Tennessee vs. Ohio State Picks: College Football Playoff Predictions
This Saturday is shaping up to be the most exciting day in college football in 2024, as it will have three 2024 College Football Playoff First Round games with six National Championship contenders. The last game of the day is Tennessee vs. Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN, in Columbus, Ohio.
Below, we’ll look at the top College Football Playoff picks on PrizePicks for #9 Tennessee vs. #8 Ohio State in the first round, including Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson and Ohio State QB Will Howard for this 8 p.m. kickoff game for Saturday, December 21.
Ohio State was one of the best teams in the country on paper, but a loss to its rival Michigan derailed its chances to compete for a Big Ten championship and a first-round bye in the Playoff.
Tennessee was competitive in arguably the best conference in the country, and the Volunteers will try to prove that by winning a National Championship. Their win over Alabama is the main reason they’re here, as they don't have any other wins over ranked teams.
For more college football picks and predictions throughout the College Football Playoff, stay tuned to the Playbook for predictions on all the bowl and CFB Playoff games.
College Football Playoff Picks: Tennessee vs. Ohio State
Here are the top College Football Playoff picks and player predictions for #9 Tennessee vs. #8 Ohio State in the First Round showdown for CFB DFS on PrizePicks for Saturday, December 21. Click each pick to read more analysis.
- Tennesse RB Dylan Sampson 93.5 Rushing Yards – Less
- Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava 27.5 Pass Attempts – More
- Ohio State QB Will Howard 234.5 Passing Yards – More
- Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson 11.5 Receiving Yards – More
Tennesse RB Dylan Sampson 93.5 Rush Yards – Less
This is a massive number for Tennessee RB Duylan Sampson to reach, but he has done it in all but two games this season. The Volunteer running back had an incredible season as he was ninth in rushing yards (1,485), and his 22 rushing yards were the third-most.
We’ve seen teams try to get into a battle on the ground against Ohio State, and Michigan is the only team that can say they won. The Buckeyes will be ready, and their 94.3 PFF run defense grade is third in college football, as is their rush defense Expected Points Added (-.110).
Sampson faced one rush defense better than that: Oklahoma, and his 92 rushing yards in that game were his second-lowest of the season. The Buckeyes will look to force the Vols to throw with Tennessee having a first-year starting quarterback.
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava 27.5 Pass Attempts – More
You can add Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s passing attempt total to your PrizePicks Lineup. Ohio State has one of the best defensive fronts; even if you go through that initial line of scrimmage, the Buckeyes have a strong and athletic group of linebackers waiting to take you down. They will frequently have six and seven in the box trying to stop the run.
The Volunteers will need to get something going in the run game to set up play-action, because Iamaleava is at his best in those situations. Head coach Josh Heupel will be ready not to put his quarterback into any bad situations. This is why you will see extra blockers for Tennessee and quick routes with little depth.
Look for him to throw ten yards and in for most of this game. Ohio State will let him have those all day, and he should have a lot of passing attempts with that game plan.
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Ohio State QB Will Howard 234.5 Passing Yards – More
The first ever College Football Playoff game in Columbus will be one of the best atmospheres in college football, as it’s a rare primetime game. Ohio State will want this crowd to be hyped from the initial kickoff, so you should believe they will want to start fast.
There have been instances where Ohio State will lean to the run, but that’s where Tennessee’s defense excels. The Vols pass defense is good, but not nearly as strong as their run defense.
That’s what Georgia QB Carson Beck did when he beat them, and the same with Arkansas QB Taylen Green. Beck threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, while Green cruised for 266 passing yards.
The two teams also maintained balance in the run and passing, and when you can keep the Vols constantly guessing — especially when they get play-action — you could see a lot of total yards from the Buckeyes offense.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson 11.5 Receiving yards – More
A balanced attack from Ohio State why I like RB TreVeyon Henderson to have a great game. He is an experienced back and a dual threat out of the backfield.
It will be challenging to get much going in the running game against this rush defense, which ranks #1 in rush defense Expected Points Added (-.140), making his receiving projection the best play.
We could see a similar situation when Ohio State faced Michigan, where Henderson didn’t have a large impact on the ground but did have 25 receiving yards.
Henderson finished the season with at least two catches in four straight games, including at least 19 receiving yards in four of his last five games.
Make College Football Playoff Picks on PrizePicks
We’ll see three College Football Playoff games on Saturday, with the last one being Tennessee vs. Ohio State at 8 p.m. EST to round out the New Year's Bowls.
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