College Football Playoff 2015: Championship Game Info for Oregon vs. Ohio State

The inaugural College Football Playoff now has its teams for the national championship game. Oregon, which completely dominated Florida State in the second half of their semifinal, will take on an Ohio State squad fresh off an upset of Alabama.

Based purely on the entertainment value of the first two games under the new system, it's safe to say college football is moving in the right direction. Perhaps increasing the field to eight teams would eliminate some of the controversy. It's already an upgrade over the BCS, though.

Given the fact the Ducks and Buckeyes combined to score 101 points in the semifinals, the title game should be another thriller. Let's check out all of the important information for the final followed by a preview of the fight for the first CFP crown. 

College Football Playoff Final

Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

When: Monday, Jan. 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Line: Oregon (-7) (via Odds Shark)

Championship Preview

Both semifinals had some element of surprise. For Oregon, it was how easily it pulled away from a Seminoles side that had previously won 29 straight games. For Ohio State, it was simply beating the top-seeded, highly touted Crimson Tide.

If nothing else, the results reaffirm confidence in the playoff format. As Colin Cowherd of ESPN notes, under the BCS system neither of the teams now slated to play for the championship would have likely been among the final two:

The biggest question coming into the final is whether the Buckeyes, which were prepared for just about everything Alabama threw their way, can replicate that against Oregon. There's a big difference between 10 days between games and nearly a month.

That's especially true when talking about the high-flying Ducks offense. It's a group averaging over 47 points per game for the season. They haven't been held below 40 points since their loss to Arizona all the way back in early October.

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports passed along comments from Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer after beating the Tide. He said watching Wisconsin, which the Buckeyes demolished in the Big Ten title game, beat Auburn was a big moment as he tried to build belief within his team:

"

Maybe the Big Ten's not that bad.

That was a major, major moment for us getting ready for this game. We talked about how strong belief can increase your level of play. Bad belief, or poor belief, can also lower your level of play.

"

Now he needs to further fortify that belief as they enter another game as a sizable underdog. NumberFire thinks the line may be a bit inflated, however:

The good news for Ohio State is the success of its rushing attack. It put up 281 yards on the ground against the Tide after topping the 300 mark in the conference title game. A similar performance will be necessary to complete yet another upset.

Controlling the pace of the game is crucial against Oregon. Florida State found that out the hard way on New Year's Day. It was a close contest until the Ducks started to find a groove, and from that moment on it was a runaway train the Seminoles couldn't stop.

The Buckeyes must utilize a ground-and-pound approach effectively to have a chance.

As for the Ducks, it comes down to maintaining their level of efficiency. Led by continued strong play from Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, they were able to put up an eye-popping 639 total yards against Florida State.

The presence of Mariota really has been the difference. Success on the ground is what Oregon built its rise on. But having a quarterback who could make big plays through the air, thus keeping opposing defenses honest, has made the unit unstoppable at times.

Since the offense moves at such a rapid pace, the defense is going to give up plenty of yards. The key is forcing turnovers, which it did five times against the Seminoles.

All told, Oregon is clicking on all cylinders and enters the title game as the rightful favorite. Ohio State thrived in the underdog role against Alabama, though.

Expect a memorable College Football Playoff finale.