The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is finally upon us.
Ohio State will kick off its first postseason campaign in this new format by hosting Tennessee in the first round of the playoffs and will do so as the favorite to advance to the Rose Bowl for a rematch with top-seeded Oregon.
According to the Action Network consensus lines, the Buckeyes will open as a seven-point favorite over the Volunteers for the Dec. 21 tilt — which will kick off at 8 p.m. at Ohio Stadium with ABC and ESPN televising. Despite its 10-2 record, Ohio State is just 6-6 against the spread this season while Tennessee — also 10-2 on the season — boasts a 7-5 record against the spread.
In addition to the spread, the total opened at 46.5 points. Across Ohio State’s last six games, the total has gone over just once, coming in the Buckeyes’ 38-15 win over Indiana on Nov. 23. On the flip side, the total has gone over in four of Tennessee’s last five games — including each of the previous three contests.
The Buckeyes and Volunteers have met just once prior to the impending College Football Playoff bout, with Tennesse getting the upper hand on Ohio State with a 20-14 victory in the controversial 1996 Citrus Bowl.
