Oregon vs. Ohio State: Updated Preview for College Football Championship 2015

The Oregon Ducks are losing some key playmakers leading up to Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship showdown with Ohio State.

Receiver Devon Allen went down early in the Ducks' 59-20 Rose Bowl victory over Florida State with a knee injury, while pass-catcher Darren Carrington failed a drug test and has been suspended.

ESPN College Football highlights Carringon's recent impact:

That puts the onus all the more on Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to make magic happen against a tenacious Buckeyes defensive front led by Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett.

Despite some key absences, the second-ranked Ducks are still favored by as much as seven points at Odds Shark. That should only add incentive for coach Urban Meyer's Buckeyes—the fourth and final team to secure a postseason berth—to will their way to another landmark win and a national title.

Below is a look at the viewing information for this epic clash, along with a closer look at the game itself and a prediction for the final score.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Stream
Monday, January 12	No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 4 Ohio State	8:30 p.m.	ESPN	WatchESPN

Preview and Prediction

As much speed and uptempo firepower as Oregon is rightly reputed to have on offense, Ohio State has similar explosiveness. That should create quite a high-scoring game, with the pass-rushing ability of the defensive lines playing a big role in the outcome.

DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead are matchup problems and will create issues for the Buckeyes in pass protection.

However, the 250-pound, mobile, cannon-armed Cardale Jones has the physical faculties to shrug off defenders, escape pressure and deliver accurate strikes deep downfield. As brilliant as Mariota is at extending the play, Jones' precision on longer passes will be a big test for Oregon's secondary.

Jones is still tough to plan for, since he's only recently taken the reins of the Buckeyes offense and has guided the team to its two biggest wins. Even Meyer is at a loss for words to describe how well Jones has filled in under center, via Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises:

And one big advantage Jones will have is a full cast of weapons featuring superior deep threat Devin Smith, all-purpose playmaker Jalin Marshall and dependable pass-catcher Michael Thomas. The strengths of Jones and Smith are the real weapons, though.

OSU's official Twitter account accentuated how much of a home run hitter Smith has been:

Mariota has his work cut out for him, considering how well Bosa can scream in off the edge and how Bennett and others in Ohio State's rotation can collapse the pocket from the inside.

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports analyzed what the absence of Allen and Carrington means for the Ducks:

The rest of Mariota's receivers will have to create separation in a hurry. With limited reps and the task of stepping up on the biggest stage imaginable, Oregon is asking a lot of its less proven wideouts.

Both running games will be critical. Featured ball-carriers Ezekiel Elliott of Ohio State and Oregon counterpart Royce Freeman are comparably prolific.

The X-factor could come in the form of the Buckeyes' stud linebacker, Darron Lee. The Sugar Bowl Defensive MVP's ability to roam around the entire field, storm the gaps as a blitzer and engage in excellent pursuit against even the speediest backs gives OSU a big weapon on its front seven.

Like many of his teammates, Lee certainly hasn't lacked any faith in what the Buckeyes have been doing amid their torrid year-end run to get to this point:

"

Remember you heard it here first  pic.twitter.com/FRw74syHPu

— Darron Lee (@DLeeMG8) January 2, 2015"

Betting against Meyer in a big game also doesn't seem like the sagest decision, considering he's won multiple national championships, engineered multiple perfect regular seasons and has his Buckeyes completely invested.

That isn't to take away anything from Mark Helfrich and the job he's done succeeding Chip Kelly in exceptional fashion in Eugene. It's more of a commentary on how formidable Meyer is, which he proved in outfoxing Alabama and Nick Saban in a thrilling Sugar Bowl triumph.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hints that Meyer will give Ohio State an inside track to the top prize:

So while Oregon has the consensus best player in college football on its side in Mariota, Ohio State arguably has a better coach and team built by Meyer in short order. Another championship may cement Meyer as the best coach in the country, and he ought to have plenty of returning stars back next year for another potential run at the title.

It's likely that the Ducks will lose Mariota to the NFL draft and will have to search for a new, viable signal-caller. That won't be the case in Columbus, as Meyer has the enviable dilemma of perhaps choosing between Jones, J.T. Barrett and even Braxton Miller if he returns.

Had several of Oregon's key offensive standouts been active for Monday's contest, this game might have played out a bit differently. However, Ohio State looks better built for success in this national championship game and beyond.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Oregon 28