Ohio State to host College Football Playoff first-round game

Ohio State got the No. 8 seed and will play No. 9 seed Tennessee at 8 p.m. Dec. 21 at Ohio Stadium.

The winner of that game will play No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

The new playoff format includes automatic bids for the four highest-rated conference champions, who also receive a bye in the first round.

The first round will be played on campus sites during the third weekend in December.

The Buckeyes and Volunteers will play the last first round game.

The first one will feature No. 10 seed Indiana playing at No. 7 seed Notre Dame on Dec. 20. The next day, No. 6 seed Penn State will host No. 11 seed SMU at noon with No. 5 seed Texas hosting No. 12 seed Clemson at 4 p.m.

Undefeated Oregon is ranked No. 1 while Georgia is No. 2. They got the top two seeds while Boise State is the No. 3 seed despite being ranked ninth, and Arizona State is the No. 4 seed despite being ranked 12th.

If Ohio State were to beat Tennessee and Oregon, the Buckeyes would play Arizona State, Texas or Clemson in the semifinals at the Cotton Bowl (Jan. 10) or Orange Bowl (Jan. 9).

The National Championship Game will be played Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

Ohio State made the College Football Playoff five times in the four-team era (2014-23).

The Buckeyes won the first CFP by upsetting No. 1 Alabama in the semifinals then knocking off No. 2 Oregon in the championship game.

They lost semifinals in 2016, ‘19 and ‘21 but trounced Clemson in the semifinals in 2020 before losing to Alabama in the championship game.

The only previous meeting between Ohio State and Tennessee was the Citrus Bowl played Jan. 1, 1996.

Peyton Manning led the Volunteers to a 20-14 victory that day.