Best Head-to-Head Matchups to Watch in National Championship Game
The College Football Playoff National Championship between Ohio State and Oregon pits two extremely even teams against one another. The national title will not be decided because one side is demonstrably better than the other; it will be decided because one side won the most important matchups.
Some of those matchups will take place at the line of scrimmage. Some will take place in the shallow and middle thirds. Others will take place more than 30 yards from where the ball was snapped.
But all could prove the ultimate deciding factor.
Here are five one-and-one matchups worth keeping an extra close eye on, based in large part on three factors: the talent of the players in question, the importance of the players in question and the on-field proximity of the players in question.
That last point precludes a matchup such as "Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota vs. Ohio State safety Vonn Bell," because those players aren't really going against each other mano a mano. Bell will play a big part in stopping Oregon's passing game, but a lot of what he does will be dictated by scheme—not by Mariota.
The five matchups that follow are true one-on-one battles.
Sound off below, and let us know what else you'd add.
DE DeForest Buckner (ORE) vs. LT Taylor Decker (OSU)
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Arik Armstead makes the flashier plays, but DeForest Buckner is the most important player on Oregon's defensive line—especially against the run. He is big (6'7", 290 lbs) and physical and makes an impact just by occupying space and funneling plays inside.
Left tackle Taylor Decker, though, has been the rock of Ohio State's offensive line all season. He was the only returning starter from last year's impressive front five, and he's played at an All-Big Ten level.
Decker was the only Buckeye lineman to earn a positive grade from Pro Football Focus in the Sugar Bowl, but he earned the highest grade of any offensive player. He took it to an Alabama defensive line that, despite not being quite what the Crimson Tide are used to, is still among the best groups in the country.
If Decker handles Buckner the way he did Alabama's front, it should open holes for running back Ezekiel Elliott and provide quarterback Cardale Jones the time he needs to stretch the field. If Buckner handles Decker the way he did Florida State's front, it should close holes for Elliott and force Jones to get the ball out of his hands.
Suffice it to say, this matchup will be important.
RT Tyrell Crosby (ORE) vs. DE Joey Bosa (OSU)
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Tyrell Crosby was the star of the Rose Bowl, even if not everybody noticed. He earned the highest grade in the game from Pro Football Focus, which had him dominating both in pass protection and (especially) as a run-blocker.
But Ohio State's Joey Bosa is a monster unlike anything Florida State trotted out. He is big (6'5", 278 lbs), productive, physical, fast—basically everything one wants from a 7-technique. And although he didn't dominate on the stat sheet against Alabama, anyone who watched the game could see he made his presence felt.
The Buckeyes lack depth along the defensive line, so Crosby's biggest advantage might be Oregon's tempo. If the Ducks can get Bosa tired, it should severely limit what the All-American can do.
"I think it's pretty obvious our biggest challenge will be their speed and tempo," Bosa told reporters Jan. 6. "We've been doing 16 seconds between plays and have had periods of hurry-ups. We've also been really be focusing on our conditioning this week. It's been a tough two days."
Bosa is a high-motor player who has often looked possessed in big games. He will not wilt (mentally) against Oregon's pace, and he will leave everything on the field. If he can push Crosby back into the pocket, contain Mariota on passing plays and set a hard edge on running plays, Ohio State has a real chance to pull the upset.
In fact, if he does all those things, it might be the favorite.
RB Royce Freeman (ORE) vs. LB Joshua Perry (OSU)
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Royce Freeman is a running back, but this matchup has more to do with passing plays than handoffs.
The Ducks rely on Freeman as a pass-catcher, something Bleacher Report's Michael Felder described in thorough detail. They need him to slip open on screens and as a safety valve. He has only caught 16 passes this season, but he's made them count.
Joshua Perry should draw the majority of coverage responsibility against Freeman, while Ohio State's other outside linebacker, Darron Lee, is forced to function as a nickelback against multiple receiver sets. Oregon likes to spread teams out, but Ohio State's best defense is its base 4-3, and it wouldn't behoove the Buckeyes to get away from what they do best and let the Ducks dictate personnel.
Perry is a capable pass defender who can handle keeping track of Freeman. According to Pro Football Focus, he led the linebacking unit with 35 coverage snaps apiece against Alabama and Wisconsin. He will also be counted on to blitz when Freeman stays in to block, and his ability to diagnose delayed screens will thus prove important.
On top of that, Perry is the Buckeyes' leading tackler, so how he fares against Freeman in run support is also worth keeping an eye on.
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C Hroniss Grasu (ORE) vs. DT Michael Bennett (OSU)
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Blocking Michael Bennett will not be a one-man job; in addition to Hroniss Grasu, left guard Hamani Stevens and right guard Cameron Hunt will have to land a few good shots on the Buckeyes tackle.
But Grasu is the leader of the unit and its most consistent run-blocker. He is undersized for a traditional center (6'3", 298 lbs) but big enough to handle a 3-technique such as Bennett (6'2", 288 lbs), especially with the way he blocks to scheme and in space.
In pass protection, though, Bennett might have an advantage. Kevin Weidl of ESPN wrote Grasu's "lack of an ideal anchor is a concern" after the Utah game, and Bennett has the power to bull rush through the A-gap. As long as Ohio State's defensive ends stay wide and contain Mariota in the pocket, Bennett should make some plays.
Unless, of course, Grasu steps up and holds him down.
CB Troy Hill (ORE) vs. WR Devin Smith (OSU)
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Ohio State likes to spread the ball around, and it has for a long time. Devin Smith is the first Buckeyes receiver to average 60 yards per game since Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey in 2010.
Still, Smith has proved crucial to this offense with his ability to stretch the field. His skill set meshes perfectly with that of Jones, the strong-armed Ohio State quarterback who is at his best going vertical. Smith has only caught six passes in Jones' two starts, but those six receptions have gone for 224 yards and four touchdowns.
Troy Hill will draw the assignment of guarding Smith, or at least he should for most of the game. Hill stepped up against Florida State's Rashad Greene—a better overall player than Smith—and helped the Ducks overcome the loss of injured star Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.
But Smith, while not as polished in the shallow and middle thirds as Greene, is more deliberate with what he does. He doesn't make two bones about it. He wants to get upfield; he wants to create big plays; he wants to adjust on deep balls, jump and make the catch.
Hill had two pass breakups against Florida State and 18 on the season. His ball skills are up to snuff, and they'll need to be when he's matched up with Smith. If Oregon takes away the deep ball, Jones will have trouble trying to beat it with dinks and dunks.
The more passes Oregon makes Ohio State throw, the better chance it has of exposing Jones for the third-string quarterback he is. The best way to maximize his pass attempts is to limit the big plays.
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