🏈 Tennessee's big shot

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Matchups and keys to victory for Tennessee at Ohio State

• Where Ohio State might attack Tennessee’s defense

• Another weapon emerges for No. 1 ranked Tennessee basketball

• Tennessee’s portal addition and offensive line plans for 2025

HOW TENNESSEE CAN PULL OFF THE UPSET

It’s finally here. 

We’ve been talking about the College Football Playoff all year long — well before the season kicked off in August. 

Tennessee fans hoped the Vols would make it, and they did.

Now, Tennessee gets ready to play at Ohio State and face one of the nation’s most talented teams.

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It’s hard to argue Tennessee’s roster matches what Ohio State has… at least on paper.

But on the field?  

Tennessee can find some advantages. 

The Vols are 7-point underdogs as of this writing. 

Which matchups will Tennessee need to win to pull off the upset?

Let’s take a look.

🟠 The line of scrimmage

This is where most football conversations begin, and that’s the case with Tennessee and Ohio State.

Ohio State has dealt with injuries on the offensive line; the Buckeyes are missing their starting left tackle and center.

Watch the Ohio State-Michigan game and you’ll notice how Michigan’s defensive line was able to control the game up front.

Tennessee’s defense will have the same plan: slow down Ohio State’s running game and attack quarterback Will Howard.

Remember what Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network said last week:

Tennessee’s D-line will play a huge role in which team wins this game.

The Vols know Ohio State has big-time talent at the skill positions.

Tennessee must play at a high level up front if the defense is going to succeed. 

Last month at Georgia, Tennessee was not able to generate the pressure it needed.

The Bulldogs put up 31 points because of it.

On the other side of the ball, Tennessee’s offensive line will face a very talented defensive front.

Ohio State produced three defensive linemen and two linebackers on the All-Big Ten teams.

If Tennessee’s offensive line can protect Nico Iamaleava, then Tennessee should be able to generate enough offense to have a chance to win.

⚫ Explosive plays

Can Tennessee hit big plays in the passing game?

Austin Ward joined us on Josh and Swain on Thursday and brought up Ohio State’s concern at cornerback.

David Igbinosun has been a “pass-interference machine,” Ward said, and Denzel Burke struggled at Oregon on Oct. 12 and has had a tough second half of the season.

Ward noted how difficult it has been for teams to run consistently against Ohio State‘s defense and emphasized UT’s need to throw the ball.

“I think if Tennessee if looking at the path to victory — and there’s certainly one that’s out there — I don’t think it involves purely running the football on Ohio State,” Ward said. “Because I don’t think that will work.”

There’s no doubt Tennessee will try to run the ball with SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson.

But if the Vols can hit explosive plays through the air, that might be UT’s best chance to succeed on offense.

🟠 The kicking game

Might this be a low scoring game?

The over/under is only at 46.5 points, and there’s a chance the game doesn’t get to that number.

With the low temperatures and the likelihood that points will be at a premium, there will be an emphasis placed on the kicking game.

Max Gilbert had a solid season for Tennessee and, at his best, he was terrific.

He also went through a short slump during SEC play.

For Ohio State, placekicker Jayden Fielding attempted very few field goals this season.

Against Michigan, he missed two chip-shot field goals that helped Michigan win the game.

Each team will also try to avoid allowing the other to break a big return on punts.

Caleb Downs for Ohio State is one of the best athletes in the country, and Tennessee freshman Boo Carter can break a big play anytime.

Winning the kicking game could result in winning the game.

⚫ Which quarterback will be better?

Will Howard is coming off a rough performance for Ohio State.

He threw costly interceptions against Michigan, and at times the OSU coaching staff lost trust in him.

For Tennessee, Iamaleava has improved all season.

He had a great performance against Vanderbilt, stepping up when the Vols fell down 14-0 early.

Ohio State’s defense will offer a MUCH tougher challenge than Vanderbilt did.

Which quarterback will do the best job of making plays and avoiding mistakes?

That will play a big role in the outcome on Saturday.

➡️ We previewed the UT-OSU game + the CFB Playoff with Chris Low of ESPN. Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts.

REMAINING QUESTIONS

We need more than one section in today’s newsletter to cover the topics for this game. 

Here are a few remaining questions for Tennessee and Ohio State. 

How will weather affect the game?

The topic won’t go away. 

But maybe for good reason.

It gets cold in Knoxville, but it will feel really cold in Ohio Stadium on Saturday night. 

Is that an advantage for Ohio State?

Not necessarily — players on both teams could be affected by the cold temperatures.

Of course, everyone wants to see how Iamaleava, a California native, handles the cold.

He said he’ll be ready for whatever weather he faces. 

Let’s see how it affects either team on Saturday night.

Will Ohio State focus on the slot position?

Ohio State has the best wide receiver trio in college football. 

Jeremiah Smith is unlike most true freshmen you’ll ever see, and sophomore Carnell Tate is a big playmaker. 

Watch to see how often the Buckeyes go to slot receiver Emeka Ebugka, a senior who has nine touchdown catches this season. 

Tennessee freshman Boo Carter will face a tough draw against a talented and experienced senior. 

Carter vs. Ebugka will be a big matchup in this game. 

Will Tennessee’s receivers hold up?

Squirrel White looks like the biggest health-related question entering the game. 

If he has to come out, what will Tennessee do in the slot?

Options include Bru McCoy and tight end Ethan Davis.

Receivers Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb left the team and entered the transfer portal, so WR depth could be a question for Tennessee.

Dont’e Thornton, who left the Vanderbilt game due to injury, will be an important player for Tennessee in this game.

He’s been the Vols’ best big-play threat at receiver this season.

Who starts fast?

Tennessee has not been a first-half team this season.

Could the Vols rally if they fall behind against Ohio State?

Maybe so, but I doubt Josh Heupel wants to find out.

Tennessee would love to get an early lead and put pressure on Ohio State.

And make a leery OSU fanbase a little more nervous.

How many Tennessee fans will be in Columbus?

This might have become the biggest topic of the week.

Tickets are affordable on the secondary market, and UT fans have taken advantage.

So how many fans will be at The Horseshoe on Saturday night?

20,000? 30,000?

Maybe more?

It might be difficult to see because fans will be wearing their heavy coats.

But when Tennessee makes plays on the field, we should hear a lot of UT fans celebrating in the stadium.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Chris Low wrote about Nico Iamaleava and his primary goal: to help Tennessee win football games.

🏈 Great story from David Ubben on Dylan Sampson, who bought into Josh Heupel and UT before he saw any results on the field. (Subscription to The Athletic needed)

🏈 Is this idea from Andy Staples the solution to college football’s wacky transfer portal timing?

🏈 It looks like Georgia will be without QB Carson Beck when the Bulldogs play in the second round of the CFB Playoff.

🏈 Tennessee fans will enjoy this pep talk from Ron Slay during this week’s Slay Ride on Josh and Swain.

🏀 See where Tennessee (and other SEC teams) land in the latest college hoops power ranking from CBS.

⚾ Can MLB do anything about the early-season injuries to all the pitchers? It’s a big problem to start the year.

🎧 We had a great conversation with former Tennessee QB Jarrett Guarantano, who praised Josh Heupel and UT’s program, previewed the Tennessee-OSU game, and explained what it meant to receive a positive reaction from Tennessee fans. CLICK HERE to listen.

📺 Programming note: ESPN announced that Tennessee fans can listen to the local radio broadcast of the Vols, with their audio feed synced up with ESPN’s presentation on the SEC Network. That means you can hear the Vol Network broadcast with Bob Kesling, Pat Ryan, Brent Hubbs and Jayson Swain while you watch the MegaCast feed on the SEC Network.

JORDAN’S ILLINOIS GAME

Tennessee basketball passed its first real test as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team on Saturday. 

Tennessee beat Illinois 66-64… but it wasn’t easy.

Guards Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler both dealt with foul trouble (each player fouled out) and Tennessee struggled to shoot (6/24 from 3 as a team). 

That meant someone else had to step up for the Vols to win. 

Hello, Jordan Gainey. 

The Vols’ senior scored 23 points off the bench, including a shot at the buzzer for the game winner.

Gainey hasn’t been asked to do too much this season thanks to the arrival of transfers Chaz Lanier and Igor Milicic Jr. 

But the Vols needed Gainey at Illinois — and he answered the call. 

“We turned to (Gainey) and he got it done,” coach Rick Barnes said after the win.

Gainey’s performance at Illinois helps certify Tennessee as one of the nation’s top teams. 

The Vols have high-level talent and legit depth. 

Tennessee shouldn’t have to rely on one player (like Dalton Knecht) to save the day this season.

The Vols are eager for sophomore wing Cam Carr to return from his thumb injury to help strengthen UT’s bench. 

Why is that important?

Because Tennessee’s schedule is about to enter gauntlet mode when SEC play begins against Arkansas on Jan. 4. 

The SEC is off to a scary good start to the season.

Tennessee and Auburn look like the two best teams in the nation right now. 

(The Vols will play at Auburn on Saturday, Jan. 25.)

And the league looks good to great from top to bottom.

As we mention every week, there’s a long way to go this season. 

But the Vols are in a great position — and they have a chance to be even better as the season goes. 

It should be another fun ride for Tennessee fans.

➡️ We talk Tennessee basketball with VFL and SEC legend Ron Slay every week. Check out this week’s Slay Ride below.

(ALMOST) ON TO 2025…

Tennessee added its first player in the transfer portal this week when Arizona offensive guard Wendell Moe signed with the Vols. 

Moe will help replace Javontez Spraggins, who’s started close to 50 games in his career for Tennessee. 

The interior of Tennessee’s offensive line remains a question ahead of next season. 

Moe is a likely answer to one starting guard position. 

If Andrej Karic receives an extra year from the NCAA (he’s currently appealing for one), he’d likely start at the other guard spot. 

The other big question is at center. 

Is Cooper Mays’ replacement on the roster, or will he come from the transfer portal?

The favorites to start at left and right tackle are Lance Heard and David Sanders Jr., the five-star signee who began practicing with Tennessee this week. 

There’s a long way to go before next year’s team hits the field. 

But while Tennessee prepares for a playoff game, the staff has also been working on building next year’s roster. 

The transfer portal has been ACTIVE the last two weeks. 

LSU is spending money like crazy. 

Alabama’s AD is pleading for fans to donate more money for NIL… while Nick Saban is asking why fans should have to do so. 

And Tennessee will have to work on new deals with its players when the season ends — just as every other school must do. 

The current system has obvious flaws. 

It’s also created an endless amount of storylines in college football. 

As they say, content is king.  

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