Initial Breakdown of Ohio State vs. Tennessee and the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff Path

Ohio State’s College Football Playoff opener is just 10 days away.

While there have historically been more than three weeks between Selection Sunday and the marquee bowl games, the wait for games that matter is much shorter this year as the College Football Playoff begins on Dec. 20 and 21. Ohio State will host the last of four first-round games as it welcomes Tennessee to Columbus for an 8 p.m. game in the Shoe on the 21st.

With that in mind, we start this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays with our initial breakdown of Ohio State’s matchup with Tennessee and the challenges the Volunteers will present to the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s offensive line will be put to the test again – potentially with a new starting lineup – and the Volunteers’ running game is one of the best in the country. But the Buckeyes should still have the edge if they do what they failed to do against Michigan by playing to their strengths in the passing game.

We also take a look at Ohio State’s College Football Playoff draw as a whole and the challenges that could lie ahead for the Buckeyes if they advance – and whether the draw should affect the requisites for Ryan Day to keep his job. 

To wrap up this week’s show, we discuss what Ohio State needs to accomplish in the transfer portal – starting with beefing up the offensive line – now that it is officially open for players to change teams for the 2025 season.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

• 0:00 Adjusting to A New Postseason Schedule
• 1:56 Tennessee’s Defensive Front Will Pose Major Test for Ohio State’s Offensive Line
• 4:21 Joshua Padilla at Center, Carson Hinzman Back to Guard Among Possible Changes Up Front
• 10:13 Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Rushing Attack Will Challenge Ohio State’s Defense
• 12:42 Ohio State Needs to Exploit Advantages in Passing Game, Not Focus Solely on Rushing Battle
• 17:01 Home Field Will Be An Advantage for Ohio State, But Cold Weather Might Not Be
• 20:34 Our Confidence Level Ohio State Will Beat Tennessee: 60-65%
• 23:33 Ohio State is A 7.5-Point Favorite: Too High or Just Right?
• 24:44 Buckeyes Face Daunting Four-Game Path to A National Championship
• 31:08 Why Andy Still Thinks Ryan Day Should Need To Win At Least Two CFP Games to Keep His Job
• 34:18 Ohio State Must Juggle College Football Playoff Preparation with Working the Transfer Portal
• 36:20 No. 2 QB Job for CFP Should Be Open for Competition with Devin Brown’s Impending Exit
• 39:34 Ohio State Must Upgrade Offensive Line with Multiple High-Level Transfer Additions
• 48:40 Buckeyes Also Need to Add Kicker, Defensive Linemen in Transfer Portal