Oregon vs. Ohio State: Storylines to Watch in College Football Championship 2015
Oregon and Ohio State have yet to slip.
Oregon, the team led by Marcus Mariota that usually hits a late-season hiccup that ruins everything, is through to the title game. Not only did the Ducks quell past demons against teams such as Stanford, they took down Florida State.
Ohio State, a new-look squad under Urban Meyer, is a far cry from the one that annually lost at the hands of the SEC. Despite a third-string quarterback, the Buckeyes took down Alabama.
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The storylines for a title game that would never work under the watchful eye of the BCS are bountiful. Talking points are critical to any matchup, but these have a way of writing themselves.
It all comes to a head January 12.
College Football Playoff National Championship Odds and Schedule
| January 12, 2015 | Oregon vs. Ohio State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN | Oregon -7 |
Latest Storylines to Watch
Marcus Mariota's Legs
The book on Marcus Mariota is widely available.
Heisman winner. Eye-popping statistics, including a 40-3 touchdowns-interceptions ratio. Conqueror of the Pac-12 and defending champions. Surefire NFL first-round pick, potential No. 1 overall.
What is lost a bit in the limelight is Mariota's ability with his legs. Not in a stereotypical "he's a dual-threat quarterback" sense, either, considering so many like to point out his 731 yards and 15 scores as a rusher this season.
No, this focuses more on his ability to not only extend plays with his feet, but also remain aware enough to find the open target down the field. This ability is a major reason he was able to complete 68.6 percent of his passes so far despite injuries to starters along the offensive line such as Tyler Johnstone.
Mariota's ability to pretend he is a more agile Ben Roethlisberger is key against the Buckeyes. Defensive end Joey Bosa leads one of the nation's most feared rushes, headlined by his 14 sacks.
Said rush flustered Alabama's Blake Sims into three interceptions and helped to limit him to 29 rushing yards. Oregon players understand the task at hand, too, as comments by center Hroniss Grasu illustrate, per Paul Myerberg of USA Today:
"They're the most talented defensive line we've faced all season long. The most talented defense. They've got some young guys in there who can really play. They're just very active. They won't quit on a play. Florida State, they'd stop after one move. These guys, they won't quit on a play.
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Obviously, Mariota is not prone to turnovers. Yet he rarely encounters defenses such as Ohio State. Really, even Florida State's unit in the semifinal entered as one of the most criticized points of the matchup.
It only seems right that Mariota's final collegiate test comes against such a stellar unit. Ditto for Oregon's final ascension after years of coming up short.
Cardale Jones' Pursuit of Perfection
Cardale Jones makes being a third-string quarterback look so easy.
Just don't tell that to Ryan Lindley.
Humor aside, nobody should discredit what the sophomore has accomplished in such a short period after J.T. Barrett's injury. Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin? No problem, Jones just throws for 257 yards and a trio of scores.
Leading the Buckeyes to a win against Alabama is not a bad footnote on the resume, either. Especially after helping to orchestrate a serious comeback in the process—not that Jones understands how he pulled it off, either.
"I have no clue," Jones said, per ESPN.com's Brian Bennett. "I think I'm just naturally a calm person. I never get too excited or too down. I never started pressing when we were down two scores."
That said, Jones will need to be better than his 18-of-35 mark for 243 yards with a touchdown and interception against the Crimson Tide. The same goes for his 43 yards on a 2.5 per-carry average.
The honeymoon is over for Jones. Next up is an Oregon defense that does not get enough credit, even after holding Jameis Winston to 348 yards, one touchdown and interception and 20 total points—without top corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.
As great as Ezekiel Elliott can be, it is ridiculous to expect another 230 yards and two scores from the star back. The title game sure feels like a final exclamation point on the debut story of one of college football's next big things, but Oregon has the talent to ruin things to the point where Jones' three-game run is nothing more than an asterisk.
Betting information courtesy of Odds Shark. Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
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