No. 8 seed Ohio State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 SEC), 42-17, on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio during the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes eliminated Tennessee from the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Vols’ 2024 season has concluded.
“We’ve got to play better,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “We’ve got to coach better. Ohio State is a good football team. Tonight wasn’t one of our best performances this year, and so at the end of the day we’ve got to continue to grow. We’ll start again and start retooling, rebuilding and grow as a football team. Two years ago, I don’t know, we finished sixth in the country. There’s a standard inside of our building, and we’re going to continue to grow.”
PHOTOS: Ohio State defeats Tennessee at Ohio Stadium
Below are five takeaways from Tennessee’s season finale.
Cold weather
According to the University of Tennessee, the temperature at kickoff for the Tennessee-Ohio State game was 25 degrees, tying the third-coldest game for the Vols since 1950.
Nov. 25, 1950 vs. Kentucky – 10 degrees
Nov. 22, 1952 vs. Kentucky – 18 degrees
Nov. 26, 1977 vs. Vanderbilt – 25 degrees
Dec. 21, 2024 at Ohio State – 25 degrees
Big Ten opponent on the road
Saturday’s contest marked the first road game for the Vols against a Big Ten member at the time of the meeting. Tennessee’s previous matchups versus Big Ten opponents were played in bowl games, during the regular season or at a neutral site. The Vols are the fourth team to play at Ohio Stadium as a SEC member (LSU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt).
10-win season
Tennessee concluded its 2024 season with a 10-3 record and 6-2 in SEC play. The Vols recorded their second 10-win season in the last three years. Tennessee’s 30 wins from 2022-24 are the most for its program in a three-year span since 1998-2000. The Vols won 30 contests from 1998-2000, including the 1998 BCS national championship.
Bob Kesling’s last game as the Voice of the Vols
Bob Kesling called his final Tennessee football game as the Voice of the Vols. He announced his retirement during the regular season. Kesling served as the Voice of the Vols since 1999.
Tennessee’s rushing offense
Tennessee ended its 2024 season with 2,936 rushing yards, marking the second-most in program history. Tennessee recorded 3,068 rushing yards during its 1951 national championship season.
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Five takeaways from Tennessee’s season finale at Ohio State
