Ohio State vs Tennessee CFP tickets: How to get Dec. 21 seats under $253....

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21 from Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets for this historic game are available online from major third-party sites.

The winner will play top-ranked Oregon on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee will kick off at 8 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 21. Get your seats for this CFP matchup from Seat Geek, Vivid Seats, StubHub, Viagogo, TicketCity and Ticketmaster.

Can’t make it to Columbus? Watch this CFP matchup on ABC and ESPN for free by utilizing a free trial from DirecTV Stream.

Looking for something else? FuboTV is offering $30 off your first month and there are also promotional offers for new customers from Sling TV.

As of Dec. 9, the cheapest overall tickets I found were from Viagogo for $252.

Here is a breakdown of the best ticket finds for Ohio State vs. Tennessee:

Seat Geek: $304

Vivid Seats: $287

StubHub: $291

Viagogo: $252

TicketCity: $321

Ticketmaster: $300

You can get tickets to the Rose Bowl for a potential Ohio State vs. Oregon rematch for $289 on Vivid Seats. Visit the website for refund information if game does not occur.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes (10-2) are back in the College Football Playoff after another disappointing end to their regular season courtesy of the rival Michigan Wolverines. With their only other loss to top-ranked Oregon, an expanded 12-team field has granted them new life and a path to exact revenge and silence the doubters.

Ohio State senior quarterback Will Howard delivered a strong regular season campaign, tossing 2,860 yards with 27 touchdowns and six interceptions. He finished with an 83 QBR, which was the sixth-highest in the nation.

The Buckeyes witnessed the birth of a superstar in freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith finished the regular season with 57 receptions for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 16.4 yards per reception. Smith exploded onto the scene with at least one touchdown in his first seven games.

Ohio State’s 1-2 punch of senior running back TreVeyon Henderson and junior running back Quinshon Judkins turned in a strong showing for the carry share. Judkins amassed 147 carries for 805 yards and eight touchdowns. Henderson hauled 108 carries for 751 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.

The defense was the best in the nation, holding opponents to 10.92 points per game. They allowed just 241 yards of total offense per game, the fewest offensive touchdowns (14) and the second fewest yards per play (4.10). Their red zone defense allowed 55.2%, which is also the best mark in the country.

Senior defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau have combined for 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 39 solo tackles. Senior Denzel Burke has 31 solo tackles and two interceptions with two pass deflections.

Tennessee Volunteers

Like the Buckeyes, The Volunteers (10-2) slipped up just twice this season, falling to Georgia and Arkansas on the road. Tennessee has won six of its last seven games heading into its first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Tennessee’s bread and butter has been its run game, which boasts one of the top backs in the county in junior Dylan Sampson. The bell cow back has blasted through defenses with 256 carries for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

The Volunteers are guided by maturing freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who threw for 2,512 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has run for 311 yards and one touchdown.

Senior Dont’e Thornton Jr. is his top target, hauling in 25 receptions for 647 yards and six touchdowns, averaging a whopping 25.9 yards per reception.

Tennessee’s defense is highlighted by the dangerous abilities of sophomore Jermod McCoy, who has snagged four interceptions with 22 solo tackles and seven pass deflections. Sophomore Arion Carter has 27 solo tackles and one interception.