Oregon vs. Ohio State: Top Player Matchups in College Football Championship 2015

When the No. 2 Oregon Ducks square off against the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday, January 12 for the 2015 National Championship, all eyes will be watching to see which program becomes the inaugural College Football Playoff champion.

Oregon earned its spot in the title game by beating the defending national champion Florida State Seminoles in decisive fashion, 59-20. On the other hand, Ohio State stunned the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, 42-35, to catapult itself into the national championship.

Here is all the vital viewing information for the 2015 College Football National Championship and the top player matchups to watch.

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

When: Monday, January 12

Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Marcus Mariota vs. Ohio State’s Secondary

Oregon comes into the game with plenty of momentum and a Heisman trophy-winning quarterback under center. If the Ducks want to win the 2015 national title, Marcus Mariota will have to lead the team to victory with his arm.

Mariota has thrived under pressure and shown why he is the best in the nation. Whether it was accounting for five total touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) against Arizona in the Pac 12 Championship or racking up over 400 yards of all-purpose offense and another three touchdowns against Florida State, the junior quarterback has flourished.

Despite the immense amount of success he found during the regular season and against the Seminoles, Mariota spoke to ESPN.com, showcasing his composure and focus, saying, “It's incredible. I'm so proud of these guys right here. We've got one more to take care of.”

The Ohio State secondary will not go down without a fight, though. The Buckeyes gave up 237 yards and two touchdowns to Alabama quarterback Blake Sims, but the unit managed to rack up three interceptions as well.

Mariota is the best quarterback Ohio State has seen all season and he will capitalize on any of the mistakes the secondary makes. In the same vein, the Buckeyes defenders will take advantage of any mistakes Mariota makes.

It’s the ultimate on-field tactical battle.

Cardale Jones vs. Oregon’s Front Seven

When the season began, Ohio State sophomore Cardale Jones was the third-string quarterback for the Buckeyes. Now, he has led the team to back-to-back wins in the Big Ten title game and the Sugar Bowl.

In the College Football Playoff semifinal, Jones was supposed to be outmatched against Alabama, but he showed confidence in his ability and was a key reason Ohio State managed the upset over the Crimson Tide.

Skip Bayless of ESPN spoke glowingly of Jones and his performance against Alabama:

For Oregon, stopping Jones on the ground will be even more important than shutting him down through the air. The quarterback’s 243 passing yards were impressive, but it was his ability to run for 43 yards against the stout Alabama defense was a real difference maker.

Jones will face a tough test against a tough Ducks defense in the national championship, though, finishing 27th in the nation allowing 22.3 points per game. Oregon may have allowed 180 rushing yards in the Rose Bowl to Florida State, but the team shut down Jameis Winston, holding him to -15 yards on the ground.

If Ohio State wants to win the national title, Jones must find success running the ball against the Ducks front seven.

*Stats via ESPN.com.