College Football Championship 2015: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Time, More

Monday is a historic day for college football, as the culmination of the first-ever playoffs system will result in the winner of the 2015 College Football National Championship.

The playoff system was largely a success, as it has given us the two best teams in Oregon and Ohio State for the title bout. Both squads have overcome adversity in their journeys to AT&T Stadium. Naturally, the athletes will leave it all on the field.

The story goes far beyond quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Cardale Jones. Sure, one is a Heisman Trophy winner and the other is a third-stringer, but there's so much more to this epic matchup.

Below you'll learn more about the contest, including where and when to catch all the action.

Oregon vs. Ohio State: 2015 National Championship

When: Monday, January 12

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Start Time (ET): 8:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Spread (via Odds Shark): Oregon -5.5

Injury Updates

Player	Pos.	Details	Status	Injury
J.T. Barrett	QB	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	broken ankle
Dontre Wilson	RB	is out indefinitely	Out	foot
Rod Smith	RB	has left the team	Out	personal
Devan Bogard	LB	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Johnnie Dixon	WR	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Marshon Lattimore	CB	will miss the entire season	Out	hamstring
Noah Spence	DE	will miss the remainder of the season	Suspended	disciplinary
Braxton Miller	QB	will miss the entire season	Out	shoulder
Kyle Berger	LB	will miss the entire season	Out	knee

Player	Pos.	Details	Status	Injury
Darren Carrington	WR	will miss the College Football Championship Monday against Ohio State	Suspended	disciplinary
Torrodney Prevot	LB	is questionable for the College Football Championship Monday against Ohio State	Questionable	disciplinary
Kani Benoit	RB	is questionable for the College Football Championship Monday against Ohio State	Questionable	disciplinary
Devon Allen	WR	is expected to miss the College Football Championship Monday against Ohio State	Out	knee
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	will miss the College Football Championship Monday against Ohio State	Out	knee
Pharaoh Brown	WR	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Tyler Johnstone	T	will miss the entire season	Out	knee
Bralon Addison	WR	is out indefinitely	Out	knee

*Injury reports are courtesy of the Sports Network, via USA Today.

Preview

While there's more to this matchup than the quarterbacks, we'd be remiss to not mention both Mariota and Jones before moving on to other things.

Mariota, of course, put together one of the most astounding seasons in recent memory, leading the Ducks to a one-loss season. SportsCenter's Twitter account highlighted the finer points of his campaign:

His exploits have led to talk of him being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that's months in the future. Mariota is focused solely on this upcoming game.

Many in football view the Heisman as the ultimate accolade for college standouts, but Mariota has a different take on it. This is what he told Bryan Fischer of NFL.com:

That speaks to Mariota's commitment to his team and his overall personality, as he is always looking for more. Despite dominating nearly every team he played against this season, Mariota mustn't take the Buckeyes for granted. They were the 26th defense in the nation in terms of points allowed per game, pitching shutouts against Kent State and Wisconsin in the Big 10 title game.

Mariota must be flawless to overcome this defense.

Conversely, Jones has a far easier task ahead of him. The Ducks defense is a far cry from the likes of Wisconsin and Alabama—Ohio State's last two opponents—meaning he can take more risks than he might have against superior units. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg echoes that sentiment:

Jones has a huge arm that will challenge the Ducks secondary, especially with speedy receivers Devin Smith and Jalin Marshall. Their wheels combined with his arm will make for some home-run type plays from Ohio State.

Their key on offense, however, will be running back Ezekiel Elliott. He and J.T. Barrett were a stellar duo as runners this season, but the load has been squarely on Elliott's shoulders since Barrett went down with an injury and yielded the quarterback position to Jones. Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman highlighted how dominant Elliott has been since:

Oregon is ranked 55th in the country against the run, allowing 155.8 yards per game to rushers. Will that spell good fortune for Elliott? He has been successful against stingier units—Alabama, Wisconsin and Michigan State, specifically—so look for him to carry the offense yet again.

Given the wealth of offensive playmakers on both sides, this title fight will be decided by which defense can make the most stops. The game plans for each side are simple. Ohio State must pressure Mariota and force him to make mistakes. Oregon must play disciplined in the secondary to keep up with Smith and Marshall, while also maintaining focus on Elliott in the backfield.

While the plans are simple in theory, they are obviously difficult in execution. Few teams have been able to accomplish these tasks during the season. That said, these are the best two teams in the nation. If top stars are going to struggle, it's going to be now.

This is truly a result that could go either way. Ohio State is perhaps better equipped to win than Oregon because of the Ducks' lack of experience against top-notch defenses, but one would be foolish to dismiss the Ducks' chances because of Mariota.

Tune in on Monday to witness history. It's going to be a heck of a game.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn