Ohio State may have stumbled during rivalry week but it will still have an opportunity to compete for a national title.
With a 10-2 record, the Buckeyes built an impressive resume worthy of a selection to the newly expanded College Football Playoff. Ohio State is now four wins away from its first national title since 2014.
Before looking too far ahead, however, the Buckeyes' focus begins with their first opponent in the playoff. Head coach Ryan Day & Co. will have their work cut out for them as they take on another one of the country's best 12 teams.
Here's everything to know about the Buckeyes' next opponent.
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College Football Playoff bracket
Who will Ohio State play next?
Ohio State will play Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are the No. 8 seed, meaning the game will be played in Columbus, Ohio.
Because Ohio State did not qualify for the Big Ten championship game, it could not impact its playoff resume during championship weekend. The Buckeyes entered championship week as the No. 6 team in the rankings but slid to No. 8 because of the teams with automatic bids ahead of them.
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When does Ohio State play again?
Ohio State will take Tennessee on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. The winner of that contest will play Oregon at Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET.
College Football Playoff schedule 2024
| Date | Round | Matchup | Time | TV Channel |
| Dec. 20 | First Round | Indiana at Notre Dame | 8:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN |
| Dec. 21 | First Round | SMU at Penn State | 12:00 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Dec. 21 | First Round | Clemson at Texas | 4:00 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Dec. 21 | First Round | Tennessee at Ohio State | 8:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN |
| Dec. 31 | Quarterfinals | TBD vs. Boise State | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | Quarterfinals | TBD vs. Arizona State | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | Quarterfinals | TBD vs. Oregon | 5:00 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | Quarterfinals | TBD vs. Georgia | 8:45 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 9 | Semifinals | TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 10 | Semifinals | TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Jan. 20 | National Championship | TBD vs. TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |