It was cold. Bone-chilling, Columbus-in-December cold. On December 21, 2024, the college football world finally got the heavyweight fight it had been waiting decades for: Tennessee Volunteers football vs Ohio State Buckeyes football. This wasn’t some mid-tier bowl game in Florida with corporate logos plastered everywhere. It was the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff, and the Horseshoe was vibrating.
For years, fans of both programs had traded jabs on message boards about who the real "UT" was (Texas fans, stay out of this) or which stadium actually had the better atmosphere. But when the ball was kicked off, the talking stopped. Ohio State walked away with a 42-17 win, but the score alone doesn't tell the story of the schematic chess match—or the absolute chaos that preceded it.
The Playoff Clash: A 12-Minute Knockout
If you blinked, you missed the most important part of the game. Josh Heupel’s Volunteers came in with a lot of swagger and a high-octane offense led by Nico Iamaleava. Honestly, most people thought Tennessee’s speed would give the Buckeyes' secondary fits.
Instead, Ohio State looked like they were playing a different sport for the first twelve minutes. Will Howard, the Buckeyes' veteran signal-caller, came out dealing. He hit freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith for a 37-yard touchdown on the very first drive.
Then it got ugly.
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Tennessee went three-and-out. Ohio State scored again. Tennessee went three-and-out again. TreVeyon Henderson ripped off a 29-yard touchdown run. Before the first quarter ended, it was 21-0. Tennessee had negative six yards of total offense at that point. You could almost feel the air being sucked out of the orange-clad sections of the stadium.
What went wrong for the Vols?
It wasn't just the cold. Tennessee’s wide receiver room was basically a triage unit. Between injuries to Squirrel White and Dont'e Thornton Jr., and a few guys hitting the transfer portal right before the game, Nico Iamaleava was throwing to a skeleton crew.
- Pressure: The Buckeyes' defensive front lived in the backfield.
- Drops: When Nico did find a window, the receivers dropped nine passes. Nine!
- Third Downs: The Vols couldn't stay on the field, which gassed their defense.
The silver lining? Nico Iamaleava showed he’s a warrior. He finished the night with two rushing touchdowns and a career-high 20 carries. He basically put the team on his back when the passing game evaporated.
The Historical Gap (And That 1996 Citrus Bowl)
Before 2024, these two had only met once in the modern era. That was the 1996 Citrus Bowl. Back then, Tennessee had a guy named Peyton Manning at quarterback. Ohio State had Eddie George, who had just won the Heisman Trophy.
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Tennessee won that one 20-14. It was a rainy, sloppy game in Orlando, but it gave the Vols a 1-0 lead in the series that lasted for nearly thirty years. Tennessee fans loved to hold that over Buckeye Nation. "You’ve never beaten us," was a common refrain in Knoxville. Well, that talking point officially died in December 2024.
Recruiting Wars: The Battle for Legend Bey
The rivalry isn't just on the field; it’s in the living rooms of five-star recruits. In late 2025, a kid named Legend Bey—a superstar athlete from Texas—became the center of a tug-of-war that felt like a soap opera.
He was committed to Tennessee. Then, in November, he flipped to Ohio State. The Buckeye fans were ecstatic. But on National Signing Day in December 2025, Bey pulled the "hat trick" and flipped back to the Volunteers. It was a massive win for Josh Heupel and showed that Tennessee can still punch at the same weight class as the Big Ten giants in the NIL era.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Rematch
If you’re a fan of this matchup, mark September 12, 2026 on your calendar. This isn't a playoff hypothetical; it’s a scheduled regular-season game in Knoxville.
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Neyland Stadium is going to be a madhouse. After the blowout in Columbus, the Vols are going to be hunting for blood. Ohio State will likely be walking into a "Checkerboard" environment, and the noise levels will be record-breaking.
Why the 2026 game matters:
- Nico vs. The Next One: Iamaleava will be an upperclassman, presumably at the peak of his powers.
- SEC vs. Big Ten Pride: This is the ultimate "style of play" clash.
- Playoff Implications: With the 12-team format, a loss here won't kill your season, but a win basically guarantees a top-tier seed if you take care of business in conference play.
Honestly, the Tennessee Volunteers football vs Ohio State Buckeyes football rivalry is just getting started. It’s no longer a rare novelty; it’s becoming one of the premier inter-conference matchups in the country.
Practical Steps for Fans
If you're planning on heading to the 2026 game in Knoxville, don't wait.
- Tickets: Expect secondary market prices to start in the $300 range for nosebleeds.
- Lodging: Hotels in downtown Knoxville usually book up 10 months in advance for games of this magnitude. Look into Maryville or Oak Ridge for better rates.
- Travel: If you're a Buckeye fan driving down, take I-75 but be prepared for the Jellico Mountain pass—it's beautiful but can be tricky if the weather turns.
Keep an eye on the injury reports leading up to the spring games. The roster turnover in the portal era means the teams you see today won't be the same ones taking the field in September.