Josh Heupel has Tennessee football in the College Football Playoff in his fourth season as Vols coach.
The No. 9 Vols (10-2) play at No. 8 Ohio State (10-2) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) in the first round of the CFP at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The winner will face No. 1 Oregon (13-0) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Tennessee-Ohio State football could be decided in the red zone
Ohio State is one of the best red-zone teams in the nation − on both sides of the ball.
The Buckeyes are fourth in the nation in scoring touchdowns in the red zone, which it has done 77.6% of the time. Tennessee counters with the fourth-best red-zone defense in preventing touchdowns. The Vols have allowed TDs on 44.1% of opponent drives.
“If you can hold them to field goals, it changes the way the game’s played,” Heupel said.
That is an intriguing matchup in the game, but the other side is a mismatch.
Ohio State’s defense has allowed opponents to score on 55.2% of red-zone trips, which ranks second in the country. It has allowed 10 red-zone touchdowns, the fewest nationally. Tennessee’s red-zone offense has not been consistent. It scored touchdowns on 61.7% of drives, which ranked No. 65 nationally. It scored on 81.7% of red-zone trips, which was No. 89 in the nation.
“Offensively, we’ve got to find a way to get seven down there,” Heupel said.
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CFP games are why Tennessee football wanted Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava is doing precisely what five-star quarterbacks are supposed to do: He has helped lead his team to the College Football Playoff.
Iamaleava, the crown jewel of Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class, has notched a full season as the starter after making his first start in the Citrus Bowl last season.
The redshirt freshman closed the season well, completing 68.4% of his passes for 1,099 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception in November.
“I just think his ability to reset and go play the next play, the next drive, the next half,” Heupel said of Iamaleava. “His ability to continue to grow and compete throughout the course of the football game. As a young quarterback, that’s really hard to do. He’s done a really good job of that.”
Iamaleava has completed 65.7% of his passes for 2,512 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions.
NICO: Nico Iamaleava in cold weather? Tennessee QB isn’t sweating it vs Ohio State in CFP
Tennessee’s cornerbacks will be in focus vs Ohio State
The Tennessee defense’s rise this season can be attributed to many reasons, but the cornerback pair of Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III may be the biggest.
“Obviously, you breed confidence by your play,” Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks said. “Those guys have played extremely well all year. Any time you’ve got good corners, it takes some stress off other positions and allows us to do different things schematically.”
McCoy, who transferred from Oregon State, was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. He has four interceptions, nine pass break-ups and 39 tackles.
Gibson III has five pass break-ups and 29 tackles.
Tennessee vs Ohio State in CFP score prediction
Tennessee 19, Ohio State 17: Max Gilbert kicks four field goals as Ohio State’s defense gives Tennessee red-zone issues. But plot twist: The too-often discussed cold weather favors Tennessee’s run game and its defense against Ohio State.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football vs Ohio State in CFP: Our score prediction is in
