The Tennessee Volunteers are returning home from their first College Football Playoff appearance with a deep sense of disappointment—actually, it’s more accurate to say they’re heading back to Knoxville thoroughly humbled by the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Entering the game as underdogs, a loss was always the most likely outcome, but losing by 25 points wasn’t expected.
Tennessee’s poor performance can be attributed to the key players failing to perform at a CFP-caliber level.
Jermod McCoy:
Jeremiah Smith is a nightmare for any cornerback, and unfortunately for Jermod McCoy, the All-SEC DB, he made even top-tier defenders look ineffective. McCoy did his best but wasn’t able to slow down Smith. The Vols needed an elite performance from McCoy to contain him, but that didn’t happen. Smith finished with six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, including a few impressive grabs over Tennessee defenders, McCoy and Rickey Gibson III. McCoy even resorted to pass interference to prevent another Smith touchdown. That’s the difference between playoff contenders and teams that exit early—McCoy’s performance wasn’t enough to stop Smith and the Buckeyes.
James Pearce Jr.:
James Pearce Jr. was Tennessee’s top pass rusher this season with 7.5 sacks, a critical part of their defense. On Saturday, he recorded two tackles for loss, but neither Pearce nor any of his teammates were able to sack Will Howard. While Pearce is undoubtedly a great player, this was a game where the Vols needed a standout performance from him, and he didn’t deliver. The pass rush was ineffective, with Howard only being hurried twice, while Ohio State’s defense sacked the quarterback four times. Additionally, Tennessee’s defensive line struggled in run defense, allowing 156 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Nico Iamaleava:
Nico Iamaleava faced a much tougher pass rush than Will Howard, with JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer constantly pressuring him. This partly explains his poor performance: just 45 percent completion and 104 yards. However, unlike other quarterbacks, Iamaleava didn’t turn the ball over and made plays with his legs, rushing for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Still, Tennessee needed much more from their star quarterback in this crucial game. Iamaleava’s slow start was pivotal—he didn’t complete his first pass until late in the second quarter, allowing Ohio State to establish a 21-0 lead by the end of the first. Though Iamaleava showed resilience, Tennessee required a top-tier performance from their five-star QB in this game.
Josh Heupel:
While players are easy to point to, the ultimate responsibility lies with head coach Josh Heupel, especially after such a blowout loss. If Tennessee had fought hard against a superior team, the outcome would’ve felt different, but the Vols were outclassed in nearly every aspect. Heupel’s offense has been inconsistent all season, averaging 37.3 points per game, but this was skewed by dominant performances against weaker teams. In tougher matchups, the Vols averaged just 25 points, and they were held to 17 points or fewer in all three of their losses. Heupel’s ability to compete at the highest levels with the current offensive strategy is questionable. The larger issue is how Heupel’s teams often lose—by double digits, a pattern that has emerged throughout his tenure. Until this changes, the blame for every big loss will fall squarely on Heupel’s inability to properly prepare his team.
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