How many college football enthusiasts predicted a national championship matchup of Oregon vs. Ohio State before the season began?
No SEC powerhouse Alabama? No Florida State, despite going undefeated for a 2nd year with Jameis Winston? Did TCU and Baylor get cheated out of an opportunity?
While of all these questions make for good “barbershop” conversation, all of them will be put to rest Monday night as a 2015 National Champion will be crowned in Arlington, Texas.
Aside from Ohio State alumni, not many would have even considered the team to make the playoffs after losing not only one, but two starting quarterbacks and being forced to rely on third string 6’5 250 lb. Sophomore Cardale Jones. Jones best known to his teammates and Buckeye fans as “12 Gauge” due to his powerful arm (Jones is said to be able to throw the ball 80 yards) has taken full advantage of his opportunity with exceptional play. Heading into Monday’s matchup the Buckeyes will be in familiar territory as the underdog but as we saw in their 42-35 win against Alabama, they are not to be taken lightly. It is hard to say this will be their toughest game of the year, but given how high the stakes are it has to be considered as such.
On the flip side, Oregon has literally been a favorite all year due to the being one of the most exciting offenses in the country. Not only does Marcus Mariota lead the nation with a passer rating of 183, throwing for around 311 yards an outing, but the run game is contributing 241.9 yards per contest at the same time. It has been one of the most efficient offenses we have seen in a very long time because their tempo is unmatched and not many defenses are prepared mentally or physically. Despite a conference loss to Arizona earlier in the season, they don’t have much to improve on before Monday – in order for the Ducks to walk away victorious the recipe is very simple: keep doing what they have been doing all season.