“Braylon has done a great job,” Heupel said. “Young player, just has continued to grow through the winter, through the spring, through the summer. More opportunities, chose to play in the four, kept the redshirt, but he is more than ready to go and play in this one.”
Staley went to Tennessee from Strom Thurmond High School in Edgefield County, South Carolina.
PHOTOS: Tennessee prepares for first-round College Football Playoff game at Ohio State
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) is preparing to play at No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the first-round of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes will host the Vols on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (8 p.m. EST, ABC).
“One of the goals for our program is to earn the right to get into this tournament,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “I am proud of what our guys have done in the first week of this preparation. We have gotten a lot of young-guy work. We have been intentional with that throughout the course of the season as well and have tried to continue that as we have shifted our focus to Ohio State. All the work and energy that you put into it, this is where you want to be.”
Below are photos of Tennessee practicing on Tuesday at Anderson Training Center.
Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is slated for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. ABC will televise the contest.
The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the Rose Bowl to play No. 1 seed Oregon (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten).
The last time the Vols played for an opportunity to appear in the Rose Bowl was during the 2001 season. Tennessee, however, lost to LSU, 31-20, in the SEC championship game.
Tennessee’s loss cost the Vols a chance to play for a BCS national championship against Miami in Pasadena, California.
Tennessee led the Tigers, 17-10, at halftime. The Vols only scored three points after halftime, a 21-yard field goal by Alex Walls in the fourth quarter.
LSU backup quarterback Matt Mauck replaced starter Rohan Davey, who was injured.
Mauck completed 5-of-15 passing attempts for 67 yards. He also recorded 43 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts. He was named MVP of the game.
Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen completed 27-of-43 passing attempts for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Kelley Washington and Troy Fleming each had one touchdown reception in the contest.
Tennessee finished the season with a 11-2 record (7-1 SEC). After not making the Rose Bowl, the Vols defeated Michigan, 45-17, in the Citrus Bowl.
23 years later, the Vols and fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel will compete Saturday for an opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl.
Tennessee last played in the Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1, 1945 against USC (L, 25-0). The Vols also played USC on Jan. 1, 1940 in their other Rose Bowl appearance (L, 14-0).
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel kicks off game week and discusses the Vols playing in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will play at No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) on Saturday. The matchup is a first-round game in the College Football Playoff.
Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST (ABC) at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Fourth-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with media on Monday to kick off game week.
“Great opportunity this week, playing a big game against a great opponent,” Heupel said. “A lot of work has gone on to get to this point. The guys started back in January, staff and players together. They’ve earned the right to play in a game like this.
“A great opponent, great venue. You look at Ohio State, and defensively they lead almost every category in the country. Offensively, they have elite players on that side of the ball. They tie it together well with special teams. It is a huge challenge for us, but one we are really excited about. Preparation has been good. We have to continue that this week and get ready to go play our best football when we get up to Columbus. A great opportunity. I hope we see a bunch of our fans showing up, as well.”
Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson previews the Vols playing at Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
Tennessee junior running back Dylan Sampson recorded a historic campaign during the 2024 regular season.
The 5-foot-1, 201-pound running back set the following single-season program records: Total touchdowns scored (22), points scored (132), rushing yards (1,485) and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11).
Sampson is the second player in Tennessee program history with 10 100-yard rushing games in a single season. Jay Graham totaled 11 in 1995.
He earned the following honors this season: SEC Offensive Player of the Year (AP, Coaches), USA TODAY SEC Player of the Year, All-America Second Team (The Athletic, Walter Camp) and All-SEC First Team (AP, Coaches).
Sampson met with media on Monday to kick off game week in preparation for Tennessee’s first-round College Football Playoff contest at Ohio State.
“This is everything we worked for in the offseason,” Sampson said. “This is was what we expected. This is what we grinded for and it doesn’t stop now. This wasn’t the goal to just get to this game, but we got to attack it the right way.”
Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Tennessee senior tight end Miles Kitselman previews the Vols’ matchup at Ohio State in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Tennessee senior tight end Miles Kitselman is playing for a College Football Playoff team in a second consecutive season with two different schools.
The 6-foot-5, 256-pound tight end transferred to Tennessee after playing at Alabama from 2022-23.
Kitselman met with media on Monday to kick off game week as the Vols prepare to play at Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
He discussed the College Football Playoff having a 12-team format for the first time.
“I think it’s great,” he said of the new format. “With a four-team playoff, you saw a ton of teams that are very talented and don’t get an opportunity to be in the playoffs. You know a 12-team playoff, I think is great for college football. I’m just blessed that we have the opportunity to do it. Doesn’t really feel any different. It’s just another week you have to get ready to play a great game.”
Kitselman appeared in 12 games for the Vols during the 2024 regular season. He recorded 21 receptions for 296 yards and four touchdowns.
Danny White and Miles Kitselman. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Last week, Tennessee defeated Miami, 75-62, in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Vols were also victorious, 66-64, against Illinois at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
Tennessee will play one game this week. The Vols will host Western Carolina on Tuesday at Food City Center. Tipoff between Tennessee and the Catamounts is slated for 7 p.m. EST and can be watched on SEC Network+.
Rank
Team
Record
Points
1
Tennessee
10-0
765 (22)
2
Auburn
9-1
744 (9)
3
Iowa State
9-1
708
4
Kentucky
10-1
664
5
Duke
8-2
638
6
Florida
10-0
610
7
Alabama
8-2
601
8
Kansas
8-2
518
9
Marquette
9-2
496
10
Oregon
10-1
454
11
Texas A&M
9-2
368
12
Houston
6-3
363
13
UConn
8-3
337
14
Gonzaga
7-3
328
15
Oklahoma
10-0
308
16
Ole Miss
9-1
282
17
Purdue
8-3
264
18
UCLA
9-1
263
19
Michigan State
8-2
178
20
Cincinnati
8-1
146
21
Michigan
8-2
113
22
Memphis
8-2
111
23
San Diego State
7-2
110
24
Dayton
9-2
92
25
Mississippi State
9-1
92
Schools dropped out
No. 16 Clemson; No. 22 Wisconsin; No. 25 Baylor
Others receiving votes
Clemson 87; Baylor 79; Illinois 50; St. John’s 48; Drake 44; Utah State 40; Arkansas 31; Maryland 29; Georgia 23; Wisconsin 22; Pittsburgh 21; Missouri 18; North Carolina 9; West Virginia 5; Creighton 5; Texas Tech 3; Penn State 2
A look at Tennessee’s all time record versus current Big Ten schools in football.
Tennessee will play Ohio State for a second time in program history on Saturday. The Vols lead the all time series, 1-0.
Tennessee defeated the Buckeyes, 20-14, on Jan. 1, 1996 in the Citrus Bowl. The only meeting between the two schools took place in Orlando, Florida.
Saturday’s Tennessee-Ohio State matchup will also be in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. ABC will televise the first-round contest.
The 2024 season marked the first campaign for the Big Ten with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington as league members.
Below are all time records for Tennessee versus current Big Ten schools in football.
Illinois: Never played
Indiana: Tennessee leads, 2-0 on the field (1-0 NCAA)
Iowa: Tennessee leads, 3-1
Maryland: Tennessee leads, 5-3
Michigan: Tennessee leads, 1-0
Michigan State: Never played
Minnesota: Tennessee leads, 1-0
Nebraska: Nebraska leads, 2-1
Northwestern: Tennessee leads, 2-0
Ohio State: Tennessee leads, 1-0
Oregon: Oregon leads, 2-0
Penn State: Penn State leads, 3-2
Purdue: Purdue leads, 2-0
Rutgers: Tennessee leads, 3-1
UCLA: Tennessee leads, 7-6-2
USC: USC leads, 4-0
Washington: Never played
Wisconsin: Tennessee leads, 2-0 *Information from the 2024 University of Tennessee Football Media Guide
Dalton Knecht’s results versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
Los Angeles (14-12) defeated Memphis (18-9), 116-110, Sunday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht totaled five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes for the Lakers. He converted 2-of-4 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 free throw attempts.
The former Vol was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.
Knecht was a transfer from Northern Colorado and played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.
Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.
