Rose Bowl 2015: Oregon vs. FSU Viewing Info and Early Preview for CFP Semifinal

The 2015 Rose Bowl is the first under the new College Football Playoff system. Yet, regardless of the postseason format in place, it's hard to imagine the long-running annual showcase getting a better matchup than Oregon against Florida State.

On one side, the Ducks are led by likely Heisman Trophy recipient Marcus Mariota and feature perhaps the nation's most exciting offense. On the other side, the reigning champion Seminoles are highlighted by last year's Heisman winner, Jameis Winston, and a squad with a flair for the dramatic.

The winning side will advance to the national championship game to face off with either Alabama or Ohio State. So let's check out all of the important details for the semifinal along with an early look at the highly anticipated semifinal clash.

Viewing Information

Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

When: Thursday, Jan. 1, at 5 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Rose Bowl Preview

The two quarterbacks are going to remain the central focus of the build-up, and rightfully so. Winston took the college football world by storm last fall while leading Florida State to a championship. Now, Mariota is trying to replicate the Heisman-national title double.

What makes Oregon so difficult to slow down is the incredible combination of efficiency and pace with which it moves on offense. Mariota has attempted 372 passes and been intercepted just twice. Along with limiting mistakes, he's accounted for 53 total touchdowns in 13 games.

ESPN Stats and Info passed along some numbers to show exactly how similar he's performed compared to his Rose Bowl counterpart's 2013 season:

The extra preparation time should help the Florida State defense. The unit gave up 465 yards and 35 points to Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. To say a better effort will be necessary to keep its repeat hopes alive would be a massive understatement.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher isn't sure it's entirely possible to prepare his team for what it will see on New Year's Day, though. Tim Linafelt of Florida State's official athletics site provided comments from him about the challenge the Ducks present.

"They're unbelievably explosive in what they do," Fisher said. "I don't know if you can ever practice for the speed. …You can always look at film, but, until you play the real people, it's difficult."

The bigger concern for Fisher is figuring out a way to get his team to rediscover its championship form during the current lull.

Yes, Florida State stands at a perfect 13-0. It was far from dominant during the regular season, though, often falling behind early and needing a comeback to keep the winning streak alive.

Seven of the Seminoles' 13 wins were by a single score. Only once was against a team ranked in the Top Five, and that was Notre Dame, before the Fighting Irish fell off in a major way down the stretch.

The lack of blowout wins and elite competition makes FSU somewhat of a mystery heading into the playoff. The formula used by NumberFire suggests the results this season barely make the defending champs a top-20 team:

That brings us back to quarterback play. Winston, unlike Mariota, has done a poor job of protecting the football. He's been picked off 17 times, which is a major reason for his rating dropping nearly 40 points after his dynamic freshman campaign.

So while there will be plenty of outstanding players on the field for the semifinal—Royce Freeman, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Nick O'Leary and Jalen Ramsey, to name a few—it's likely to come down to which quarterback can strike the better balance between risk and reward.

If that's how it plays out, Mariota and Oregon have the edge.