The Tennessee Volunteers suffered a 42-17 blowout loss to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Volunteers’ fan base showed up in force, with an estimated 30,000 fans from Tennessee cheering them on at Ohio Stadium. However, their energy and passion did not translate to the field.
Ohio State dominated the game, building a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and outgaining Tennessee 205 yards to 16. The Buckeyes’ quarterback Will Howard credited his team’s quick start for helping them dominate the Volunteers. “I think they thought they were going to take over this place, and we showed them pretty quick that we weren’t going to let that happen,” he said.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel apologized for the loss, saying it was a disappointing outcome for his team and the fans who supported them. The Volunteers’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava also expressed disappointment, saying it was disheartening not to be able to reward the fans who made the trip. “It sucks the performance we gave them,” he said.
The game was marred by injuries to key players, including leading rusher Dylan Sampson and wide receivers Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Squirrel White. Tennessee’s passing game was also ineffective, with Iamaleava completing just 14 of 31 passes for 104 yards and no touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Heupel remained optimistic, saying that his team would continue to grow and rebuild. “You’ve got to play better,” he said. “Ohio State’s a good football team, and tonight wasn’t one of our best performances this year, and so at the end of the day, you’ve got to continue to grow.”
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43105149/vols-disappointed-fanbase-attendance-ohio-stadium