Ohio State's College Football Playoff Win Over Tennessee Earns Nickname

In the final game of the first round in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, Ryan Day and the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes put a beatdown on the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers 42-17.

Quarterback Will Howard and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith led the Ohio State offense to a dominant performance, outgaining Tennessee in total yardage 473-256. 

Howard, the senior out of Downington, Pennsylvania, completed 24-of-29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Smith, the true freshman superstar, added six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

The Volunteers couldn't get anything going on offense for a majority of the game, especially the passing attack. Nico Iamaleava completed under 50% of his passes for just 104 yards. The quarterback did, however, add 47 yards and two scores on the ground.

Toward the end of the game, ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler was saying his farewells to fans watching the broadcast. When recapping Ohio State's dominant performance, he called it "a scarlet smackdown," giving a nod to the Volunteers' color scheme.