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Photo: Ohio State Trolls Tennessee with 'Not so Rocky on Top 🚫' Meme After CFP Win

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVDecember 22, 2024

COLUMBUS, OHIO - DECEMBER 21: Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a Buckeyes touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers during the fourth quarter in the Playoff First Round Game at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Jason Miller/Getty Images

Ohio State wasn't content on social media to let the scoreboard do its talking in a 42-17 rout of Tennessee on Saturday night.

The Buckeyes wrote "Not so rocky on top 🚫" along with an image of Brutus Buckeye giving Smokey, the Volunteers' mascot, a walk:

Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 @OhioStAthletics

Not so rocky on top 🚫 <a href="https://t.co/pYA2d4Cle8">pic.twitter.com/pYA2d4Cle8</a>

Ohio State Football @OhioStateFB

We did. <a href="https://t.co/MBPla6OjUn">https://t.co/MBPla6OjUn</a>

The final score may not do justice to how one-sided Saturday's final game of the first round in the College Football Playoff was. Ohio State was up 21-0 before the first quarter wrapped up. The Vols chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter but were never truly in the contest.

Losing leading rusher Dylan Sampson to an injury midway through was a fatal blow for Tennessee, which couldn't muster much offensively. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava finished 14-of-31 for 104 yards.

The Buckeyes, by contrast, had 473 total yards. Will Howard's 311 passing yards were his second-highest of the season, and the quarterback formed an unstoppable combo with freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith.

This was the version of Ohio State fans have been waiting for all year.

The talent within Ryan Day's squad was never in dispute. No expense was spared to build a championship-caliber team. In addition to building a top-five recruiting class headlined by Smith, Day landed safety Caleb Downs and running back Quinshon Judkins in the transfer portal.

Until Saturday night, however, Ohio State hadn't delivered a truly dominant performance, though. It came up short against Oregon on the road and suffered an inexplicable defeat at home to an unranked Michigan. Even the wins over Penn State and Indiana weren't totally convincing.

But the Buckeyes who showed up in Columbus on Saturday can lay claim to being the best in college football. They may have vaulted to the top of the list for the championship favorites.