ESPN’s FPI predictor spoke on Sunday on the Tennessee-Ohio State showdown, and it gave its early advantage to the home team in the Dec. 21 College Football Playoff matchup.

The Volunteers will visit the Horseshoe in an SEC-Big Ten showcase of sorts. Except this matchup will be a first-round CFP elimination game, with the winner heading to the Rose Bowl to face top-seeded Oregon and the loser heading home. Of course, if Ohio State loses, it will already be home, but back to that FPI predictor, which believes the Buckeyes might just be heading for the quarterfinals and a rematch with the Ducks.

It’s early, of course, as the matchup won’t take place for almost another 2 weeks, but the FPI gave the Buckeyes a 67.4% chance to beat the Volunteers and head west to Pasadena. Ohio State is -7.5 for that matchup per FanDuel, and be sure to use our Ohio sports betting promos for all the action.

The Volunteers and Buckeyes will kick things off shortly after 8 p.m. ET on ABC from what is likely to be a cold Columbus, Ohio. But the Volunteers won’t be fazed by the weather, according to head coach Josh Heupel, who said that his team will be practicing outdoors in preparation for the cold weather at the Horseshoe.