No. 8 Ohio State will host No. 9 Tennessee in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Ohio Stadium.

• WHEN: 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 21
• TV: ESPN/ABC
• STREAMING: WatchESPN

The closer to the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff is a heavyweight battle between No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Tennessee. Two of the most talented teams in the nation under the lights on a December night at the Horseshoe is a perfect setting to close the first edition of on-campus playoff games.

Ohio State had a clear path to a conference title and the No. 1 overall seed. But a collapse in the last game of the season drops them down to the No. 8 seed. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes likely have the nation’s best roster. They dominated No. 10 Indiana on Nov. 23, and have national championship aspirations. A win over Tennessee sets Ohio State up with a much-anticipated rematch against Oregon, who they lost to by one point in October.

Tennessee will not be intimidated by a hostile crowd, but a cold night game in front of more than 100,000 fans will be a completely new feel for Josh Heupel’s Vols. Tennessee’s team is built for this. They are physical on the offensive line, which has helped running back Dylan Sampson surpass 1,500 rushing yards. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been up-and-down this season, but accounted for 299 yards and four TDs in his last appearance against Vanderbilt.

The final College Football Playoff rankings of the season set the bracket for the 2024 College Football Playoff. Here is the full top-25:

The winner of Ohio State and Tennessee will move on to face No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2025

Since the College Football Playoff was established in 2014, seven teams have won a national championship. Michigan won the last version of the four-team playoff in 2023.

Here is every College Football Playoff Champion: