Howard throws 2 TD passes to Smith to help Ohio State rout Tennessee 42-17 in CFP

COLUMBUS (AP) — Will Howard threw two touchdown passes to freshman Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State routed Tennessee 42-17 on Saturday night in a first-round College Football Playoff game, setting up a New Year’s Day rematch with No. 1 Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for two touchdowns apiece as the Buckeyes (11-2) gave their fans an early Christmas present that should quiet some of the outcry following the devastating fourth straight loss to Michigan three weeks ago.

“You could tell from the jump that they had a look in their eyes that they were going to win this game,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

Howard finished 24 for 29 for 311 yards, his second 300-yard game of the season. Smith had six catches for 103 yards, the sixth freshman to have over 100 receiving yards in a CFP game. Henderson had 10 carries for 80 yards.

“We really put together a full, all-out performance, and I think that’s what we needed to do and what we needed to show,” Howard said.

Eighth-seeded Ohio State scored on its first three drives while forcing three straight Tennessee punts. The ninth-seeded Vols (10-3) finally got on the board with a second-quarter field goal and touchdown but couldn’t generate anything in the second half until getting a meaningless touchdown late in the game.

“We didn’t play the way we needed to, we didn’t play well enough, and we didn’t coach well enough,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said.

“They made some plays — that’s going to happen against a good team, but what we didn’t do is to come back and find a way to get back on the right side of it, and that’s offensively and defensively.”

The 473 yards gained by Ohio State was the most surrendered by the Tennessee defense all season.