The Bobcats said they were looking forward to the challenge that the Volunteers will bring this Saturday.
And boy, will they present a challenge.
Tennessee, after having faced a scare against Appalachian State and beaten Virginia Tech in the literal biggest college football game ever, the Volunteers are now one week away from facing vaunted rival Florida with an unbeaten record.
Standing in Tennessee's way, however, is the ground and pound style of Ohio and coach Frank Solich.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is in his first season, but he's inherited a ton of talent on his defensive unit.
Defensive end Derek Barnett and cornerback Cameron Sutton are projected to go in the first two rounds of the 2017 NFL draft, according to cbssports.com.
The Bobcats will have to fight incredible talent and a hostile home crowd to defeat a talented No. 15 Tennessee squad.
Breakdown
I took a look at the Virginia Tech versus Tennessee game again, this time to breakdown the defense.
At 1:00:50, the Hokies lined up in the offset pistol, a similar formation as to what the Bobcats might run.
With a wingback behind the tackle and a stacked line to the right, Virginia Tech shows run. Tennessee sees this, and shows blitz from the wide side of the field. I'd expect the Volunteers to stack the box and try to challenge quarterback Greg Windham on Saturday.
The defensive end on the short-side of the field, number 50, washes down, as the Virginia Tech quarterback hands the ball on what appeared to be a read option play to the running back. He made the wrong decision–– he could've had one on one with the corner if he kept it.
Barnett, the lineman Ohio will likely double team on Saturday, was double-teamed by the Hokies offensive line.
The play goes for five yards on a broken tackle. It should have gone for a minimal gain, but the broken tackle makes it 2nd and 5.
This play is very similar to a play you'll likely see at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Judgement
Tennessee hasn't started off well against its last two opponents. That's been a major point of emphasis for the team this week, that it has to come out of the gates faster.
For Ohio to pull the upset, the Bobcats must jump out on the Volunteers early to shake their confidence.
The crowd will be another factor for center Jake Pruehs and Windham on Saturday, as a crowd of at least 90,000 people will be in attendance. If Ohio goes down early, it could be big trouble.
The Bobcats must control the ground game throughout the afternoon so they can control the clock, and slowly grind down the Volunteers defense if Ohio wants to pull the upset.
