1. The absolute basics
The 7 basics to know about the Ohio State-Oregon National Championship
It should be a fun one, for starters.
The College Football Playoff National Championship will kick off on January 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It's on ESPN, with pretty much every other ESPN channel also showing different versions of the broadcast, including three current power-conference head coaches breaking down the game live on ESPN2.
No. 2 Oregon is 13-1, winning the Pac-12 with an 8-1 conference record and a 51-13 victory over Arizona in the conference title game. No. 4 Ohio State is also 13-1, with an 8-0 conference record and a 59-0 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.
Oregon’s been favored by about a touchdown, with the line creeping down closer to kickoff. Most analysts are picking the Ducks.
2. Yes, it’s a Playoff final!
If you’re just now joining us, there’s no more BCS! These teams won semifinal games to make it here in the first-ever Playoff. Oregon beat Florida State, 59-20, in the Rose Bowl, ending the Seminoles’ chance at back-to-back national titles. Ohio State upset top-seeded Alabama, 42-35, in the Sugar Bowl, ending Nick Saban’s chance at his fifth national title.
There will be a new trophy and new rings!
3. The quarterbacks
Oregon quarterback, Heisman winner, and potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Marcus Mariota faced another Heisman winner in the semifinal round, when he went up against Florida State's Jameis Winston, but the Oregon defense will face a different test Monday.
After injuries to Heisman contenders Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, Ohio State has started strong-armed sophomore Cardale Jones in each of its last two games.
3rd String pic.twitter.com/fxdFbFSJeR
— Cardale Jones (@CJ12_) January 2, 2015 Mariota and Jones do have one thing in common, other than being dual threat quarterbacks in the championship: they were both three-star prospects coming out of high school (and they’re both surrounded by blue-chip talent).
4. The coaches
On one sideline is Urban Meyer, widely considered one of the top coaches in the country and boasting a 37-3 record with a reborn Ohio State. With a win, he would join Saban as the only coaches to win national championships with two different FBS schools, having won at Florida in 2006 and 2008.
On the other sideline is Mark Helfrich, a little-known name hired as Chip Kelly’s offensive coordinator in 2009, the one who’d lobbied hardest to offer Mariota a scholarship. He took over the program when Kelly left for the NFL and holds a 24-3 record in his first two seasons.
5. The history
This portion is not in the Ducks' favor. Oregon may have built a power out of mediocrity, but Ohio State historically has their number. The Buckeyes are 8-0 against the Ducks, with their last meeting in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State, one of the sport's most successful programs, claims seven national titles, compared with zero for the Ducks.
6. Probably going to be lots of points!
Oregon’s fast-paced attack routinely produces one of the country’s most explosive offenses, ranking second in offensive F/+ and scoring offense this season. They have so many weapons on offense that stopping them is a nearly impossible task, even for some of the nation’s best defensive units.
In the Rose Bowl against Florida State, Oregon showed everything Bellotti and Borges could have conceived of 19 years ago, in a deeper, sleeker, faster package. If we look at targets and rushes as intended touches, running backs Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner had 27 for 187 yards. Receivers Darren Carrington and Charles Nelson had 12 for 219. Marcus Mariota carried eight times for 62 yards. Out of nowhere, tight end Evan Baylis saw eight targets for 73 yards. Florida State was able to keep two of Oregon’s four leading receivers in check -- intended touches for Byron Marshall and Dwayne Stanford: 13 for 41 yards -- and the Ducks gained 639 yards regardless.
(Oregon, which already has a ton of injuries, is now without Carrington due to suspension.)
Ohio State is right there with the Ducks despite quarterback injuries, ranking third in offensive F/+ and fifth in scoring offense. With Jones at quarterback, not much has changed for the Buckeyes, who can hurt you on the ground or in the air.
Attempting to account for Ohio State’s strength means doing whatever you can to limit the Buckeyes’ absurdly good run game. But the Buckeyes are so devastating because they only lean so much on the run. Like Oregon, the Buckeyes are more than happy to take free yards through the air.
With Jones behind center, Ohio State’s approach hasn’t changed much. With Barrett, the Buckeyes rushed 62 percent of the time on standard downs; in two games with Jones, it’s 59 percent. Jones has a big frame and a bigger arm, and while Barrett averaged 13 yards per completion, Jones has averaged 15.5 against two stout defenses. Jones is not only an unscouted surprise, he’s also proved talented and, perhaps as important, unflappable.
7. Yes, Oregon’s wearing special uniforms. So is Ohio State.
Both teams are outfitted by Nike, and the apparel company has some new digs for them for the game. Oregon is known for their inventive uniform combinations, but this year we’ll see a more clean, metallic look as they take on the Buckeyes. Here are both team’s uniforms, each with fantastical additions from Nike -- can you spot them?
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