Tennessee's season didn't end how they wanted, but the Vols played a major role in Ohio State's national championship run, starting with the first-round matchup between the Vols and the Buckeyes.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit confirmed that Tennessee and Vols fans were a big reason Ohio State went on its championship run. Herbstreit is an OSU alumnus and has developed a unique relationship with Ohio State as a result, which is how we have learned about Tennessee's impact on Ohio State.
Herbstreit and fellow ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler talked about Ohio State's run after the Buckeyes clinched the national championship with the title run beginning with OSU's win over Tennessee.
"I think that was the turning point as far as the psychological aspect of this team," Herbstreit said. "Looking up in their stadium and seeing all that orange, I think they got back to that locker room; from what Ryan Day and a lot of the players have told me, they basically drew a line in the sand from that moment on."
Tennessee fans were hoping to give the Vols an advantage by packing Ohio Stadium with a sea of orange, but it seems like it had the opposite effect. Ohio State cruised to victory against the Vols, but it also lit a fire in the Buckeyes' locker room, which led to wins against Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame.
"The line in the sand" was drawn by the best team in college football, finally stepping up and saying, "No more." Unfortunately, this led to a 42-17 Tennessee loss.
The Buckeyes took that momentum to win a national championship, the first title in the Ryan Day era, with a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the CFP Championship.