College Football National Championship 2015: Predictions for Oregon vs. Ohio St.

It's time to just play the game. 

The endless debate and speculation can finally come to end, as Oregon and Ohio State are ready to settle the history-making national championship on the gridiron. 

Let's take a final glimpse at the outlook before the teams kick off.

Date: Monday, January 12, 2015

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

TV: ESPN (And pretty much all of the other ESPN channels for different types of broadcasts)

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Points, points and more points. Oregon (47.2 points per game) and Ohio State (45) are not only second and fifth in the country in terms of scoring, but they are both extremely efficient in doing so, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Now, it would be a mistake to overlook either of these defenses. The Ducks are adept at forcing turnovers, while the Buckeyes, led by sophomore Joey Bosa, have arguably the best defensive line in America. But these offenses are both transcendent, capable of marching the field with ease no matter who's on the other side of the ball. 

In the semifinals, Oregon poured on 639 yards and 59 points against a Florida State defense full of future NFL picks. Ohio State, playing with its third-string quarterback, embarrassed Nick Saban and the typically stingy Alabama defense to the tune of 537 yards and 42 points.

Both teams can beat you in a variety of ways. 

For Oregon, it obviously starts with quarterback Marcus Mariota, the dual-threat Heisman winner who has enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in the history of the sport. But the Ducks are just fine handing the ball to true freshman running back Royce Freeman, who boasts a tantalizing blend of speed and power. 

The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton noted a particularly amazing stat about the Ducks' high-powered, uptempo attack:

But while Oregon often gets acclaim for its speedy offense, the Buckeyes attack is just as exhilarating. 

When Heisman candidate Braxton Miller went down before the season, pundits thought Ohio State was finished. Then J.T. Barrett proceeded to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. When Barrett went down, Ohio State was finished again. Then Cardale Jones came on in relief and led the Buckeyes to 101 points combined in the Big Ten championship and semifinal game. 

Jones, with an unbelievable cannon for an arm and the desire to run over defenders rather than slide before them, is unlike any other third-string quarterback in the country. 

"He's an unbelievable talent,'' Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley, a former teammate of Jones' at Ohio State, told Bleacher Report's Greg Couch. "I was not surprised at all by what he's done, honestly."

It also helps that Urban Meyer is an offensive mastermind, Ohio State has a dominant offensive line and running back Ezekiel Elliott is averaging an unreal 9.7 yards per carry over his last four games. 

This game has the feeling of a first-one-to-40-wins kind of contest. It could very well come down to who has the ball last, and ultimately, you have to trust Mariota to make more plays—and fewer mistakes—than Jones in the clutch moments. 

The Ducks will squeak out a win, but no matter what happens, it's going to be a lot of fun getting to the final whistle. 

Oregon 42, Ohio State 38