Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Urban Meyer just put a sense of added pressure on Ohio State, Ryan Day to beat the Tennessee Vols

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Dec 18, 2024 12:13 PM ET

We are now just a few days away from Ohio State hosting Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff in primetime.

The Buckeyes are touchdown favorites over the Vols and it is a game that they badly need after ending the regular season with a loss to Michigan. After losing to the Wolverines a fourth straight time, Ryan Day’s team needs to bounce back.

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer revealed his prediction for the game, via The Triple Option podcast, and it comes as a bit more pressure on Day to get it done.

“I think it's going to be a low-scoring game. I do think Ohio State's got the best defense in the country, so it'll be a 16-10 type game. I really believe that. I got Ohio State winning but Tennessee covering,” Meyer said.

Meyer left Ohio State with Day in position to be the head coach. The two are friends and there are many fans who would love to have Meyer back at this point. In fact, Meyer had to come out and give his support for Day and say that he wouldn’t be coaching in Columbus again. Meyer thinks Ohio State should win this game.

Meyer sees the Vols the same way a lot of people do. They are a good team in the trenches where they can cause some real issues.

“Guess what, they have an SEC defensive line. Big, thick cats that get their feet across the line of scrimmage and that's not good for Ohio State. So they (Buckeyes) got to get the ball out [quick]. It is going to be cold — it is going to be 20 degrees. I don't know the wind and I don't think there's any snow or anything like that.”

If the Buckeyes fall short in the College Football Playoff, there will be noise around the job status of Day. If the Buckeyes drop out in the very first game, those noises will be very loud.

The Vols aren’t going to come into Columbus and just lay down. It will take a four-quarter game by Ohio State to get it done. A much different game than they played against Michigan.

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

More must-reads: