Video: Ohio State's Mathews Jr. Says 'We Run Through the SEC' After Win vs. Tennessee

Amid conversations about what college football conference is the best, Jermaine Mathews Jr. weighed in on the matter.

After Ohio State's 42-17 trouncing of Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes cornerback had an emphatic message about the SEC.

"We run through the SEC, boy," he said.

Ohio State has historically struggled against the SEC, especially in the postseason. The Buckeyes came into Saturday's matchup with a 2-14 record against the SEC in bowl games and their past two seasons ended with losses to SEC squads.

Perhaps fueled by its prior lack of success against the SEC, Ohio State made a mockery of the conference on Saturday as it dismantled the Vols. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, finishing with 473 total yards compared to just 256 from Tennessee.

If Ohio State fared that well against the third-highest-ranked team out of the SEC, it's fair to say they could likely "run through" most of the conference as well.

The Buckeyes won't get to prove themselves against an SEC squad in the quarterfinals, though. Instead, it will be one of their own as they take on one of the Big Ten's 2024 additions, Oregon.

The top-ranked Ducks come into the matchup as the only undefeated squad in the College Football Playoff and looking to keep their winning streak alive. Oregon's matchup with Ohio State earlier this season was its biggest test during its first year in the Big Ten, and the Ducks passed with a 32-31 win.

If Ohio State can pull off the upset against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, it could have the chance to play another SEC team as it would face the winner of Texas vs. Arizona State in the CFP semifinal.