Will Howard threw two touchdown passes to freshman Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State routed Tennessee 42-17 on Saturday night in a first-round College Football Playoff game, setting up a New Year’s Day rematch with No. 1 Oregon at the Rose Bowl.
Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for two touchdowns apiece as the Buckeyes (11-2) gave their fans an early Christmas present that should quiet some of the outcry following the devastating fourth straight loss to Michigan three weeks ago.
Howard finished 24 for 29 for 311 yards, his second 300-yard game of the season. Smith had six catches for 103 yards, the sixth freshman to have over 100 receiving yards in a CFP game.
Eighth-seeded Ohio State scored on its first three drives while forcing three straight Tennessee punts. The ninth-seeded Vols (10-3) finally got on the board with a second-quarter field goal and touchdown but couldn’t generate anything in the second half until getting a meaningless touchdown late in the game.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was 14 for 31 for 104 yards and rushed a career-high 20 times for 47 more.
The 473 yards gained by Ohio State was the most surrendered by the Tennessee defense all season.
The game time temperature was 25 degrees and dropping in the first college football game played in December in 102-year-old Ohio Stadium.
Takeaways
Tennessee: Star running back Dylan Sampson was hampered by a hamstring injury and had just two carries for 6 yards. Receivers Squirrel White and Dont’e Thorton Jr. also were banged up. limiting the Vols’ offense.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes did what they didn’t do against Michigan: get the ball on the boundary and throw deep to their most explosive players.