COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The countdown to kickoff is down to its final hours as Ohio State gets set to host Tennessee in the first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and will mark the first December game for the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium.

This is the first meeting between the programs since the 1996 Citrus Bowl, which the Volunteers won 20-14. Although Ohio State hasn’t beaten a Southeastern Conference team since 2015, the Buckeyes have never lost to a team from that league at home. Kentucky, LSU and Vanderbilt are the only three schools to play at Ohio State, with the most recent visit coming from LSU in 1988.

The winner moves on to a quarterfinal against top-seeded and undefeated Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Here are four things to know.

Buckeyes look to wash sting of Michigan loss with win

Weeks after a 13-10 loss to Michigan, the defeat still stings, even if the players say that they’ve turned the page. But they’re determined not to let the result get in their heads and allow Michigan to “beat us twice”.

“It hurts man. Not going to lie. We still feel it. But we’ve moved on,” quarterback Will Howard said. “We can still go out there and right the wrongs that happened in that game. Obviously, we don’t get a chance to play them again, but we can still go win the whole thing.”

A national championship is still on the table for the Buckeyes, something they haven’t won since the 2014 season. Ohio State is 3-4 all-time in playoff games and trails only Alabama and Clemson in all-time appearances.

“This is a new season. It’s the playoffs. The fact of the matter is if we don’t beat Tennessee, none of it matters. So we’re worried about Tennessee right now,” Howard said. “Once you get the first win, you’re able to pick up some momentum. But without winning the first one, nothing matters.”

Learning lessons and chasing perfection

Seven of the 12 playoff teams have exactly two losses. And Ohio State’s two losses were decided by a combined total of four points.

When the Buckeyes lost to Oregon, much of the focus was on the defense that had allowed 32 points, a number of long plays and 496 yards of total offense. Ohio State hasn’t allowed an opponent to put up that much yardage or points since. Now the pressure is on to see if the Buckeyes can have that same type of bounce-back performance.

“You’re always chasing to play your best game. And even if you think you do, you know you’re not really satisfied with that. For us, I think we could always play better in all of our games we played,” linebacker Cody Simon said. “It’d be great for for all the hard work and all the preparation to come together Saturday and, you know, put a perfect game together for us.”

Playing for Seth

The offensive line has gone through many changes this season, mainly due to injury. Center Seth McLaughlin’s season ended to a torn Achilles in practice just days before the Indiana game. But that didn’t end the Alabama transfer’s contributions.

“He helps out as much as he can. He’s always here. Maybe not in the outdoor practices. He doesn’t really go out to those,” offensive lineman Donovan Jackson said. “He’s always helping out Carson [Hinzman] and always helping out the guards.”

And in preparation for the Volunteers, the Buckeyes are relying on McLaughlin’s experience playing in the postseason and in the SEC.

“He’s just giving us insight on what we need to do to compete at the highest level against their D-line because obviously they’re a great group,” Jackson said. “And helping us improve as best as we can. He’s still just as involved as he was before the incident happened. He’s just trying to give back as much as he can.”

Preparing for cold conditions

Although the weather is expected to be dry, temperatures will likely be below freezing by the time kickoff rolls around. The players say they’ll be prepared for the cold conditions, with recent practices taking place outside.

“We practice in it every single day. I’ve played in very cold conditions so it’s something we’re used to,” Howard said.

No matter what, Saturday will be the final home game for the team’s seniors. And they want the crowd to provide an atmosphere that will give the Buckeyes a home field advantage.

“We’re going to go out there and give it our best. And we hope the fans do the same thing. And, you know, we love that we have really passionate fans. That’s why it’s Ohio State,” Simon said. “We know we have to play at our best. And if we don’t, we’re going to hear it. And and we hope that they’re there with us on this one. And, you know, we’re going to go out there and pretty much give it all.”