Sampson. Sampson, the USA Today Network SEC Player of the Year, broke five school single-season records by rushing for 1,485 yards with 256 carries and 22 touchdowns.

The Vols held 10 of their 12 opponents under 20 points thanks to a stifling defense that held seven of their eight Power Four opponents below their season average.

The College Football Playoff berth is another significant accomplishment for Heupel’s Vols, who were 3-7 the year before his arrival. Four years into his tenure, Tennessee has won 37 games and has won 30 since 2022, tied for the fourth-most wins in the SEC during that span. It is the program’s winningest three-year stretch since 30 wins from 1998-2000.

Preparations for the College Football Playoff are in full swing. The volunteers will train next week, attend the graduation ceremony on Friday and then move into game week. All CFP First Round participants will treat the first round as a normal game week schedule and will depart for their destination the day before the game.

2024 College Football Playoff first round schedule

always east
Friday, December 20th
(10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame, 8 p.m., ESPN and ABC

Saturday December 21st
(11) SMU at (6) Penn State, noon, TNT
(12) Clemson at (5) Texas, 4 p.m., TNT

(9) Tennessee at (8) Ohio State, 8 p.m., ESPN and ABC

College Football Playoff Committee Rankings
1. Oregon (13-0)
2. Georgia (11-2)
3. Texas (11-2)
4. Penn State (11-2)
5. Notre Dame (11-1)
6. Ohio State (10-2)

7. Tennessee (10-2)
8. Indiana (11-1)
9. Boise State (12-1)
10. SMU (11-2)
11. Alabama (9-3)
12. Arizona State (11-2)
13. Miami (10-2)
14. Ole Miss (9-3)
15. South Carolina (9-3)
16. Clemson (10-3)
17. BYU (10-2)
18. Iowa State (10-3)
19. Missouri (9-3)
20. Illinois (9-3)
21. Syracuse (9-3)
22nd Army (11-1)
23. Colorado (9-3)
24. UNLV (10-3)
25. Memphis (10-2)

Josh Heupel CFP Selection Day press conference

Opening speech…

“Good afternoon everyone. I’m definitely looking forward to being in the playoffs and obviously playing a great program that’s been great in recent history, but throughout program history (and) certainly what they’ve done on the field this year. was very successful. “Excited” to have the opportunity to participate in such an elite program. If we prepare here we will understand what it takes to go away and play really good football against a great football team.

On how much they were able to get a head start on film studying for Ohio State and his first impressions of their defense…

“Last week we were able to go out on the pitch and do some goalkeeping drills with our young players. We felt there were several scenarios still in play, so we’re starting the film study of that today. “Our opponent is here in the building today to undergo treatment and rehab, but we’ll continue watching football with these guys tomorrow or get the chance to digest the tape today, this is a squad full of elite players that is extremely well coached. They’re smart, they’re physical on both sides of the offensive line and they also do a great job on special teams given the quality of the opponent we’re up against. We have to be at our best and we need a great few weeks of preparation to give ourselves a chance to do that in Columbus.”

To prepare for playing in extremely cold weather…

“Yeah, I’m not sure what the temperature will be up there at night. I know it won’t be sunny and 85°. We played a week ago in 30 degrees Celsius. For us, a lot of our training takes place in the morning. We’re outside (and) the temperatures will be similar to those up there. Our guys have to be able to handle whatever comes their way, whether it’s outside distractions, we’re preparing for that our best, 11 on 11 between the white lines and we’re going to be ready for that and act at a high level.”

That the team doesn’t put too much pressure on itself before reaching the playoffs…

“We are in a great conference and compete against elite programs throughout the season. Again, I have to understand that this is a great opportunity and when you get to the postseason, you’re playing in a game like this and you have to do the normal things at the same time. “It’s not about one magical play that makes the difference , but about the fundamentals, technique and eye discipline of what you do in all three phases of the game that enables you to make plays. These are the same messages our guys have heard all season. Now it’s all about how we prepare and make sure we’re at our best when we get there.”

On changing your mindset before the playoffs…

“As long as you concentrate fully on the preparation, it will continue as usual. That’s on the practice field, that’s in the meeting room. You have to take care of your body at the highest level to ensure you are successful.” You are at your best personally when we get started. It’s a different season, you have to embrace it and now it’s about taking advantage of the opportunity we have. The only thing that matters is Saturday night at the stadium in Columbus, Ohio. We have played in big games and have to be ready to handle whatever comes our way that night, but it is your preparation that gets you to this moment Presence is the most important thing in everyday life.

On his first thoughts on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard…

“We’ll go into more detail today, but when you look at them offensively, they have explosive playmakers on the perimeter. Big, strong, strong, physical offensive linemen. Great skills at the running back position. Even in a game like this I think it depends on the offensive line. We need to defend their explosive playmakers on the perimeter.

What it means to make the playoffs for the first time…

“For us, it’s the next step for our program. Our players have been working towards this since last January. Again, you have earned the right to take part in a game like this. Proud of what we accomplished throughout the year.” The regular season begins here. There was an expectation in our program to be able to play in a game like this in the postseason, but we also realize that we are preparing to play against a great team and we have to play our best.”

On training outside to prepare for a possible cold weather match…

“I have a feeling we’ll be out as much as possible in the lead-up to kick-off. Normally at some point during this preparation the temperatures will be similar to what we expect up there on Saturday evening. “We normally go outside unless there’s something wrong with the lawns here, whether it’s wet, damp or frosty.”

On players entering the transfer portal before the playoffs begin…

“For me, the individual will make the decision that they feel is right for them, their family, whatever it may be. I just know that as a competitor, I’ve been doing it for a long time, as a coach, but also from my playing experience. “I can’t imagine not taking part in what I think is one of the most unique opportunities in your playing career, but also in your life want. They have put a lot of work into this and this is a unique opportunity. “

On the benefits of playing or not playing during conference championship weekend…

“For us in this program, competing in the SEC Championship in Atlanta is one of the first goals we have as a program. Disappointed we couldn’t be there. But we did it last week.” Some of these guys have also gotten quite a bit of work over the course of the season as we started preparing this week.

What he notices about Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day…

“I didn’t have the opportunity to meet him often. Great respect for what he’s done in his coaching career, for what he’s done there at The Ohio State University and for the success they’ve had year after year. Great.” Recognition for how he did it and what he was able to achieve there.”