College Football Championship 2015: Most Critical Matchups in Oregon vs Ohio St.
If football is a game of matchups, then Oregon and Ohio State will present a feast of strength-on-strength battles in the national championship game. The Ducks and the Buckeyes are two of the most well-rounded teams in the nation, and with so much premier talent even among the third-stringers, neither side has much of a weakness for the other to exploit.
However, the stylistic contrast should be fascinating. For instance, while both teams boasted top-five scoring offenses this season, the up-tempo, spread-oriented Ducks make for a significant contrast with Ohio State's pro-style power-running game and emphasis on the deep ball. Talent typically wins out, but in this instance, scheme will play just as significant a role.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Therefore, when thinking about these matchups, it's important to consider not just talent but also how each team utilizes each player. With that in mind, here are the likely player matchups that will have the greatest impact on this game's outcome.
Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio St.) vs. Jake Fisher (LT, Oregon)
Few defensive players in the nation possess the power-speed combination necessary to corral Marcus Mariota, but the sophomore Bosa is one of them. Though the unanimous first-team All-American was largely contained against Alabama, even a poor game by his standards resulted in a handful of pass pressures:
On the season, Bosa has compiled 20 tackles for loss, making him a potentially disruptive force against the Ducks rushing attack. The Big Ten doesn't have many systems similar to the Ducks, but against Indiana's spread rushing-oriented offense on Nov. 22, Bosa's impact was muted by his lofty standards, as he recorded five tackles but no sacks.
Still, he's the toughest test on the Ohio State defense, and the Bosa assignment will largely fall upon Jake Fisher's shoulders. Oregon's left tackle has been an unsung hero in the Ducks offense, as the offensive line conceded 10 sacks in the two games Fisher missed this year. However, Fisher was excellent in the Rose Bowl, shutting down Florida State's Mario Edwards Jr. as the Ducks held the Seminoles without a sack.
Tempo is Oregon's greatest ally in keeping defenses on their heels, but that alone isn't likely to stop Bosa or Ohio State's talented interior tackle tandem of Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington. Thus, Fisher and the rest of the offensive line will need to play their best game of the season to slow down the Buckeyes defensive line, the best unit on the squad.
Devin Smith (WR, Ohio St.) vs. Troy Hill (CB, Oregon)
Against Florida State, the senior corner Hill shadowed top receiver Rashad Greene. The Buckeyes possess a more egalitarian wide receiving corps, so it's unclear if the Ducks will employ that same strategy with their No. 1 cornerback. Sophomore Michael Thomas leads the Buckeyes with 50 receptions, while freshman running back Jalin Marshall will present headaches for linebackers on passing downs.
However, no player is more dangerous than Smith, whose 12 touchdowns lead the team this season. Smith's absurd 27.7 yards per catch is the highest mark in the FBS for players with at least 30 catches, per Sports Reference, and no other receiver has scored on a higher frequency of his catches. With a 47-yard touchdown against Alabama, the senior again reminded us that he is one of the nation's best deep threats:
Hill won't be intimidated by the challenge if he does shadow Smith, as he stymied Greene, holding him to just six catches for 59 yards. While potential first-rounder Ifo Ekpre-Olomu has received much of the hype in the Oregon secondary this season, his absence has fostered an appreciation for Hill's gritty man-to-man coverage skills:
Ohio State is 22-0 when Smith catches a touchdown, so it's clear that this matchup is going to represent one of the game's determining factors. While the Buckeyes offense won't be toothless if Hill contains Smith, that would go a long way toward reducing Cardale Jones' margin for error.
Cardale Jones (QB, Ohio St.) and Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio St.) vs. Oregon Front Seven
Speaking of Jones, the sophomore has fared better than anyone could have hoped for since taking over for an injured J.T. Barrett. Though Jones threw a pick and took some untimely sacks in the Sugar Bowl, he averaged 6.9 yards per attempt while wearing down the Crimson Tide's front seven with his bruising running style.
The Buckeyes will seek to run the ball first, especially with the 6'0", 225-pound Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield. Elliott failed to make either All-Big Ten team, because of the conference's enviable backfield depth, but with 1,632 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns on the season and 450 yards on the ground over his past two games, the sophomore is on an absolute tear. Between Elliott and the 250-pound Jones, few teams can match the muscle in the Buckeyes running game.
That will be a huge test for the Ducks front seven, which often unfairly gets labeled as "finesse" because of the program's general emphasis on speed. Still, Oregon did have issues with Florida State's running game, as its running backs averaged 6.3 yards per attempt.
In past years, beefy SEC teams such as LSU and Auburn have bullied Oregon's front seven in the trenches. Now, the Ducks are facing a team that derailed one of those SEC kingpins. Oregon will be an underdog in this specific matchup, but there's no better way to change the national perception than by containing the Buckeyes running game and forcing the game onto Jones' arm.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
