CFB analyst Josh Pate reveals that Nico Iamaleava nearly made an unprecedented decision when Tennessee played Ohio State
Ohio State put together one of the best college football runs of all time after losing to Michigan last season. The Buckeyes rolled through the College Football Playoff without much pushback and looked like a different team than the one that lost to Michigan. Ohio State’s run started against Tennessee in the first round when […]
Ohio State put together one of the best college football runs of all time after losing to Michigan last season.
The Buckeyes rolled through the College Football Playoff without much pushback and looked like a different team than the one that lost to Michigan.
Ohio State’s run started against Tennessee in the first round when the Vols fans showed up heavily in Columbus. The Buckeyes responded with a landslide victory that may have been even more lopsided if Nico Iamaleava had made an unprecedented decision that very well could have happened.
Josh Pate revealed on his show over the weekend that Iamaleava was weighing sitting out that game against the Buckeyes in December.
“This past December cats like Nico Iamaleava almost held out of playoff games because they were trying to renegotiate contracts in the middle of a playoff run,” Pate said. “He wasn’t the only one, he wasn’t the only one.”
Ohio State won that game, 42-17, and Tennessee wasn’t much of a real threat that game. Iamaleava carried the ball a whopping 20 times for the Vols and was the leading catalyst for a struggling Vols offense until late in the game. Without the tough running by Iamaleava, that game would have been even more lopsided. If he didn’t play, Tennessee was going to have to turn to an inexperienced quarterback.
Iamaleava was only 14-of-31 passing for 104 yards and was sacked four times. Ohio State won by 25 but it very well could have been a much wider spread.
Over the weekend the rabbit got out of the hat that Iamaleava was in contract negotiations with Tennessee. It all unfolded with Iamaleava missing team meetings and practice on Friday and the Vols parted ways with him following that.
Ohio State was going to roll the Vols either way but if Iamaleava had made the big decision to not play in the CFP, the Buckeyes may have not even allowed 17 points.
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Didn’t see that one coming.
