Still reeling from the loss to TTUN, many OSU fans weren't sure what to make of this team. We knew they were capable of extremely high-level play. But their floor was apparently lower than we thought. What kind of team would show up in late December? 

Going into Round 1

• Moving On - Over the three weeks before the Playoff started, Buckeye Nation grappled with and dissected the loss ad nauseum. The team itself had no choice but to close the book quickly and focus on the game in front of them, despite the unending "What happened?" questions from the outside. Over time, we moved on as well, as much as we could, anyways, and started to get hype about what was in front of us. 
• Tough Draw - The Buckeye's path through the CFP looked mighty daunting. Though losing the bye was its own doing, they were somehow ranked below Penn State, who also had two losses, including the head-to-head, and far less impressive wins. Nevertheless, the committee did say they didn't want to punish conference championship losses. In any case, Ohio State would have to play Tennessee and #1-seeded Oregon at the very least, and likely Texas and Georgia afterwards. They had their work cut out for them. 
• Heupel Presser - A complimentary Heupel looked forward to the matchup. Said respectful things about the program and Day. Was not fazed by the weather since mornings in Knoxville are pretty chilly as well. I don't quite believe them, though; what I would really need is a deliberate, public show of unbotheredness to really trust that it truly doesn't matter to them. Andre Turrentine, former Buckeye, isn't afraid of our quiet little stadium. Not when he's experienced SEC crowds, where it just means more. 
• Do What Michigan Did - If an 8-5 TTUN team could stop this offense, surely more talented teams with similar strengths could do the same, right? This became a frequent refrain from talking heads. Stop the run and run the ball well, especially given the conditions, to grind out yards and keep the ball out of Ohio State's hands.  Easy peasy. Tennessee had the same sort of strengths that would fit this strategy. A strong DL, a bellcow RB, and a mobile QB who wasn't all that great at passing. If those schmucks up north could do it, surely an SEC representative could as well. 
• Neyland North - A non-individualized, easy-to-guess OSU presale code was leaked and Tennessee fans reportedly took advantage, scooping up a chunk of OSU's ticket allotment. As a result, tickets quickly went from the $100 face value starting price to $245, and other tickets exceeded $1,000. As a result, OSU fans were faced with the choice to either pay an exorbitant fee or risk a Tennessee fan sitting in that seat. 
• Confidence - Ryan Day was confident heading into this game. Seemed like the team got their minds right and they were ready. Fans in the comments were skeptical, though, to say the least. Knowles believed this defense was built for tempo offenses like Tennessee's. What this playoff meant to the seniors was clear: this was the last possible goal on the table. This was everything. 
• Pregame Picks - 11W writers mostly believe OSU wins by about a touchdown or less. It seems that they too, can't really shake the feeling that there are two versions of Ohio State that exist and nobody can know which one will take the field. Fans don't know who will show up either, but they do believe OSU can beat Tennessee decisively.  

Round 1 vs Tennessee in 160 Minutes (Sorry, I couldn't find a condensed version)

Open Threads: Q1 Part 1 | Q1 Part 2 | Q2 Part 1 | Q2 Part 2 | Halftime | Q3 | Q4  

Coming Out of Round 1

Well, that was fun. 

• Game Summary - Y'all come back now, ya hear? In a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming first quarter, the Buckeyes raced to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. That's not to say we weren't still uneasy. With no points in the second quarter and Tennessee being generously gifted 10 points by the referees, it felt like we should win this, but it's close enough that a turn for the worse could still happen. Those fears would be assuaged, however, as Ohio State opened the third quarter by forcing Tennessee to punt after only 6 plays and then racing down the field to score a touchdown. Three consecutive times. Just like that, it was 42-10. A garbage time TD for Tennessee later, and Ohio State sent the visitors home with some familiar tunes. Fans exploded with joy and could aim their sights at Buckeye Nation's true enemy: Kirk Herbstreit. 
• Aggression - Postgame, Day credited the wildly successful performance against Tennessee to aggression, execution, and mentality. The team was determined to play at the highest level they could and not let anything get in their way. "Leave no doubt," they all said. Oh, Evil Ryan Day was back. 
• Needed This - Everyone loves a good comeback story and the story of Ohio State's run will probably never be told without first setting the stage with the numb, despondent shock of losing to TTUN and the despair thereafter, because it's impossible to understand the elation of winning the Tennessee game and every win thereafter without it. By the way, watch the Emeka skull session clip here. That's the Buckeye Nation I know. Disregard the people who only bring up the worst and toxic edge cases. 
• Five Things - The OL and Will Howard both bounced back in a big way. The defense played to their elite potential. Our WRs are just too good. And the Tennessee takeover? Wasn't all that. 
• Stock Up/Stock Down - The game planning tonight was a masterclass. The pass rush was on fire. The OL didn't allow any sacks and created 4.7 ypc. 

Up Next: Round 2 vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl