College Football Championship 2015: Breaking Down Biggest X-Factors in CFP Final

The College Football Playoff National Championship is officially set with the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes winning on New Year's Day, and both teams have myriad players capable of having a huge impact on the title game.

That much was proven true in the CFP Semifinals as the Ducks and the Buckeyes needed contributions across the board to knock off the Florida State Seminoles and the Alabama Crimson Tide, respectively. Their stars had to shine as well, but they aren't nearly as effective without role players helping them along.

With that in mind, here is a look at a few players that promise to be X-factors when Oregon and Ohio State meet to decide the best team in college football.

Thomas Tyner

Although Oregon is mostly lauded for the play of quarterback Marcus Mariota, it has been an extremely good running team all season. In addition to the damage Mariota does with his legs, running back Royce Freeman has rushed for over 1,300 yards. One person who wasn't a huge factor until the Rose Bowl, though, was sophomore running back Thomas Tyner.

Tyner had missed four games due to injury, and his season high on the ground was just 64 yards in the opener. There wasn't a ton expected of him against FSU, but he went on to lead the Ducks in rushing as he piled up 124 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

As pointed out by Bleacher Report's Michael Felder, Tyner essentially came out of nowhere to be one of Oregon's biggest weapons on New Year's Day:

Most of the focus was on Freeman in that regard, but he averaged less than four yards per carry and never really got going. Tyner gashed the Seminoles for nearly 10 yards per tote, though, and he gives the Buckeyes something to worry about.

Based on his comments leading up to the Rose Bowl, per Ryan Thorburn of The Register-Guard, Tyner seems driven by the fact that this has been such a trying season for him: "It has been very upsetting, having to sit and watch is something nobody wants to do. You want to get on the field, and that is the way I felt the whole time I was out. I am just excited now to get back out there."

Ohio State allowed 170 rushing yards against Alabama despite its victory, so the Ducks know they can run on the Buckeyes. If they commit to it, then Tyner figures to be utilized much more heavily than he was during the regular season.

Devin Smith

Nobody was quite sure how quarterback Cardale Jones would fare against Alabama's talented offense in the Sugar Bowl, but he held up just fine for the Buckeyes as he threw for 243 yards and a touchdown. A big reason for that was the presence of deep-threat wide receiver Devin Smith.

The senior wideout has been one of the most dynamic pass-catchers in college football over the past four years, and that was on full display against the Crimson Tide. Smith caught just two passes, but they went for a total of 87 yards and a touchdown.

Smith now has 30 career touchdown receptions, and the Buckeyes have never lost a game in which he has nabbed a touchdown pass, according to Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch:

Although Smith has only 32 receptions on the season, he has 886 yards, which is good for nearly 28 yards per catch. Per ESPN Stats & Info, he is particularly adept at picking up yardage in massive chunks:

The Oregon defense held Florida State in check in the Rose Bowl and didn't allow many big plays. When it comes to Smith, though, at least one explosive play per game is almost inevitable.

He has a quarterback that throws an extremely good deep ball, and Jones wasn't afraid to take shots down the field in the Sugar Bowl. That isn't likely to change in the championship game, which means Smith will have some opportunities to make game-changing plays.

Aidan Schneider

Oregon didn't need to be great in the kicking game against Florida State as it routed the Seminoles 59-20, but that could very well change in the College Football Playoff National Championship if things are tight down the stretch.

The Ducks' primary kicker is freshman Aidan Schneider, who has hit nine of his 10 field-goal attempts this season. He hasn't been called upon very often due to the potency of Oregon's offense and previous injuries, but he usually delivers when he is.

It remains to be seen how Schneider might fare with everything on the line, but he believes he is prepared for any situation due to the way Oregon practices, according to Steve Mims of The Register-Guard: "One thing that helps the most is the clutch periods we do at practice. I don't feel a ton more pressure in games. That is like a game to us because we could potentially be in that situation."

Schneider hit his only field-goal attempt in the Rose Bowl, although he did miss an extra point, which is something that could conceivably come back to haunt the Ducks if it happens in the title game.

Oregon cannot score a touchdown on every possession, and it will be interesting to see if Schneider can step up when called upon in the biggest game of his life.

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