Tennessee Football matters again: Ohio State awaits

The Tennessee Volunteers will travel to Columbus to play the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 21st in the first round of the first 12-team college football playoff. While it isn’t the home game Big Orange Country was hoping for it is still a massive opportunity for the Vols and Josh Heupel as he continues to helm the program’s resurgence. This will be only the second time the 2 programs have faced off with the only other meeting being in the 1996 Citrus Bowl. Tennessee won that matchup 20-14 behind the strength of Peyton Manning, Jay Graham, and Joey Kent.

Ohio State’s most recent outing was a rock fight with Michigan which saw the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes for the 4th year in a row. Needless to say, the vibes in Columbus aren’t great and many fans want Ryan Day fired. Will the Buckeyes fold under the pressure when the Vols come to town or will their talented roster be too much for Tennessee to overcome?

Tennessee just finished their second 10-win regular season in 3 years after going 15 years without reaching the 10-win mark. I’m not sure how many Tennessee fans thought this team would be where they are right now. At any rate, winning 10 games with a freshman QB who certainly had his struggles this year is remarkable, and now Nico has a chance to announce himself as a force to the nation when it matters the most. Josh Heupel has a chance to buck the trend of his team’s performing poorly on the road. However, the most important thing is Tennessee matters again on a national level. Seeing the Vols run onto the field in primetime in Columbus with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line will be a sight to behold after all the years of wandering through the desert.