Tennessee vs Ohio State Betting Line, Early Prediction & Preview

• The #8 Ohio State Buckeyes are a 7.5-point favourite over the #9 Tennessee Volunteers within the First Spherical of the CFP on December twenty first
• The Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring protection
• Take a look at the Tennessee vs Ohio State betting line, early prediction and preview, beneath

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In earlier years, there was zero likelihood one, but alone two packages who didn’t make their Convention Championship Sport would crack the Faculty Soccer Playoff bracket.

Now with the expanded format nonetheless, the perfect groups can nonetheless struggle for a Nationwide Title even when they’ve a slip-up or two.

That’s good for #9 Tennessee and # Ohio State. Each groups have been staples within the top-10 all yr, regardless of their two losses. They’ll sq. off on Saturday, December 21^st in a First-Spherical playoff recreation, with the Buckeyes pegged as chalk within the newest school soccer odds.

Tennessee vs Ohio State Odds

Ohio State opened as 7.5-point favorites, in a contest with a complete of 47.5. That’s at the moment the place each the unfold and whole numbers sit, though as we get nearer to kickoff, count on a flurry of Buckeyes motion which might push the unfold additional of their favor.

Odds as of December 9 (1 pm ET) at Caesars Sportsbook. Make sure you try the perfect Caesars Sportsbook promos earlier than betting on any NCAAF video games.

Kickoff for this playoff tilt is about for 8 pm ET at Ohio Stadium, in Columbus, OH, with ABC and ESPN offering the published protection.

How Ohio State Can Overwhelm Tennessee

Ohio State was on monitor to face #1 Oregon within the Huge Ten Championship Sport till a loss to unranked Michigan within the common season finale. The Buckeyes performed properly sufficient defensively to win, however mustered solely 10 factors on offense.

Senior QB Will Howard picked the mistaken time to have his worst recreation of the yr, finishing solely 58% of his throws, whereas turning the ball over twice. Howard exceeded all expectations by his first 11 video games, and Ohio State backers will financial institution on his newest efficiency being an outlier.

The largest downside was his incapability to get the ball to star wideout Jeremiah Smith. The Huge Ten Receiver noticed solely two targets after halftime towards the Wolverines, after shattering the college receiving data for a freshman.

On the bottom, Ohio State boasts a robust speeding assault, that includes Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. The duo mixed for 1,556 speeding yards and 14 TD his season.

The Buckeyes completed sixth in factors per drive this season, and ninth on offense per SP+. They have been 3-1 versus top-20 ranked opponents within the SP+ rankings, profitable every time by at the very least a landing.

😤 @OhioStateFB‘s protection is in a league of their very own this yr 🌰

They rank 1st in FBS ranks in 4 totally different classes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OyiUEVaS0c

— FOX Faculty Soccer (@CFBONFOX) November 28, 2024

Pretty much as good because the offense is, the protection is even higher. They’re the primary unit per SP+, and the primary scoring protection. The Ohio State move rush and protection group are among the many greatest within the nation, and so they’ll pose a frightening take a look at for a Tennessee offense that struggles to generate huge performs.

Can the Volunteers Hold it Shut?

The Vols averages lower than 12 yards per profitable play, which ranks a hundred and fifteenth within the nation. Not like Ohio State, they don’t have elite wideouts, which forces them to methodically drive the size of the sector with out making errors.

That may be executed towards weak defenses, however not versus the Buckeyes. That ought to pressure Tennessee to lean on the run, however rush protection can also be a power for Ohio State. The Buckeyes enable simply 2.9 yards per carry, and fewer than 100 speeding yards per contest.

On the opposite facet of the ball, the Vols protection is without doubt one of the few within the nation that can provide Ohio State issues. Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in havoc fee, a metric that measures tackles for loss, passes defended and fumbles pressured.

The Vols protection additionally grades out fourth general per SP+, and fourth in factors allowed at 13.9 per contest. Opponents are averaging solely 282 yards of offense, whereas Jermod McCoy is perhaps the reply to who’ll decelerate Smith.

he picked this.@Jermodmccoy #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/GSYOBFTKpd

— Tennessee Soccer (@Vol_Football) November 30, 2024

McCoy has 4 picks and eight move breakups this season, whereas enemy QB’s have a dismal 13.2 QBR when focusing on receivers in his protection. Tennessee grades out top-17 in each move rush and protection per Professional Soccer Focus, and pressure practically two turnovers per recreation.

Tennessee vs Ohio State Early Prediction

Now that the CFP is about, the Buckeyes have fallen to fourth within the Nationwide Championship odds, whereas the Vols are seventh. Each packages are distinctive defensively, and factors will probably be at a premium.

In Tennessee’s three hardest roads video games this season, they averaged 19 factors. Their incapability to supply explosive performs is regarding, as we will’t count on them to dink and dunk their manner down the sector efficiently versus this Ohio State protection.

The Buckeyes offense is an imposing unit, however they’re not proof against struggling both. As talked about, they produced solely 10 factors versus Michigan, and solely 20 factors towards Penn State. Each these defenses rank beneath Tennessee’s, which ought to give pause to bettors anticipating an enormous offensive output.

• Tennessee vs Ohio State Early Choose: Below 47.5 (-110)