Rose Bowl 2015: Oregon vs. FSU X-Factors That Will Decide Game

Do you think the Rose Bowl is simply a duel between gunslingers Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston? Think again.

Sure, Florida State and Oregon don't have very good chances of advancement without one quarterback outplaying the other. But when two programs of such prestige and stature go at it with a national championship spot on the line, many other factors come into play.

Winston and Mariota can't catch or defend, and they won't exclusively be toting the rock for their respective teams. While each player's performance will loom large, it will only be a piece of the pie. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at two players not named Mariota or Winston who will be huge X-factors in this one.

Oregon X-Factors

Chris Seisay, CB

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The worst-case scenario for Oregon's defense became a reality in preparation for the Rose Bowl.

Ducks star cornerback and defensive leader Ifo Ekpre-Olomu injured his knee in bowl practice and will be out for the entire CFP. Ekpre-Olomu is a shutdown corner and a likely first-round draft pick, and his absence could prove to be huge. Someone has to step up for him.

That someone is redshirt freshman Chris Seisay, who knows he's about to be picked on, per The Oregonian's Tyson Alger.

"They don't know me, they're going to pick on me because I'm the new corner," Seisay said. "I just have to show them what I can do." 

Ekpre-Olomu figured to line up against Seminoles receiver Rashad Greene, their leading receiver and one of the focal points of FSU's offense. Plugging in Seisay on him might be too much, but the freshman will be tested even if he's not lining up against Greene.

Winston will make it a focus to test Seisay. If Seisay can stay poised and force a couple of breakups, perhaps the focus will fall away from him.

Charles Nelson, WR

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

Just like in previous years, Oregon has virtually everything in the cupboard offensively to unleash on defenses. Their insane depth is showcased perfectly by receiver Charles Nelson.

At 5'9" and 170 pounds, the speedster has only 17 catches for 266 yards on the season—but almost half of his involvement this season came against Arizona, when he had seven grabs for 104 yards. 

And like one would imagine from a speedy wideout, he's a heck of a home run threat. He has five touchdowns for the year on 17 catches.

The Seminoles defense has the speed necessary to deal with some of Oregon's weapons, but they could easily lose track of Nelson—who ranks just seventh on the team in receiving yards but has developed nicely down the stretch. If he's ready to have another breakout game, he could help push the Ducks over the top.

Florida State X-Factors

Nick O'Leary, TE

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

You'd think Greene would be the biggest beneficiary of an injury to Oregon's best cornerback, but it could indirectly end up benefiting tight end Nick O'Leary the most.

The pass-catcher won the Mackey Award for the nation's top tight end this season, catching 47 passes for 614 yards and six touchdowns. He has remained Winston's most comfortable option under duress and in do-or-die moments—which FSU has had a lot of this year.

But with Oregon's secondary sure to shake things up to nullify the loss of Ekpre-Olomu, the last thing the Ducks can afford to do is take a body away from the middle. Ducks safety Tyree Robinson—who likes to line up at corner against big receivers—could end up covering O'Leary often, but that will leave openings deep down the field for Winston to expose.

Whether he's drawing enough attention to open up wideouts over the top or those wideouts are drawing enough attention to get O'Leary open, he'll prove to be among the biggest X-factors.

Eddie Goldman, DT

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

For a Florida State defense that churns out first-round NFL draft picks at defensive line year after year, some recent woes have been nothing short of uncharacteristic.

In the Seminoles' three games leading up to this one, they allowed more than 600 combined rushing yards. Not lost in that is the tempered production of tackle Eddie Goldman, who has been banged up.

Goldman's availability has been in question ever since he left the Georgia Tech game with an injury, but head coach Jimbo Fisher explained to V89 Sports' Ariya Massoudi that he should be a full go:

If Goldman is up to 100 percent and making his usual impact, Oregon's running offense could end up being stalemated considerably. He has the size and strength to plug up the middle and force things to the outside.

Of course, few teams in the nation are better on the outside than the Ducks. Even if he makes said impact, it will be far from everything—but it will be a decent start.

With the weapons Oregon has on offense, plugging up the middle of the field could have a chain reaction and force struggles elsewhere. That's especially true if Goldman can get to Mariota for a couple of sacks.