Matt Tamanini
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Ohio State vs. Tennessee: Land-Grant’s experts make their picks
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Every week, we will be picking the score, MVP, and major storyline for each Buckeye game.
Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers in a rare, late-December night game in Ohio Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off sometime after 8 p.m. ET and will be aired in various forms on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, and ESPN Deportes.
As of this article’s writing, the Bucks are 7.5-point favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook. College football’s gold-standard advanced analytics model SP+ is predicting a score of 26-20 in favor of Ohio State.
Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 24, Ohio State 20
Game MVP: Will Howard
Major Storyline: Ryan Day still can’t win big games.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 21
Game MVP: Emeka Egbuka
Major Storyline: It is simple; Ohio State bounces back from the loss to Michigan to win a playoff game and set up a rematch with Oregon. I think the Buckeyes will get off to a fast start and show that The Game is behind them and they can move forward in hopes of winning a national title.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 27
Game MVP: Jeremiah Smith
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s offense gets back on track with multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground. The defense still has some questions.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 17, Ohio State 14
Game MVP: Nico Iamaleava
Major Storyline: Tennessee plants a flag at midfield in Ohio Stadium, figuratively... or perhaps literally too.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 24, Ohio State 17
Game MVP: Dylan Sampson
Major Storyline: If Ohio State does not win the first December home game in program history, the main storyline will become the coaching search that will begin the minute the clock hits 0:00. Even after losing to Michigan, there was a path to salvation for Ryan Day if he was able to find success in the playoff — going one-and-done was not it.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20
Game MVP: Caleb Downs
Major Storyline: Ohio State grinds out a win in a lively Ohio Stadium on Saturday night, setting up a rematch with Oregon in the Rose Bowl. In a game where every yard was earned, the Buckeyes will be a little bit tougher, channeling some anger from the criticism they heard since losing to Michigan. Caleb Downs seals the win with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 17, Ohio State 10
Game MVP: James Pearce Jr.
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s offensive line rotation proves to be the train wreck everyone thought it would be, and the Buckeyes can’t get anything going offensively. Ohio State gets little on the ground and Will Howard doesn’t get much of any time to throw. Ohio State’s defense plays well, but the Ryan Day Era comes to a close as the clock strikes midnight.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 13
Game MVP: Cody Simon
Major Storyline: While I do expect Ryan Day and Chip Kelly to get their collective shit together and call a much better offensive game for the Buckeyes tonight, I believe that this game will be won by the Silver Bullets. The Vols have run the ball 61% of the time this season, and I do not expect that to change in the potentially single-digit temperatures in Columbus tonight. This defense has been very good against the run, and as impressive as Dylan Sampson has been, he is a high-volume runner. His 5.8 yards per carry is only good for 68th in FBS (TreVeyon Henderson’s 6.95 is tied for 17th).
So, with the threat of the passing game relatively minimal, I expect Jim Knowles to rely on his defensive line, linebackers, and nickel back to limit Tennessee’s ability to move the ball. I’m throwing in a defensive touchdown for good measure to make this a sound, and thorough victory that propels the Buckeyes onto a traditional, yet very non-traditional Rose Bowl matchup on New Year’s Day.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Tennessee 17
Game MVP: Jeremiah Smith
Major Storyline: The major storyline leaving this game will be Jeremiah Smith dominating the Vols with the best game of his young career. The defense will hold Tennessee through much of the game, but after three weeks off, people will get a quick reminder of how talented Jeremiah Smith is as a true freshman.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Every week, we will be picking the score, MVP, and major storyline for each Buckeye game.
Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers in a rare, late-December night game in Ohio Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off sometime after 8 p.m. ET and will be aired in various forms on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, and ESPN Deportes.
As of this article’s writing, the Bucks are 7.5-point favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook. College football’s gold-standard advanced analytics model SP+ is predicting a score of 26-20 in favor of Ohio State.
Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.
Michael Citro
Score Prediction: Tennessee 24, Ohio State 20
Game MVP: Will Howard
Major Storyline: Ryan Day still can’t win big games.
Justin Golba
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 21
Game MVP: Emeka Egbuka
Major Storyline: It is simple; Ohio State bounces back from the loss to Michigan to win a playoff game and set up a rematch with Oregon. I think the Buckeyes will get off to a fast start and show that The Game is behind them and they can move forward in hopes of winning a national title.
Dan Hessler
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 27
Game MVP: Jeremiah Smith
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s offense gets back on track with multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground. The defense still has some questions.
Jami Jurich
Score Prediction: Tennessee 17, Ohio State 14
Game MVP: Nico Iamaleava
Major Storyline: Tennessee plants a flag at midfield in Ohio Stadium, figuratively... or perhaps literally too.
Connor Lemons
Score Prediction: Tennessee 24, Ohio State 17
Game MVP: Dylan Sampson
Major Storyline: If Ohio State does not win the first December home game in program history, the main storyline will become the coaching search that will begin the minute the clock hits 0:00. Even after losing to Michigan, there was a path to salvation for Ryan Day if he was able to find success in the playoff — going one-and-done was not it.
Brett Ludwiczak
Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20
Game MVP: Caleb Downs
Major Storyline: Ohio State grinds out a win in a lively Ohio Stadium on Saturday night, setting up a rematch with Oregon in the Rose Bowl. In a game where every yard was earned, the Buckeyes will be a little bit tougher, channeling some anger from the criticism they heard since losing to Michigan. Caleb Downs seals the win with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
Gene Ross
Score Prediction: Tennessee 17, Ohio State 10
Game MVP: James Pearce Jr.
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s offensive line rotation proves to be the train wreck everyone thought it would be, and the Buckeyes can’t get anything going offensively. Ohio State gets little on the ground and Will Howard doesn’t get much of any time to throw. Ohio State’s defense plays well, but the Ryan Day Era comes to a close as the clock strikes midnight.
Matt Tamanini
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 13
Game MVP: Cody Simon
Major Storyline: While I do expect Ryan Day and Chip Kelly to get their collective shit together and call a much better offensive game for the Buckeyes tonight, I believe that this game will be won by the Silver Bullets. The Vols have run the ball 61% of the time this season, and I do not expect that to change in the potentially single-digit temperatures in Columbus tonight. This defense has been very good against the run, and as impressive as Dylan Sampson has been, he is a high-volume runner. His 5.8 yards per carry is only good for 68th in FBS (TreVeyon Henderson’s 6.95 is tied for 17th).
So, with the threat of the passing game relatively minimal, I expect Jim Knowles to rely on his defensive line, linebackers, and nickel back to limit Tennessee’s ability to move the ball. I’m throwing in a defensive touchdown for good measure to make this a sound, and thorough victory that propels the Buckeyes onto a traditional, yet very non-traditional Rose Bowl matchup on New Year’s Day.
Jordan Williams
Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Tennessee 17
Game MVP: Jeremiah Smith
Major Storyline: The major storyline leaving this game will be Jeremiah Smith dominating the Vols with the best game of his young career. The defense will hold Tennessee through much of the game, but after three weeks off, people will get a quick reminder of how talented Jeremiah Smith is as a true freshman.
Continue reading...