It’s safe to say the Vols aren’t who we thought they were after they let the Ohio State Buckeyes humiliate them in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. UT’s season came to an end with an awful 42-17 loss. They finish with a 10-3 record. Here are five things we learned about Tennessee from that embarrassment in Columbus.
Ohio State’s offense cashed in with misdirection plays
Chip Kelly and Ryan Day did their research on the aggressive defenses by Tennessee, and they consistently ran misdirection plays, particularly in the first half. That’s what led to so many busted coverages and an epic performance by Will Howard. Jeremiah Smith went off, and Jermod McCoy lost most battles, but he was often left out on an island because of the hesitation plays.
Vols’ Pass protection reverted back to its old ways
Lance Heard allowed a sack because he made the wrong block on a stunt by the Ohio State defensive line. John Campbell flat-out got beat by Jack Sawyer on another play that resulted in a sack. That killed separate drives for Tennessee in the first half, which allowed Ohio State to unleash its early onslaught. Those mistakes are deadly against a team like OSU.
Injuries wrecked Tennessee on offense
Dylan Sampson, the Vols’ best offensive weapon, went down on the first drive and didn’t return until the third quarter. Squirrel White and Dont’e Thornton both left late in the first half. DeSean Bishop and Javontez Spraggins went out early in the third quarter. Tennessee is not as deep as Ohio State, so these injuries were all killers, none more than Sampson. This is also why UT abandoned the run game.
Nico Iamaleava was the only offense
In many ways, he looked awful, but Nico Iamaleava literally had no help. He had mediocre passing numbers, completing 14-of-31 passes for 104 yards, but he also had 20 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Injuries, no balanced attack and receivers’ inability to get separation against elite talent all proved costly in this game. Honestly, given the hits he took, Iamaleava was a warrior.
Fans did their part for the Vols
All of the rumors were true. Tennessee fans prepared for a takeover in Columbus, and that’s exactly what they did. The College GameDay crew noted that it was the largest road crowd they had ever witnessed at Ohio State. That could be a big boost to recruiting for the future of the program, and it certainly shows which fan base is most prepared to give its team an advantage in the future.
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To quote Heupel, ‘That was a quick cup of coffee.’