Ducks & Bucks: Final and Complete Breakdown of the Rose Bowl

After all the talk and hype, the Rose Bowl between Oregon and Ohio State finally kicks off Friday afternoon in Pasadena.

This matchup could not be any different as far as the teams' styles of play are concerned. Oregon plays the up-tempo spread attack, an aggressive style on both sides of the ball.

The Buckeyes are all about being physical, but don't think that this team doesn't have speed to burn, especially on the defensive side.

This makes this match-up hard to gauge as far as who has an advantage, although UO seems to have an advantage because people believe OSU has never seen an offense quite like what the Ducks bring.

Conversely, others are quick to point out that UO has not seen a defense quite like Ohio State's Silver Bullets.

With all that said, it's time to breakdown the first BCS game of the new decade.

Ohio State's Offense vs Oregon's Defense

Oftentimes in games where one particular match-up is most payed attention to, it's the other match-up that turns out to be the most entertaining.

And in this match-up, the teams' perceived weaknesses could be the deciding factor in the outcome.

Offensively, everyone knows Ohio State's game starts and ends with QB Terrelle Pryor, the lightning-fast athlete who is always a threat to make a big play.

However, he was hampered in the past few weeks with what we now know as a partially-torn PCL ligament, in addition to a bad ankle. Even with the injuries, Pryor performed admirably, still showing great running and an improved passing game.

Joining Pryor as part of OSU's three-headed running attack are quick RB Dan "Boom" Herron and speedy RB Brandon "Zoom" Saine, both of whom scored TDs in the final two games and are capable of breaking big runs.

In the passing attack, look at WR DeVier Posey to be targeted a lot, as he as emerged as the top receiver in the Buckeyes' offense. WR Dane Sanzenbacher is Pryor's second favorite target, and he seems to have hands that catch a tremendous amount of passes.

The question mark will be at the third WR, as both Duron Carter and Ray Small were suspended from the game. In practices, WRs Taurian Washington and Lamaar Thomas, and even TE Jake Stoneburner, a converted WR, have been rotated at the slot. So who we get there is as good as anyone's guess.

Defensively, Nick Aliotti concocts a high-speed, aggressive defense anchored by a strong defensive line where horses DE Will Tukuafu and DT Brandon Bair cause havoc upfront.

In the middle, UO features a very talented LB corps led in the middle by big Casey Matthews alongside Spencer Paysinger and Eddie Pleasant.

Before the season began, many felt the UO secondary would be a step slow with a very young group in the back.

That would not be true of this group, as CB Cliff Harris, a true freshman, along with S John Boyett, a red-shirt freshman, have been phenomenal playing alongside veteran DBs Talmadge Jackson and T.J. Ward.

Ohio State's offense has been inconsistent for most of 2009, but they seem to have found their identity as a running offense with multiple runners and an ability to pass when needed.

Oregon's defense has been a great surprise this season, as they get after the ball as well as anyone. However, the loss at Stanford has shown that they have problems with power running games, which gives a slight edge to Ohio State as Saine stands at 217 pounds and Pryor at a massive 235 pounds.

Oregon's Offense vs Ohio State's Defense

The match-up that everybody is most excited about is no doubt when Oregon's fast-break spread option has the football.

Because at the trigger is Jeremiah Masoli, one of the best in the game at running the zone read, and is a very talented runner out of the QB position.

Lining up alongside Masoli in the shotgun are a complement of talented backs, headlined by the speedy but stocky LaMichael James who has emerged as Oregon's biggest home run threat.

Complementing James is fellow RB Kenjon Barner who is very capable of big runs as well.

Good news for Oregon fans is LeGarrette Blount is back, and the bruiser will be counted upon late in the game if the Ducks can wear down the opposing defense.

In the passing attack, Masoli's favorite weapons are speedy WR Jeff Maehl and TE Ed Dickson, who can create so many mismatches with his size. One of OSU's problems on defense historically has been handling TEs in the passing game.

UO's M.O. on offense is to spread everything out and create one-on-one match-ups, forcing defenses to be good at tackling.

Luckily for Ohio State's defense, tackling at the point of attack is one of their strengths.

If anything defensively can slow down a spread attack, it's being beat off the line of scrimmage, and the Buckeyes have the defensive line to do just that and more.

Throughout the entire season, few defensive lines have been as explosive and game-changing as the Buckeyes, mostly because of their tremendous depth.

DEs Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward are as talented a duo as any of being relentless and collapsing the pocket, and backups Nathan Williams and Lawrence Wilson have plenty of talent to eliminate much of a drop off.

In the middle of the line, DTs Todd Denlinger and Doug Worthington have broken out and had tremendous seasons. But the biggest surprise is the play of true freshman DT John Simon, who made a name for himself in handling touted USC C Kris O'Dowd earlier in the season.

Their depth will be tested as senior DE/DT Rob Rose was suspended, but if the line can control the game as they have done so many times, they won't spend too much time on the field.

The LB corps has been a great surprise after losing superstar LB James Laurinaitis and counterpart Marcus Freeman to graduation.

But the departures opened the door for big Austin Spitler to step in, and he has played fairly well from his outside spot, replacing Tyler Moeller after he was lost to a head injury sustained in the offseason.

MLB Brian Rolle may not be a big LB, but his speed and cerebral nature make him an effective defensive leader from the middle and LB Ross Homan's experience has been invaluable to the defense.

The OSU secondary may be the unit that gets the least attention, but with 23 interceptions, second only to Texas, this corps does its job of helping to get the defense off the field.

S Kurt Coleman anchors the unit and is the unsung leader of the defense, capable of generating big turnovers at any time. And against any team that gets careless with the football at any point, that can be a major advantage for the Buckeyes.

CBs Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence have been very solid and underrated, though both have been burned at times.

With all the great players on both sides of the ball, it will all come down to the trenches and if Oregon can take care of the football.

If UO loses the turnover battle against this defense, they will have a tough time winning the game.

Final Prediction:

If Ohio State can establish their will and be physical in the trenches, especially on the defensive end, they can be effective at neutralizing some of Oregon's weapons.

Offensively, as it has been in the Jim Tressel era, the biggest worry is bogging down and stopping themselves, going into an ultra-conservative mode.

If that happens, especially with problems in the special teams game, it could be game over for the Buckeyes in a game they all have said is a must-win.

But an OSU team experienced in BCS games and an Oregon team playing away from Autzen Stadium could be the difference in this game.

Final Score: Ohio State 34 - Oregon 24