Tennessee football’s offense has had an up-and-down 2025 season and the challenge is as difficult as it’s been all season as they prepare to face Ohio State in its College Football Playoff opener.
The Buckeyes boast one of the nation’s best defenses and Tennessee’s offense has frequently fallen flat against the top defenses on its schedule this season. But there is one clear path to success this season against Ohio State’s stout defense— running the ball well.
Ohio State ranks first in the Big 10 in nearly every major statistic but just fourth in the conference allowing 96.8 rushing yards per game.
The number to watch is 150. Ohio State is 10-0 this season in games where its opponents have failed to rush for 150 yards. The Buckeyes 0-2 in the two games where their opponents have rushed for over 150 yards.
Oregon (155) and Michigan (177) averaged 163.5 yards on the ground against Ohio State on 4.5 yards per carry. The Buckeyes’ seven other Big 10 opponents totaled just 92.1 yards per game on 2.9 yards per carry.
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That is an achievable number for Tennessee. The Vols boast the SEC’s best rushing offense and averaged 191.8 yards in eight SEC games while averaging 4.2 yards per carry. There were only two games this season where Tennessee failed to rush for 150 yards, totaling 143 yards in its win over Florida and 146 yards in its loss at Georgia.
SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson led the way for Tennessee’s rushing attack, totaling over 100 yards in seven of eight SEC games. Sampson set the Vols’ single-season program record with 1,485 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns during the regular season.
It’s worth remembering that sack yards count against rushing yards in college football. Ohio State has the highest pressure rate of any team in the 12-team playoff and Tennessee’s pass protection struggled against both Oklahoma and Georgia— perhaps the two best pass rushes that the Vols faced in the regular season.
Limiting sack yards will be a big part of Tennessee’s hunt to rush for over 150 yards against the Buckeyes’ strong defense.
Kickoff between Tennessee and Ohio State is at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night in Columbus. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe are on the call for both ABC and ESPN.
