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ESPN FPI Predicts Winner of Ohio State-Tennessee

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 9:14 AM ET

The first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff is just around the corner with several powerhouse programs set to host a slate of highly anticipated matchups.

On the first-round slate, a matchup between two juggernauts — one from the SEC and another from the Big Ten — has stirred tremendous attention from fans and media personnel.

The Tennessee Volunteers will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.

No. 8 Ohio State heads into the game as a seven-point favorite, per ESPN BET.

Despite Ohio State's recent loss against the Michigan Wolverines and Tennessee's proven track record in the hardest conference in college football, the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) prediction heavily favors the Buckeyes.

ESPN FPI is a computer-generated system that calculates strength of schedule and team statistics to predict results for major matchups.

According to the ESPN FPI, the Buckeyes have a 67.8% chance to defeat the 10-2 Volunteers.

Ohio State heads into the game with a 10-2 record, suffering losses to the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines.

The Buckeyes proved to have one of the deepest rosters in college football on both sides of the ball, but at times, struggled offensively.

Ohio State played the 2024 season under quarterback Will Howard, who finished the year with 27 passing touchdowns, 2,860 passing yards with a 72.3 completion percentage.

He helped the Buckeyes offense average 35.5 points and 423.5 yards per game.

While those seem like quality stats, Ohio State ran into trouble against Michigan, scoring a season-low 10 points and also struggled against a team like the Nebraska Cornhuskers, escaping that matchup with a 21-17 victory.

The Buckeyes' offense has been streaky, but ESPN's FPI was likely skewed by what's proven to be an elite defensive team.

On defense, the Buckeyes rank No. 1 in the nation in three categories: points per game allowed (10.9), yards per game allowed (241.5) and points per play allowed (0.178).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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