Oregon Football: Who Are the Ducks' Most Important Players vs. Florida State?

Is it possible to overlook the defending national champions who are riding a 29-game win streak?

While the second-ranked Oregon Ducks are heavily favored by Odds Shark to take down the Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl, there is no way that the Ducks should consider themselves better than the Noles.

Not only do the Seminoles have the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Jameis Winston, but also their roster is stock full of players who know how to win and have come up big in clutch situations.

Yes, the Ducks are the better team on paper this season and lead the Seminoles in a host of statistical categories. However, if the Ducks are to win the Rose Bowl and advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship, they’re going to need to play their best game of the season.

Florida State is a team that is built to come back late in games. They’ve done it numerous times this season and did it in the BCS National Championship last year against Auburn.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are the best front-runners in the country and play their best football when they’re trying to close the door on an opponent. This will make for an interesting matchup come Jan. 1.

Let’s take a look at the five players who must be at their best in order for the Ducks to beat the defending national champs.

Royce Freeman

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If quarterback Marcus Mariota is the conductor of Oregon’s high-octane offense, it is true freshman running back Royce Freeman who is the engine.

There’s this idea that read-option offenses operate best when the running back is a shifty, small runner who can score anytime he touches the ball. Well, apparently no one told the Ducks that.

Freeman is an absolute terror coming out of the backfield and brings a bruising, physical style that the Ducks have not had in years past. Not only does Freeman’s style benefit Oregon’s offense, but it also hinders opposing defenses.

When defenses tire, as most do against the Ducks due to the speed of the offense, the best way to attack them is with power, not speed. Freeman has quickly become Oregon’s “closer” and will be a big part of Oregon’s offense as it faces more physical defenses like Florida State’s.

On the season, Freeman has rushed for 1,299 yards—ranked No. 24 in the nation—and has scored 16 rushing touchdowns—No. 13 in the country.

Freeman showed some early glimpses of how good he could be against Michigan State. However, he’s truly broken out over the past eight games. Over the past eight games, all Oregon victories, Freeman has rushed for an average of over 119 yards per game and has scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

Florida State’s defense is ranked No. 60 in the country against the run and has allowed over 160 yards per game, including 331 rushing yards against Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship game.

If Freeman gets going against FSU, the defending champs could be in trouble.

Erick Dargan

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While senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the country's best defensive back, it was senior safety Erick Dargan who was Oregon’s best defensive back this season.

Not only did Dargan lead the team in interceptions this season with six, but he also led the team in solo tackles (51) and total tackles (82).

Dargan has made some spectacular interceptions this year, most notably against Michigan State, but he’s also been the backbone of a secondary that has been shaky at points this season.

Florida State’s passing attack is not what it was in 2013, and the Seminoles have struggled at points to move the ball down the field consistently.

However, they still have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Jameis Winston and two of the best receivers in the country in wide receiver Rashad Greene and tight end Nick O’Leary.

Florida’s State passing attack is ranked No. 14 in the country and is averaging almost 300 yards per game through the air. Meanwhile, Oregon’s passing defense is one of the worst in the country—ranked No. 103—and is allowing 259.5 yards per game through the air.

Oregon is going to need Dargan and Ekpre-Olomu to have spectacular days against Florida State in order to come away with the victory.

Jake Fisher

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Oregon’s offense has thrived this season when left tackle Jake Fisher has been healthy.

Fisher has played in 11 games so far this season for the Ducks. In those games, the Ducks are averaging 49 points per game and are undefeated. However, without Fisher in the lineup against Washington State and the first meeting against Arizona, the Ducks averaged a paltry (by their standards) 31 points per contest and went 1-1.

Florida State’s defensive line has struggled this season and has only been able to get to the quarterback 17 times this season—ranked No. 107 in the country.

That being said, Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman are two of the finer defensive lineman in the country and could be a handful for an Oregon offensive line that has struggled with sacks and penalties so far this season.

Fisher will be tasked with manning an offensive line that may be without center Hroniss Grasu for the fourth straight game. While the line has done a good job in Grasu’s absence, the Seminoles defense will provide a stiffer test than Colorado, Oregon State or Arizona.

Despite the fact the Fisher will likely never touch the ball against Florida State, he may be Oregon’s most important offensive player.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

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One of the most intriguing matchups in the Rose Bowl will be Ifo Ekpre-Olomu versus Rashad Greene.

Despite his struggles this season, Ekpre-Olomu was still a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award and is one of the most talented defensive backs in the country. However, he has struggled a bit against taller wide receivers.

Thankfully, Greene is only listed at 6'1" and is likely closer to 5'11" or 6'0". That being said, Greene is one of the best wide receivers in the nation and has had an incredible season. He's going to be a handful for Ekpre-Olomu.

On the year, Greene has caught 93 passes—ranked No. 8 nationally—for 1,306 yards—No. 7 in the country. While he’s only caught seven touchdowns this year, as compared to nine last year, he’s still averaging over 100 yards per game through the air and over 14 yards per reception.

It will be up to Ekpre-Olomu and cornerback Troy Hill to cover Greene and attempt to slow down Florida State’s offense, especially in the second half when it has destroyed opposing defenses.

Marcus Mariota

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There’s no point in going through Marcus Mariota’s stats this season because you’ve heard them all before. He’s likely going to win the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 13—the first in school history—and has also won the Maxwell Award (Most Outstanding player), Davey O’Brien Award (Best Quarterback) and the Walter Camp Award (Player of the Year).

In order for the Ducks to knock off the Seminoles, Mariota is going to have to put together another Heisman-caliber performance. 

The Seminoles are going to be able to score points on the Ducks, which means that we may be getting a shootout. Oregon’s offense is fully capable of going toe-to-toe with the defending national champs, especially with Mariota running the show.

As always, it will be important for the Ducks to get out to an early lead, especially against Florida State. The Seminoles are a second-half team and, if the past is an indicator for the future, will mount some sort of second-half comeback against the Ducks.

It will be on Mariota to make sure the game is out of reach early, and if it’s not, he will be responsible for closing out the Rose Bowl.

While being awarded the first Heisman Trophy in school history is a massive accomplishment, it also comes with a ton of pressure. Can Mariota handle the heat and lead the Ducks to Rose Bowl win and a shot at the national title?

If his Rose Bowl performance in on par with the rest of his historic 2014 campaign, the Ducks should be able to defeat Florida State.

Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise stated. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.