Ohio State Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork warned everyone that this could happen, and Tennessee Volunteers pretty much promised it. Tennessee fans have i

The No. 8 Buckeyes, who were upset by archrival Michigan 13-10 in their last outing, dominated No. 9 Tennessee from start to finish in the first round of the CFP at Ohio Stadium, defeating the Vols 42-17 in one of the best showings of coach Ryan Day's career.

The Ohio State Buckeyes heard a lot of trash talk from the Tennessee Volunteers and their fans leading up to tonight's College Football Playoff matchup. Despite all of the smack talk, Ohio State completely dominated Tennessee to the tune of a 42-17 win.

Tennessee Vols football vs Ohio State Buckeyes in College Football Playoff first round on Dec. 21, 2024, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

No. 6 Ohio State is very accustomed to the playoff stage with the Buckeyes chasing their first national championship since 2014 and first title game berth since 2020. Seventh-ranked Tennessee has its own championship pedigree, though its last national title came in 1998. The Volunteers had been the butt of too many jokes for too many painful years.

Coming into tonight's game, the Ohio State Buckeyes were facing immense amounts of pressure. Ryan Day was facing a ton of personal pressure as well. Following the team's loss to Michigan to end the regular season,

Nico Iamaleava was 14-for-31 passing for 104 yards in Tennessee's 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State beats Tennessee 42-17 to advance to face Oregon in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl