Pat Forde predicts the final score of College Football Playoff game between Tennessee Vols and Ohio State Buckeyes
The Tennessee Vols will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night in Columbus in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The winner of the game between the Vols and the Buckeyes will advance to the quarterfinals of the Playoff where a matchup against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl awaits. […]
The Tennessee Vols will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night in Columbus in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The winner of the game between the Vols and the Buckeyes will advance to the quarterfinals of the Playoff where a matchup against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl awaits.
Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde made his prediction for the game and he thinks it'll be Tennessee that gets the win and moves on to Pasadena.
Forde predicts that Tennessee will win 21-20 in the Horseshoe on Saturday night.
From SI.com: On a team facing a potential crisis of confidence, the Ohio State offense is the most acute area of concern. From game plan to execution, the Buckeyes were a disaster against three-touchdown underdog Michigan and will have to rethink their approach to another very tough team against the run. (The Volunteers are eighth in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game and fourth in yards allowed per rush.) On the flip side, Tennessee might find it hard to establish star running back Dylan Sampson but will need to persist at it, just as Michigan stuck with the running game to set up occasional key pass plays. The Vols need their banged-up best wideouts to play; the Buckeyes need their under-utilized best wideouts to get the ball. Pick: Tennessee 21, Ohio State 20.
Most folks (outside of CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd) seem to believe that this will be a close game. If that turns out to be the case, then this matchup will probably be won in the trenches. The Vols' defensive line should have an advantage against the Buckeyes' banged up offensive line.
Tennessee's offensive line, however, could have its hands full with Ohio State's defensive front. The winner of that battle, specifically, is likely what will decide the outcome of this game. If the Vols' offensive line plays at its best, then Tennessee will leave Columbus with a win. If Tennessee's offensive line doesn't play well, then the Vols will probably see their season come to an end on Saturday night. It's that simple.
The Vols and the Buckeyes will kick off at 8:00 PM ET. The game will air on ABC/ESPN.
