Josh Heupel shares how Tennessee will prepare for cold weather Playoff game in Columbus

Josh Heupel’s point was this on Sunday after Tennessee drew the No. 9 seed and a trip to No. 8 Ohio State in a first-round College Football Playoff game on Dec. 21:

Don’t overreact to the Volunteers having to play a night game in December in Columbus, Ohio.

“A week ago, we played in 30-degree weather,” said Heupel during ESPN’s Playoff Selection Show, referencing Tennessee’s victory at Vanderbilt on Nov. 30. “This isn’t the deep South. We get some colder weather. We practice in the mornings. We’ll be outside during the course of our preparation, and we’ll be ready to handle the elements when we get up to Columbus, Ohio.”

The kickoff at the Horseshoe will be shortly after 8 p.m. ET in 2 Saturdays from now. The fact that Tennessee not only will be traveling north to Columbus but also got the night game out of the 3 Playoff games that day brings the weather question to light.

Heupel had the perfect response for the ESPN crew, noting that it does get cold in Knoxville during the fall and winter months.

Tennessee will face Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 21 with a spot in the CFP quarterfinals on the line.

Cory Nightingale

Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.