College Football Championship 2015: Key Matchups to Decide Oregon vs. Ohio State

The upcoming national championship between Oregon and Ohio State may end up coming down to one final play, but it will all be predicated upon each team's execution in some key matchups.

The second-ranked Ducks dominated almost every facet of the game in their semifinal showdown against Florida State, at least in the second half. But going up against a Buckeye squad that just knocked off the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide in their own semifinal, they should expect to have their hands full.

The same can be said of Ohio State, which is going up against an Oregon team racing at furious speeds in pursuit of its first national championship.

So much goes into a big-time college football game with everything on the line, which means a matchup or two that nobody talked about could end up deciding the outcome. With that said, let's look at some of the key matchup areas—along with one you might not expect.

Key Matchups to Decide Oregon vs. Ohio State

Oregon's Receivers vs. Ohio State's Defensive Backs

For all of the talk surrounding Oregon's spread offense and its unstoppable running game, the Ducks receivers certainly had a coming-out party in the Rose Bowl—and not just one of them.

Freshman Darren Carrington led the way with 165 yards, a career high. He amounted for almost half of Marcus Mariota's passing yards and both touchdowns. Sophomore tight end Evan Baylis had just 45 yards on the season prior to catching six balls for 73 yards against the Seminoles.

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

To show even more how well Mariota was spreading it out, leading receiver Byron Marshall finished fifth among receivers in terms of yardage against Florida State.

The Buckeyes, however, come in riding high on their defense. Alabama's passing attack that had been so potent all season was stymied by Ohio State, as Blake Sims threw three interceptions and averaged just 6.6 yards per throw.

Keeping Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White under wraps is no small task, but it pales in comparison to covering Oregon's five or six reliable targets. As if keeping Royce Freeman, Mariota and the multifaceted running game isn't hard enough, the Buckeyes defensive backs will have to be on their p's and q's against Oregon's passing game.

Buckeyes' Run Game vs. Ducks' Front Seven

It's safe to say now that not only was Ohio State not afraid of Alabama's burly run defense, but the Buckeyes had every answer for exposing it.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott, coming off a 200-yard performance in the Big Ten title game, continued his roll. He rushed for 230 yards on 20 carries, including an 85-yarder late that seemingly put the game away against Alabama.

That performance came against a Crimson Tide team that ranked atop the nation in run defense before that game. And considering how Elliott fared against a top run defense from earlier this year, per The Buckeye Nut, his chances should be liked:

What makes the Buckeyes' run game even more worrisome for Oregon is the lack of dominance the Ducks have shown defensively. 

As CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd uncovered, Oregon's defense will rank down there with the worst among national champions should the Ducks find a way to win against Ohio State:

Of course, if the Ducks are going to hoist their first national championship, stymying the run seems like the top priority. Cardale Jones made some big throws against Alabama but finished a pedestrian 18-for-35 passing and had to rely on Elliott as well as his own legs to keep the Buckeyes in it throughout certain stretches.

If the Ducks can follow up some offensive success with a few big stops defensively, it will force the Buckeyes to air it out.

The Turnover Battle

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It seems to go without saying that whoever wins the turnover battle will have the inside track toward victory, but in Oregon vs. Ohio State, it could mean everything.

For those who didn't catch the Ducks' win over Florida State, all it takes is a look at the box score to show the boost Oregon received from turnovers. The Seminoles turned it over four times in the third quarter alone, all of which eventually led to Oregon touchdowns, putting the game away.

Oregon's dominance in capitalizing on turnovers should be expected from such a noteworthy offense, but avoiding the same mistakes has put them over the top, as WTVN's Matt McCoy noted:

"

Most amazing Oregon statistic: Points off turnovers...Oregon:496...Oregon opponents: 42

— Matt McCoy (@MattMcCoyWTVN) January 6, 2015"

A quick look at the Buckeyes' semifinal win also shows a need for winning the turnover battle. Two first-half turnovers for Elliott and Jones led directly to Alabama touchdowns, but a turnover-free second half along with Tide miscues helped the Buckeyes to claw their way into the lead.

Mariota only has six interceptions thrown on the season, but the Buckeyes just picked off the typically careful Sims three times in an elimination game. If Ohio State wants to receive the boost it got against Alabama, repeating the turnover advantage should be a primary concern.