Tennessee Vols are avoiding one key mistake before College Football Playoff game against the Ohio State Buckeyes
There's a narrative surrounding the Tennessee Vols' matchup against Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff that the Buckeyes are limping into the game after their shocking loss at home to Michigan last month. It's been nearly three weeks since the Buckeyes' loss to the Wolverines, but Ohio State's players and […]
There's a narrative surrounding the Tennessee Vols' matchup against Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff that the Buckeyes are limping into the game after their shocking loss at home to Michigan last month.
It's been nearly three weeks since the Buckeyes' loss to the Wolverines, but Ohio State's players and coaches are continuing to be peppered with questions about why the program couldn't beat an underwhelming Michigan team at home.
With that dark cloud seemingly hanging over the program, there are plenty of fans and media around the country who think Ohio State could come out "flat" against the Vols, which could lead to boos from the home crowd in Columbus.
Tennessee's players and coaches, however, don't see it the same way. They understand that rivalry games are different. And just because Ohio State lost to a Michigan team that hasn't been very good this season, doesn't mean the Buckeyes are suddenly a pushover.
"I think it’s just like anything in a rivalry game," said Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Tuesday about the success of Michigan's defense against Ohio State. "Those guys play extremely hard against each other and Michigan did a lot of good things.
"But for us, we look at those guys, just like I said, a lot of great skill from the running backs and receivers. And obviously, they’ve got a lot of pride up front, how they go about their business. So I just think anytime you play in a rivalry game, anything can happen. And obviously, Michigan was very fortunate that day.”
The Vols aren't banking on anything being "easy" just because Ohio State is coming off a tough loss against Michigan. They're likely well aware that the Buckeyes played a great game against Georgia in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinals after ending the regular season with a loss to Michigan. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has been in this position before and he had his team prepared well (OSU nearly beat Georgia that year…in fact, the Buckeyes probably win that game if star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr doesn't get hurt).
No one knows what version of Ohio State will show up in the Horseshoe on Saturday night. Tennessee, however, is preparing for Ohio State to play its best game of the season.
This is a game that's going to come down to which team handles the moment better. We'll find out late Saturday night which team that turned out to be.
