Rose Bowl 2015: Underrated Players to Watch in Oregon vs. FSU Showdown
Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston are far from the only players who will take the field when the Oregon Ducks and Florida State Seminoles collide in the Rose Bowl this January.
The College Football Playoff semifinal in Pasadena, California, not only touts a number of top-tier NFL draft prospects but a wealth of the best players the collegiate landscape offers.
Most will only hear about the men under center in the weeks leading up to the encounter. Rightfully so, too. Winston is last year's Heisman Trophy winner and the reason the Seminoles are still undefeated. Mariota is one of the most dominant Heisman winners in history.
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The two will need strong contributions from a few key players, though. To that end, let's shift the focus away from the quarterbacks for a moment and highlight a few unheralded names who will make themselves known soon.
Underrated Rose Bowl X-Factors
Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon
When it comes to the nation's third-ranked offense, people seem most know Mariota's name and few others.
That will change in a hurry once Royce Freeman gets to go against the Seminoles defense.
The definition of a workhorse back, Freeman is a freshman who has outpaced everyone on the roster this year:
A dive into those numbers is quite impressive. Freeman owns six 100-yard performances this season, with his current streak set at three. He also has six games with a minimum of two touchdowns, highlighted by a four-touchdown performance against Washington.
Freeman is quite difficult to stop once he gets going. If the Seminoles cannot slow him down early and often, the game will become unglued due to yet another prolific piece of the Oregon offense a shaky defense must account for on every snap.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Florida State has a freshman of its own in the backfield who can shred defenses on every snap.
Dalvin Cook did not receive more than 13 carries until the sixth game of the season, but since then, it has been full-sail ahead. He now leads the Seminoles in rushing with 155 attempts for 905 yards and eight touchdowns.
Cook was especially impressive in the ACC Championship Game win over Georgia Tech with his 177 yards and a score on 31 carries. In fact, the number is the most coach Jimbo Fisher has asked of a back since 2005.
Fisher discussed Cook's performance in that game, per Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel.
"He was hot, he was going. [Mario] Pender was ready, but he was playing so well. In that game, every offensive possession was so critical. You couldn't afford a mistake. Not that you thought the other guy would, but you've got a hot hand, you've got to stay with it.
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Cook's importance cannot be understated. If he gets going early and often, it means that the Seminoles can control the pace of the game and keep Mariota off the field. It also means less pressure on Winston, who has struggled with ball security this season (24 touchdowns, 17 interceptions).
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
At first glance, box scores do not suggest Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is an elite collegiate defensive back.
The owner of just two interceptions and 63 total tackles this year, Ekpre-Olomu is valuable in more ways than on the stat sheet—such as forcing opposing offenses into one-dimensional attacks.
Offenses want no part of the senior corner, which pushes aerial attacks in a predictable direction most of the time. When quarterbacks do challenge Ekpre-Olomu's side of the field, it usually results in a bad time for the offense.
Prolific passing attacks are common in the Pac-12, so Ekpre-Olomu is ready for whatever Winston and the Seminoles offense throws his way. His main assignment will likely be to follow wideout Rashad Greene (93 catches, 1,306 yards and seven touchdowns). This in theory will funnel the ball to predictable locations, such as tight end Nick O'Leary.
Ekpre-Olomu may once again not come up big on the stat sheet, but his presence in the Rose Bowl will be impossible to deny.
Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
Florida State also happens to have a defensive presence who isn't known for stuffing the stat sheet yet changes games on his own.
The NFL will also call up defensive tackle Eddie Goldman soon, but not before he attempts to stop Freeman and put heat on Mariota each time the ball is snapped.
Goldman has just four sacks to his name his year, but a more athletic tackle at 6'4" and 314 pounds is difficult to find. As a player who can generate the unorthodox pressure up the middle, it will be his responsibility to flush Mariota from the pocket in the hopes he makes mistakes.
Mariota is great on the run, but that is more preferable than allowing him to sit in the pocket and pick apart the secondary like a surgeon. An added bonus of Goldman's presence is that he can help the line to generate pressure with four players, meaning more bodies in coverage to counteract the Oregon passing attack.
Goldman and Co. are near the end of an up-and-down season (26th-ranked defense), but Goldman gives the Seminoles a serious chance to do the unthinkable and ground the Ducks.
Stats and information via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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