College Football: Oregon vs. Ohio State 2015 National Championship Preview

It’s the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and the stakes could not be higher in what should be an intense game between No. 2 Oregon and No. 4 Ohio State. The two last met in the 2010 Rose Bowl, where the Buckeyes prevailed with a 26-17 victory.

The second-ranked Ducks humiliated No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 with a 59-20 win and made their claim as to why they should be playing in their second national championship game in five years. Oregon is now on the verge of winning its first national title in school history and will hope to do so with help from its explosive offense.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota passed for 338 yards, rushed for 62 yards and scored three total touchdowns against Florida State. With Mariota leading a potent offense averaging 47.2 points per game and defeating opponents by an average of 27.4 points this season, he'll look for big performances from his backfield and receiving corps as well.

Freshman running back Royce Freeman will be a physical threat against a stout Ohio State defensive line after scoring two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, but it could be Thomas Tyner who becomes a game-changer against the Buckeyes.

Tyner, who battled through injuries for most of the season and missed four games, had one of his best outings in his career against the Seminoles, reeling off 124 rushing yards and finding the end zone twice.

In the passing game, it's been redshirt freshman Darren Carrington who has been the playmaker as of late. Carrington, who combined for 291 receiving yards and three touchdowns in Oregon’s last two wins, will continue to be the go-to guy with speedster Devon Allen doubtful for Monday’s contest.

Look for Byron Marshall and tight end Evan Baylis to get in on the action as well. 

A big matchup will be Oregon's offensive line, led by All-Americans Hroniss Grasu and Jake Fisher, against an Ohio State defensive line headed by Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Joey Bosa (54 tackles, 13.5 sacks).

Ohio State’s defense currently ranks 15th in the nation in total yards per game (328) and ranks 26th in points given up per game (22.1). It will have its hands full against arguably the best offense in college football.

Third-year head coach Urban Meyer won two national championships with Florida back in 2006 and 2008, one of which was a lopsided 41-14 victory over Ohio State.

Now he’ll hope to lead the Buckeyes to their first national championship win since 2002 with a group that has overcome adversity this season and given itself a chance to win the program’s eighth national title.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones has become one of the biggest stories at the conclusion of the 2014-15 college football season, as he looks to help his team win the College Football Playoff in just his third start under center.

So far, Jones has produced a combined total of 500 passing yards and four touchdowns in his two starts while leading an offense averaging 45 points per game (fifth in the country).

Jones could be tough for Oregon's defense to bring down because of his 6'5", 250-pound athletic build. Another player the Ducks could have difficulty tackling is 1,000-yard rusher Ezekiel Elliott, who tore through the Alabama defense and set a Sugar Bowl record of 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Ohio State will also look to test a Duck secondary, led by safety Erick Dargan (90 tackles, seven interceptions), with wide receivers Devin Smith and Michael Thomas. Smith has totaled 886 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Thomas has recorded 746 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Don Pellum’s Oregon defense has been tough since November, holding opponents to only 17.5 points per game and converting a total of 14 turnovers.

This matchup should live up to the hype in what will be the first national championship consisting of two non-SEC teams since the 2006 Rose Bowl when Texas defeated USC 41-38.

Oregon must start quick on offense and be able to create problems for Jones, as well as not give up big plays on defense.

Ohio State, on the other hand, needs Jones to make smart decisions and avoid turning the ball over, which would give the Ducks more opportunities to put points on the scoreboard.

It’s no simple task for the Buckeye defense, as it will need to contain the best quarterback in the country and shut down a Duck ground attack averaging 241.9 yards per game.

It will be a back-and-forth game that will be decided late in the fourth quarter on a go-ahead game-winning touchdown.