COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nico Iamaleava was smothered in Tennessee's season-ending 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff on Saturday. The redshirt freshman quarterback ran the ball ...

(This story has been updated to add new information). Nico Iamaleava's helmet was cracked on the very first drive for Tennessee football in its College Football Playoff first-round game at Ohio State.

It wasn’t pretty, but Iamaleava didn’t back down. He carried the ball 20 times, grinding out 47 yards and scoring both of Tennessee’s touchdowns on sheer willpower.

Despite being overmatched, Iamaleava showed leadership and toughness that point to a bright future for the Volunteers. Saturday night in the College Football Playoff was a harsh reminder of the ...