Start fast

The Buckeyes have hardly roared out of the gate this year. They last opened with a touchdown drive at Oregon in October. They have gone three straight games without reaching the end zone during the first quarter. But gaining early momentum could be critical for Ohio State, a way to instill confidence among players and energize a restless home crowd in the aftermath of the stunning upset loss to Michigan from three weeks ago. Another slow start is likely to allow angst to build within Ohio Stadium on a frigid December night. The Buckeyes need to cut any tension as soon as possible.

Contain Dylan Sampson

Sampson, the SEC’s offensive player of the year, is not the first 1,000-yard rusher the Buckeyes have seen this fall. In consecutive weeks at the start of October, they faced Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Oregon’s Jordan James and held both of them below their yards-per-carry averages. But he’s the centerpiece of the Volunteers’ offensive attack. Nearly a third of Tennessee’s total plays have involved handing off to Sampson or targeting him as a receiver. If Ohio State can limit him, it’ll put more on the plate of Nico Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman quarterback who steps onto the biggest stage of his career.

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Lean on perimeter talent

Few teams in the playoff field boast as much receiving talent as Ohio State, a group led by freshmen phenom Jeremiah Smith and savvy slot receiver Emeka Egbuka, and the Buckeyes should make them the focal point of their game plan after they became less involved as the regular season waned. During the first six games, Smith and Egbuka averaged 13 touches per game, but it dropped to eight over the last six. The Buckeyes tend to move the ball when they turned to them as pass catchers. Each target averages 10.5 yards.