On paper, Tennessee looked like a bad matchup for Ohio State, especially with its talent on the defensive line. But that didn’t turn out to be the case. The Buckeyes were dominant in their 42-17 College Football Playoff win against the Vols,

Tennessee's best player, running back Dylan Sampson, was hampered by a hamstring injury, and no other Vols runners had room to move. The Volunteers were saved by some tricky running by quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who ran for 47 yards on 20 carries. Sampson had two carries for 6 yards.

Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game.