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Paul Finebaum puts a little added pressure on Ryan Day and Ohio State ahead of playoff showdown with Tennessee

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Dec 18, 2024 2:51 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are undoubtedly feeling some pressure ahead of their first round College Football Playoff showdown with the Tennessee Vols.

It's been nearly three weeks since Ohio State ended the 2024 regular season with an uninspiring loss at home to a not-very-good Michigan Wolverines team.

And that loss has been dominating the conversation around the playoff-bound Buckeyes.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, Buckeyes assistant coaches, and players have been peppered with questions all week about the Michigan loss.

The feeling around college football has been that Ohio State has to make a deep playoff run to erase the stench of the loss to Michigan. That's why a loss at home to the Vols in the first round of the playoff would be absolutely disastrous for the Buckeyes.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum added to the pressure on Wednesday during an appearance First Take by calling the game against Tennessee a "must-win" for the Ohio State.

“They have enormous pressure because of what happened in the previous game and that was obviously the 13-10 loss at home to Michigan,” said Finebaum. “They have Tennessee Saturday night. I think they’re in a must-win situation.”

“There’s a lot of speculation about what’s going to happen to Ryan Day but remember a couple things should they lose,” added Finebaum. “There’s a $37 million price tag…that’s serious money for Ohio State. Ultimately, I think this is a must-win game for Ryan Day.”

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts to a targeting call on linebacker Arvell Reese during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Ohio State won 21-17. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

I'm skeptical that Ohio State will seriously consider firing Day after leading the Buckeyes to the 12-team College Football Playoff -- even if OSU loses in the first round.

But considering the urgency to win in this current era of college football, it wouldn't be totally shocking if Ohio State went in another direction in the event that the Buckeyes make an early departure from the playoff.

Either way, there's no doubt that if Day and the Buckeyes lose on Saturday night, there will be a lot of noise all offseason in Columbus.

The only way to silence that noise for the Buckeyes will be to beat Tennessee and then beat Oregon in the quarterfinals. And even that might not be enough to totally silence the critics.

Finebaum is right. This is a must-win game for Day if he wants to avoid a miserable offseason.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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