College Football Championship 2015: TV Info, Predictions for Title Showdown
As the television commercial for the inaugural College Football Playoff consistently mentions—this is what we asked for all those years. No longer do we have the BCS and all of its problems.
Instead of automatically putting the SEC winner in the title game against whichever power conference team was undefeated that given year (Florida State in 2014), college football set up a small four-team bracket. The result is an impending championship game showdown between Ohio State and Oregon in a game that is rife with storylines and intriguing matchups.
It is the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Marcus Mariota against the third-stringer in Cardale Jones. It is one of the most dominant programs in college football history in Ohio State against a resurgent Oregon program that has become one of the best teams in the last 10 years. It is coaching stalwart Urban Meyer against Oregon’s underrated and unheralded Mark Helfrich.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Here is a look at the preview and essential information for the national title clash.
College Football Championship Game
Matchup: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Date: Monday, Jan. 12
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Preview/Prediction
Any game that involves Oregon will likely feature some scoring with its offense. Mariota is the Heisman quarterback, but it is the rushing attack that should have Ohio State most concerned.
The Ducks put up 301 yards on the ground and a ridiculous five rushing touchdowns against Florida State in the Rose Bowl thanks to the combined efforts of Mariota, Freeman and Thomas Tyner. The often-overlooked Tyner posted the breakout performance of the game with 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns after dealing with injuries for a portion of the year.
The Ducks are 18th in the country in rushing yards per game and often use the ground game to set up passes down the seam on read-option fakes.
Ohio State counters with a potentially dominant defensive line that features superstars Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett. The Buckeyes had 40 sacks entering the College Football Playoff, and Bosa earned first-team Associated Press All-American status with a Big Ten-best 13.5 sacks.
Oregon’s offense is predicated on reading the defense and dominating along the line so it can establish the run first and give Mariota time to throw later. If Bosa and Bennett, who was a third-team All-American himself, can both push their way into the backfield and occupy blockers, it will open up the linebackers to make plays in space.
Zac Ellis of Sports Illustrated discussed this matchup within the matchup:
"Ohio State's defensive front boasts an embarrassment of riches, and defensive end Joey Bosa, the program’s first unanimous All-America selection since linebacker James Laurinaitis in 2007, is just the tip of the iceberg. Tackle Michael Bennett tallied a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss against Alabama. Linebacker Darren Lee had three tackles for loss and two sacks. Can Oregon’s offensive line, which has struggled with injuries this year, protect Mariota from the Buckeyes' defensive talent?
"
If there is one player in America who can deal with that defensive front, it is Mariota. He torched Florida State for 400 total yards of offense and three touchdowns and will look to cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats in college football with a national title.
On the other side is Jones, who will be making just his third career start. Still, he destroyed Wisconsin to the tune of 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game and then knocked off mighty Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in those two starts. The moment has not been too big for him yet.
The Ohio State offense converted 10 of 18 third downs against the Crimson Tide, and the vast majority of those were Jones using either his legs or his arm. He is certainly not as fast as Braxton Miller or even J.T. Barrett, but he is a wrecking ball in the open field, which gives Oregon another thing to worry about.
However, Elliott is the key to the Buckeyes’ attack, as he proved in the Sugar Bowl with 230 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was the best player on the field in a game that featured a number of future pros and will be a problem for the Ducks defense that is 51st in the country against the run.
Meyer discussed his running back, according to The Associated Press, via ESPN.com: "He's probably the most underrated back in the United States.”
If Oregon has to devote extra defenders to the box to deal with Elliott, that will open up the passing game for Jones and company. The Ducks are 111th in the country against the pass and give up large chunks of yardage between the 20s. Look for Devin Smith, who burned Alabama and Wisconsin deep on a number of occasions, to make a couple of big plays in this one.
What’s more, Oregon’s top corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is still out, so Smith, Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall should find some holes in the secondary.
Ultimately, this may be the story of the game.
Yes, the Ohio State defense will pose a threat to Mariota and the Ducks, but Oregon is second in the country in scoring offense. It is going to score some points in this game, and the question is whether the Buckeyes can respond against a potentially vulnerable Ducks defense.
Jones may be a third-stringer, but he has proven his mettle. Florida State had plenty of success moving the ball against Oregon but failed to convert on a number of chances because of devastating turnovers and poor play-calling. Ohio State and the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense will find the end zone on more of those chances, which is trouble for the Ducks.
The Buckeyes will take care of the ball and take advantage of Oregon with the same deep balls that they used against Wisconsin and Alabama. Look for Smith to haul in a late touchdown catch to win the game and title for Ohio State.
Prediction: Ohio State 34, Oregon 31
Follow me on Twitter:
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
