An Ohio State Sports Blog
courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch
How fitting is it that we are 2 Days away from the National Championship Game and Dontre changed his number to #2? Not sure if anyone remembers Urban flipped Wilson from Oregon to the good guys and right now he is probable to play Monday night. Sometimes the irony that sports stories that write themselves.
Let it be known I don’t care what anyone thinks about Jim Tressel being inducted into the CFB Hall of Fame. He earned his spot in this class and should be honored. What ever your thoughts on Coach Tressel are he was one of the best coaches in the country.
Also pretty fitting he joins a class with Former Texas RB Ricky “I smoke a lot” Williams, Brian “I truly cheated” Bosworth, and Kansas St Coach Snyder.
The path to this game for both Ohio State and Oregon was most likely not the ideal one if you were to ask both head coaches and fan bases, but never the less, they have arrived at the ultimate goal. Oregon’s path involved overcoming perceptions of being too soft and flashy to be taken seriously, as they dismantled Michigan State and Stanford throughout the year. They also lost key players throughout the season and at times had to adopt a mentality that Ohio State faced from the opening of fall camp, next man up. After an early October loss to Arizona, many began to write off the post Chip Kelly Oregon Ducks. However, led by their Heisman winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Ducks have reeled off 9 straight including two consecutive blow-out victories in the Pac-12 title game and the Rose Bowl. They enter this contest missing key players, including the Ducks leading receiver Devon Allen and their best corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, but the Ducks managed to not miss a beat against Florida State missing both players so expect them to be in full attack mode regardless of who takes the field for them.
For Ohio State the phrase next man up was not an adopted phrase used on and off during the year, it was a lifestyle for this team. Beginning with the seven NFL starters they lost from last years team, followed by the loss of Braxton Miller and Noah Spence, and then the sudden loss of J.T. Barrett, this team has had to learn and grow on the fly all season. Despite how green and naive this team was, Urban Meyer and his coaching staff, masterly guided this team through the storm of injuries and question marks. The one blemish on their record was an early season loss to Virginia Tech in which their quarterback and majority of offensive line were just in the second start of their respected careers. Since that loss Ohio State has proved doubters wrong all year. They traveled East Lansing and dismantled the defending Big Ten Champions Michigan State. They would continue on to the Big Ten Title game, where as under dogs and their third string quarterback at the helm in his first start, they shut out Melvin Gordon and the Wisconsin Badgers and hung up 59 points in route to claiming the first conference title under Urban Meyer. Following that massive win the Buckeyes were matched up with the world beaters and number one team in the country Alabama in the national semifinal. The Buckeyes would overcome an early 21-6 deficit and roll the Crimson Tide in a game that was not as close as the final score indicated, 42-35.
With the mini-season review in the books, lets begin to take a look at how these two teams match-up.
Ohio State Offense vs. Oregon Defense
The Buckeyes offense comes running in to the title game as balanced as it has been all season. Expect a similar look in the national title game. The Buckeye offense isn’t predictable, but it is at the same time. It’s predictable in the sense that if it can run inside zone then it will continue to run it until you can stop it. Generally speaking you’ll see inside zone, followed by a touch pass or jet sweep to stretch the defense horizontally, then either a deep crosser or shot down field off of play-action. That is generally the sequence of plays that this offense flows in regardless of who is at quarterback and who is lining up on the other side of the field.
However, against Oregon, I could see the Buckeyes taking more advantage of the run game and leaning on that more than they do on the arm of Jones. Its not that the coaching staff does not trust Jones, its just that Oregon allows teams to run the ball and it is somewhat by design. They do not over commit players in to the box. Even against Florida State the Ducks were content to allow the Noles to gain rushing yardage as long as their backs weren’t breaking off big plays. Therefore, I expect Zeke to have a good day rushing the ball. It is very conceivable that he could average 5 to 6 yards a carry, but the important stat for him in this game will be runs of 15+ yards. If Zeke begins to break off those runs and one or two go for a touchdown then it could change how the Ducks attack. The Ducks can implement a Bear look in their 3-4 defense, but I would be shocked to see Buckeye coaches and players not understand how to attack it.
When passing the ball the Ducks tend to only rush four and drop seven. They do have quality pass rushers and their four can definitely get home without needing extra blitzers, however, the majority of Oregon’s success versus Jameis Winston was based in the quality of their coverage rather than their four getting home quickly. Oregon does a very good job of disguising it’s zone and man coverage and almost always plays two deep safeties. Therefore, the middle of the field behind the linebackers should be open to exploit. Winston was able to at times exploit this area but their offense was never able to get in to rhythm due to the high volume of drops, turnovers, overthrows, and overall poor execution.
The bottom line in this part of the match-up is this: Oregon’s defense has holes that are able to be exploited, however they put every ounce of pressure on you to exploit them. If you make any ounce of a mistake they will make you pay by forcing a turnover and their offense is very good at making you pay twice by turning it in to points. The Buckeye’s success in this game will come down to red zone efficiency and the turnover battle. Unlike Alabama, Oregon’s offense is much less forgiving when opposing offenses stumble at points in the game.
Oregon Offense vs. Ohio State Defense
This is probably the more interesting match-up for both fan bases. The Ducks feel as though they have an unstoppable force with Mariota at the helm, and more often than not they are correct. This year, however, it isn’t just Mariota who is behind the success of the Ducks offense. The way Oregon attacks a defense is very similar to the way Ohio State does. Both coaching staffs have exchanged ideas several times so it is no surprise to see both offense look as similar as they do.
Like Ohio State’s offense, Oregon’s bread and butter is the inside power run. However, for the first time, the Ducks have a true power runner to run inside the tackles unlike previous years. Royce Freeman, true freshman from Imperial, California, has led the ducks in rushing this season running for over 1300 yards and 18 touchdowns. Freeman has a similar build to Zeke being 6’1, 230 pounds. His inside power has given the Ducks offense that extra “umph”. How important is that “umph”? Urban Meyer can easily say it put his offensive juggernaut over the top. Meyer never had a thousand yard rusher at running back until he coached two very physical runners, Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott, both of whom flourished with the inside zone run. Is Freeman as talented as Hyde and Elliott? Absolutely. And it gets worse.
The Ducks work off of that inside power and transition it to an inside read with Mariota who is the lightning to Freeman’s thunder. Unlike Braxton, Mariota is a north and south runner who gets north a lot faster than any other player in the country. Being that Mariota is a senior and has taken hundreds of snap in this offense his ball handling skills are the best in college football. A player that has comparable skills to Mariota when it comes to ball handling in the option offense? Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds. So the Buckeyes will have had some experience but they faced Reynolds months ago and the Navy offense did not run at the tempo the Ducks offense did.
When the Ducks do get running at tempo, which is almost all the time, Mariota has just about mastered his decision making. The Ducks have built in checks to their offense so if Mariota notices a corner playing off and the box loaded he can read the play and throw the screen. This is what makes the Ducks offense so dangerous. They hit you with the run game vertically, mix in tempo, then attack you horizontally, mix in more tempo, throw the option game at you, followed by more tempo, and then hit you with a deep crosser where their receiver can pick up yards after the catch. This offense is almost a spitting image of what the Ohio State offense would look like if you put Braxton Miller’s legs on JT Barrett and added some wide receiver screens to the play calling, oh and speed it up by about 10. Now that I’ve properly scared you, here’s how you combat the offense, bend but don’t break and keep the ball away.
Do I think Ohio State has the talent to walk on the field and “shut down” the Oregon offense? No. The reason being is you don’t shut down this offense with sheer talent, ask Florida State. It takes negative plays, turnovers, and out executing them to beat them, very familiar to how you slow down Ohio State. Mariota will throw up a couple of questionable jump balls and if he does the Ohio State defense and offense have to capitalize.
If you hold this Oregon offense to less than 35 points then you should absolutely have a chance. Why 35? The one loss Oregon has this year it scored 24 points versus Arizona, every other game the Ducks scored no less than 38 points and won. This title game should be one for the ages. Best of luck to both teams, hope everyone enjoys!
Ohio State suffers through a costly loss to an opponent, despite being heavily favored. The quarterback is under tremendous scrutiny. And Ohio State is to face an Oregon team that is supposedly too fast for Ohio State to be able to keep pace.
Yes, I know. We’re all eagerly awaiting to see how Ohio State plays against Oregon in The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T (say that one ten times fast).
Actually, I am talking about the 2010 Rose Bowl.
A quick stroll down memory lane is in order – in 2009, Ohio State opened up against Navy, and had to escape with a close win (Ohio State 31, Navy 27). Despite a close loss to USC in week two, Ohio State fans were optimistic for the season…until losing at Purdue (Purdue 26, Ohio State 18). Ohio State won the remainder of its games to claim The Big Ten championship, only to be faced with an Oregon team that was loaded with speed in The 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State won, 26-17.
While impressive remembering the similarities between The 2010 Rose Bowl and this game, I believe the strategies used by Ohio State to slow down Oregon are possibly going to be used once again, this time by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer.
Below are three critical areas I will be paying close attention to when Ohio State and Oregon kick off at 8:30pm EST on ESPN…
1. Will Ohio State Create A Collapsing Pocket Against Marcus Mariota? – Mariota is tremendously accurate as a passer and also blessed with exceptional speed. Instead of allowing Mariota to get to the outside of the pocket, will Ohio State try to contain Mariota within the pocket, and win the game as a pure pocket passer?
2. Ohio State Must Wrap Up Against Oregon – Defensively, Ohio State will be under tremendous physical scrutiny, with Oregon attempting to run plays every sixteen seconds. The defensive line and linebackers will not be able to substitute frequently, nor will the secondary players. A critical area against an Oregon team that has so much offensive speed will be to wrap up and tackle, thus negating the big plays that have been a staple of the Oregon offense.
3. Will Ohio State Control The Clock Against Oregon? – While I respect Coach Meyer’s more aggressive approach on offense, it will be so important for Ohio State to be content to use the clock fully when on offense. Running the ball with Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, and yes, Cardale Jones, will help keep the Ohio State defense off the field, and also help to throw a wrench into Oregon’s plans to play at their typical fast-break pace.
As Yogi Berra once stated, “It’s deja vu all over again.”. At some point on Monday night, Ohio State fans will hopefully agree with Mr. Berra’s wise statement.
That feeling you have these days is a lighter back. The proverbial monkey which turned into an 800 pound gorilla is off the back of the coaches, players, fans, and the entire Buckeye Nation. It is a grand time to be a Buckeye fan for sure. Let’s give out some game calls shall we?
THE DEFENSE
Darron Lee- He gets a game ball for many things 7 solo tackles and 2 sacks were great. What I am giving him a game ball though is for his leadership. When Cardale threw and INT and Zeke fumbled it was Lee who could be seen talking to them and getting their heads fixed. When OSU made big plays on offense and defense it was Lee who led the charge to make sure he celebrated with and encouraged his teammates. He has gone from never heard of to team leader on a team going to the NCG.
Curtis Grant- What can you say about a SR who has heard and felt the footsteps of a young buck trying to take his spot all year. He didn’t lay down and take it. He flourished on the big stage leading the team in tackles with 10 and making several big stops. Most fans will never give him the credit he deserves this year.
The entire Defensive Backfield- Doran Grant and Eli Apple did a marvelous job most of the game and allowed the safties to help make plays with their 2 INTs. Sure there were some mistakes but they had to contain the best WR in the country and did a good job of it. Vonn Bell was POPPING people all game long with 8 solo tackles.
Steve Miller- Pick Six need I say more? What surprised me the most was his speed. It was fantastic.
THE OFFENSE
Ezekiel Elliott- 20 Rushed for 230 yards and 2 TDs and throw in 1 reception for 13 yards. The fumble was awful but he more than made up for it. He was our offensive MVP and he continues to get better and better as the year has progressed. OSU would not be playing for the NC without this youngman who already has the 4th best rushing year in OSU history with 1632 yards and has one more game to go.
The offensive Line- Replacing 4 starters 3 of whom are starting on NFL teams in the playoffs is really hard to do and OSU did it almost seamlessly which is an incredible feat. All of them get a game ball for dominating the #2 DL in the country. Practicing against the best DL clearly has helped them a lot.
The Pass Catchers- Evan Spencer is so important to the team for all the small things he does. Devin Smith and Michael Thomas make spectacular plays. The rest do their jobs so the team can keep moving the ball and they do it really well.
THE COACHES
Luke Fickell- It is time for the haters to admit Luke Fickell is a whale of a coach and recruiter and play caller. Luke calls the front 7 plays and it was he who had Steve Miller drop in coverage and get the pick 6. He was the only coach who believed that Darron Lee was worthy of becoming a Buckeye. He had to convince Urban Meyer to take a chance. Every fan should be grateful for his efforts.
Chris Ash- I dont want to point fingers at Everett Withers but he is gone and Chris Ash is here and the defense is much improved. His attack style is working amazing and he has done wonders with young DBs this year.
Urban Meyer- He had the most to gain and lose by beating Nick Saban and Bama. He built on his reputation immensely and shut up his doubters. One more win and he could arguably be called the greatest CFB coach ever. Not even joking a little.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Special Teams- How about Corey Smith who has struggled a lot this year as a WR but came up huge on KO coverage for OSU this game? Sean Nuerenberger made every kick he was asked to and that is a feat for a true freshman playing in the biggest game of his life.
The Fans- We have been through a lot and had a lot of success the last 15 years. It has been a roller coaster ride for sure. Buckeye Nation is strong and goes everywhere to support the team they love. We deserve credit for that and a game ball for sure. YAY US!!!!
Four long months ago I wrote this about the Big Ten:
The Big Ten sucks. It’s weak and simply can’t compete with the SEC and other top teams around the country. They always choke in the biggest of games. As a fan of the Buckeyes or any other Big Ten team, this is what you’ve been hearing from the national media ever since the Buckeyes got shellacked by the Florida Gators in the 2006 National Championship game. Things have progressively gotten worse since then for the entire conference. ESPN and all of the other major outlets continue to hype conference pride year in and year out.
It’s amazing how quickly things change. And it was one huge day on January 1, 2015 that punctuated the Big Ten’s rise from the dead. Before we get to that though let’s backtrack to what I said back in September 2014. I talked about the national narrative concerning the Big Ten, SEC dominance and how it was a bunch of baloney. I could sit there and cry foul all I wanted, but as I said in the article all that mattered in college football was winning. It’s what earns everyone’s respect. You can talk all you want, but you have to walk the walk on the field if you want respect. Regarding my point about conference pride, here’s what I said it came down to:
You know what conference pride is based on? The best teams in the conference. You’re only as good as your best teams. That’s why the SEC is anointed the king of college football every single season. When people look at the SEC, they don’t look at Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. They’re looking at Alabama, LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn and Georgia. If the majority of these teams have a good season, then the SEC is having a good season. So why are national writers and experts pointing out Purdue, Illinois and Indiana being bad programs when looking at the Big Ten? Those programs have never been world beaters. They’re happy with 7-9 wins. They aren’t expected to compete for national titles.
When it comes to the Big Ten, there are six teams I view as the faces of the conference right now. Those teams are Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. These six teams have to get it done or the Big Ten is looked down upon.
Four months later let’s take a look at the faces of these conferences. Three of the six teams I declared the faces of the SEC lost their bowl games. Florida fired their coach. Georgia lost to Florida. Both Mississippi schools lost in spectacular fashion in their marquee matchups. For the first time since 2005 an SEC team will not play for the national championship. The last marquee win in the postseason for the SEC was 2013 against Notre Dame in the national title game. Two years in a row the conference has lost their biggest games. I think it’s safe to say that the SEC is no longer head and shoulders above everyone else.
Of course it’s just not about what the SEC has done lately. Let’s look at the Big Ten’s top six teams. I specifically called out Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska in September for not having good enough head coaching. Where are those head coaches now? Gary Andersen fled Wisconsin after suffering a humiliating loss in the Big Ten Championship game to Ohio State. Nebraska fired Bo Pelini after delivering another just solid season. I said they wouldn’t have the guts to do this and they proved me wrong. We’ll see if Mike Riley can take them to the next level. And then there’s Michigan who fired Brady Hoke after another disappointing season. This is where the Big Ten’s redemption story begins.
Last week after many weeks of speculation, the Wolverines went out and got themselves a national championship caliber coach in Jim Harbaugh. As a Buckeye fans my reaction to this: It’s about damn time. What took so long to get a great coach? Now that Michigan has a great coach their rebuilding process can begin. The Big Ten now how has four coaches I truly believe are capable of winning a national championship, along with Meyer, Dantonio and Franklin (Chryst and Riley could become capable). The Big Ten East could become one of the best divisions in college football with the amount of star power at the coaching positions. Speaking of that Penn State silently defeated Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, leading to head coach James Franklin delivering a fiery speech in the post game proclaiming how great a victory it was for the program in their return to the postseason.
This leads us to the huge day for the Big Ten. It started when Wisconsin, led by Badger legend Barry Alvarez, shocked Auburn in overtime to win the Outback Bowl. The Badgers, coming off a 59-0 loss in the Big Ten Championship game, beat a Tiger team that many believed to be one of the best teams in the country for a majority of the season. After losing so much in the postseason the last five years and after having to hire yet another new head coach, it was a sweet victory for the program. Next year they start the Paul Chryst era in Madison and I think he’s a perfect fit for them. Chryst understands Wisconsin football perfectly and don’t be surprised if they return to Indianapolis next season.
Michigan State followed the Badgers by pulling out a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. The Spartans were down three touchdowns late in the game and stormed back on a thrilling blocked field goal and a touchdown with mere seconds left in the game. Dantonio and the Spartans finish the season with 11 wins once again. Their only two losses were to the two teams that are going to play for the national championship on January 12. Needless to say there’s a pretty fantastic football program residing in East Lansing.
The biggest win for the Big Ten then came in the Sugar Bowl National Semifinals when the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 42-35 to advance to national championship game for the first time in seven years. As everyone saw New Year’s night, it wasn’t a fluke or miracle. The Buckeyes were simply a better team in all phases of the game. There was no question that the Buckeyes had “SEC speed.†Ezekiel Elliott rushed for over 200 yards, something no running back had ever done to a Nick Saban-coached Alabama team. Cardale Jones, who was a third-string quarterback in August, threw long third down passes against the Tide defense with ease. The Buckeye’s defensive line harassed Blake Sims all night long. It was the victory Buckeye fans have been salivating to get for years.
In the span of four months the Big Ten went from rock bottom to the top, something none of us expected. As I said months ago I was just hoping the conference could do something to salvage its reputation. Now it has done more than that. It’s changed the national narrative completely. Yesterday the SEC was king. Today the Big Ten is the re-born hero. It’s amazing how a story can go from a nightmare to a dream come true.
The Big Ten’s teams went out and did what they had to do. Hollywood itself couldn’t have scripted a better comeback for the Buckeyes and the Big Ten. In the words of Drake: “Started from the bottom, now we’re here.â€
Best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year. In the interest of full disclosure, this article is being written on New Year’s Eve, with a publish date of January 2, 2015. I anticipate being up late watching The 2015 Sugar Bowl with hopes of celebrating into the wee hours of the morning…
The news that the University of Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh to be its new head football coach has been largely viewed as a positive on a national scale and by former Ohio State players, but not by all Ohio State fans. An example Twitter dialogue between my esteemed colleague Jeremiah and myself will give you an idea as to what I mean…
Jeremiah’s concerns and viewpoints are understandable. After all, Ohio State has had its way with “The Team Up North” since January 18, 2001, when this speech was made on the day Jim Tressel was announced as the new head football coach at Ohio State…
Winning every game but two in a span since 2001-2014 is very rewarding and satisfying. It has allowed for a full generation of Ohio State fans to forget what it was like to suffer through the agonizing defeats to “The Team Up North”.
I want to emphasize this point – I never want to lose to “The Team Up North”. Let me make that abundantly clear.
However…I have enjoyed winning THE GAME much more so when “The Team Up North” was good, and not bad or mediocre.
Allow me to elaborate. The speech up above by Coach Tressel merely amplified the anticipation for THE GAME on November 24, 2001. The 26-20 victory in Ann Arbor was the first by Ohio State since 1987, and helped to eliminate “The Team Up North” from The B1G championship. In 2002, I was in attendance when “The Team Up North” was ranked twelfth as they entered Ohio Stadium with designs on eliminating Ohio State from the national championship game; Ohio State won on a nailbiter interception by Will Allen…
I was in attendance when arguably the most mediocre Ohio State team of the Jim Tressel era defeated the last “Team Up North” to win The B1G in 2004. Who can forget “The Catch” that helped propel Ohio State over the seventeenth-ranked TTUN to a BCS bowl game in 2005?
THE GAME, and B1G football, has not stood as tall since November 18, 2006. Ranked number one and number two, for the right to go on to play for The BCS Championship. Who did not relish that victory over “The Team Up North” when the stakes were so high?
Yes, in 2007, Ohio State won in Ann Arbor to clinch The B1G and deny “The Team Up North” a trip to The Rose Bowl, but it was not the same. After 2006, the quality of “The Team Up North” has been one of steady decline, and helping to contribute to a national perception that B1G football was not something to be respected, and certainly not feared.
Jim Harbaugh’s hiring helps to change that perception. Look at how @finebaum, noted troller of all things north of the Mason-Dixon line, tweeted about the hiring…
Think about the coaches in The SEC West – Nick Saban (Alabama), Dan Mullen (Miss St), Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss), Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Les Miles (LSU), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), and Bret Bielema (Arkansas). While not all are impressive, Saban, Miles, and Malzahn have had teams compete for the national championship over the past few seasons.
Now compare that to what The B1G East will have to offer – Urban Meyer (Ohio State), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Jim Harbaugh (“The Team Up North”), and James Franklin (Penn State). While Meyer is the only one with national championship credentials, all of those men are truly well-respected for their recruiting prowess and abilities to develop teams into championship caliber units. The B1G East’s teams and reputation will be able to compete against any team from anywhere.
To put it another way, The B1G used to have men such as these roaming the sidelines thirty years ago (1985 season) – Earle Bruce. Bo Schembechler. Hayden Fry. Lou Holtz. All of those men are in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Harbaugh hiring helps to bring B1G football status back to its historical perspective.
Again – I never want to lose to “The Team Up North”. However, I welcome the idea of going into Ann Arbor on November 28, 2015, with a highly ranked opponent in Ann Arbor, helping to propel Ohio State back into its second year of The College Football Playoff, thanks to the return of an old adversary.
It’s finally here: the inaugural College Football Playoff. By now we all know who is playing in each game, but let’s take a closer look at each game and get to know the contenders.
The College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl
2 Oregon Ducks vs 3 Florida State Seminoles
January 1, 2015 at 5:30 PM
Florida State hasn’t lost a game since Manti Te’o had a girlfriend. Oregon is riding an 8 game win streak after dropping an early season game to Arizona (who they then demoralized in the Pac 12 Championship Game). Both quarterbacks have Heisman Trophies. It’s the oh-so controversial Jameis Winston versus the quiet and reserved Marcus Mariota. By all imaginations, this would be a great National Championship matchup. Let’s take a look at some numbers.
Oregon
According to ESPN.com, Oregon is one of the top offensive teams in the nation. They rank 3rd in points for, 11th in passing yards per game, and 22nd in rushing yards per game. The high octane attack the Ducks run will be something that Florida State has not seen all season, and this offense will far and away be the biggest challenge that the Seminoles have faced. We all know the big name for the Ducks, Mariota, but there are plenty of playmakers around him who make this offense click. WR Darren Carrington, WR Bryan Marshall, and RB Royce Freeman all will have their numbers called against Florida State.
This offense will have no problem scoring points, as they averaged 46.3 points per game. The question will be about the defense. They gave up more than 20 points just twice in their last 6 games and have been improving as the season went on. That being said, they are 49th in rush defense (according to NCAA.com), and 82nd in Total Defense (also according to NCAA.com). Oregon also lost All American Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, their best cornerback, who will be replaced with a redshirt freshman. Expect the Seminoles to attack the redshirt freshman Chris Seisay. He is going to have a lot on his shoulders in his first start. However, Oregon is 3rd in turnover margin at +17, Mainly due to having only 8 turnovers all season, the fewest in the country. Oregon takes care of the ball well on offense, and Florida State will not have many opportunities to create turnovers should they fall behind early.
Florida State
After going 13-0 for the second consecutive season, the Florida State Seminoles seems to lack the national respect they probably deserve. As much as people malign them for the close games against weak competition, they never lost, which is something no other team in the Playoff can say.
Offensively, the team isn’t real flashy. 29th in points for, 14th in passing yards. The glaring stat is that they are 104th in rushing yards per game; their leading rusher has 905 yards on the season. They also have 27 turnovers, with 19 of those being interceptions. Yet as uninspiring as those numbers are, the Seminoles are 13-0. Jameis is the big name on this team, but some names to watch are RB Dalvin Cook, WR Rashad Greene, TE Nick O’Leary, and K Roberto Aguayo. Yes, the kicker. Aguayo, a sophomore, is 100% on extra points for the season, and has only missed three FGs in his entire career: he’s 46/49. If it comes down to a kick, FSU definitely has the advantage.
Prediction
If Florida State follows the trend of falling behind early, then they may not be able to dig out of this hole. The Oregon offense is too powerful and protects the ball better than anyone in the country, so relying on timely turnovers won’t be a viable strategy. Florida State is going to have to match Oregon punch for punch, which they have proven they can do against Georgia Tech. I expect Jameis to throw at least one interception, probably a bad one at that, but he will have to play like his Heisman campaign for FSU to have a shot. Expect him to put the ball in the air often, as calling their run game effective would be a stretch. However, Florida State does have the big men in the trenches that has always seemed to give Oregon problems, so the battle of the lines will be key.
Final: Oregon 38 Florida State 34
The College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl
1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs 4 Ohio State Buckeyes
January 1, 2015 at 8:00 PM
The final game of the “36 hour football bonanza” will be for the final spot in the National Championship Game. The perennial contenders, Alabama, versus the surprise Ohio State Buckeyes. The vaunted SEC versus the lowly Big Ten. No contest, most people say. Well, the numbers say a little different.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide avenged last year’s miracle of the Kick Six by dropping 55 points on Auburn to cap a one-loss regular season. They hung 42 points on Missouri in the SEC Title Game. Before Auburn, the Tide ripped Western Carolina for 48 points. The offense has been at a high level the last three weeks of the season, mainly thanks to WR Amari Cooper. On the season, the Alabama offense ranks 16th in points for, 34th in rushing per game, and 22nd in passing per game. Offensively, QB Blake Sims can be very Jekyll and Hyde. He especially struggles away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, though he had a terrible first half against Auburn there in the Iron Bowl. He has enough athleticism to escape pressure, but sometimes makes poor decisions throwing the football. However, if Amari is left in one-on-one coverage, expect Sims to find him, likely for a touchdown. Even if Amari is kept in check, the Alabama run game led by TJ Yeldon will punish you in attempt to open up room in the passing game.
Their reputation comes heavily from their defense. The Alabama defense ranks 4th in points against, at 16.8. They gave up more than 23 points just once. Auburn scored 44 points on over 600 yards of offense. Auburn, the only true spread team on the Alabama schedule, torched the Alabama secondary for over 450 yards. Alabama is 57th in the country in passing yards allowed per game. This is their weakness on defense.
Ohio State Buckeyes
If you read this blog regularly, then you’re likely very familiar with the Ohio State football season thus far. After losing Heisman Trophy contender Braxton Miller before the season even started, and losing a game early at home to Virginia Tech, many assumed the Buckeyes (and the Big Ten) had lost all hopes for a playoff team. The Buckeyes ran through the rest of their schedule, picking up 11 wins in a row. Even after losing another Heisman contender in Joe Thomas Barrett IV (or, more commonly known as JT Barrett), the Buckeyes dismantled a very good Wisconsin team in the B1G Championship Game with Cardale Jones.
Going into this game, the Buckeyes are known for their offense, especially their running game, as they average 260 yards per game, good for 11th in the nation, at a clip of 45 points per game, good for 5th in the country. However, the Buckeye defense has experienced a 180 revolution from last year. The “Silver Bullets” may finally be returning in Columbus, as the Buckeyes give up just 21 points per game, and the much maligned pass defense has found its way to 15th best in the country. The Buckeyes are also a very opportunistic defense, producing 29 turnovers, 21 of which are interceptions (4th most in the country). However, the defensive line is still the bread and butter of the defense, with 40 sacks on the season (10th in the nation) and 100 tackles for loss (7th in the nation). Expect the defensive line to be in the Alabama backfield, hoping to at least disrupt Blake Sims. However, Sims does have some escapability, which has been a bit of a problem for the Buckeyes, especially against Michigan when Devin Gardner managed to turn sure sacks into positive gains. The Buckeye defense will have to keep contain on Sims. Amari Cooper will also be a problem. Expect to see senior Doran Grant on Cooper, with a safety over the top. To leave Cooper in one-one-one coverage is a mistake, and will likely end with him in the end zone and 6 points for the boys from Tuscaloosa.
On offense, the Buckeyes will have no problem scoring and moving the ball on the Alabama defense. The Buckeyes run a very similar offense to Auburn, who torched Alabama for over 600 yards. Getting playmakers like Jalin Marshall or Dontre Wilson (who may play) into space will open up the middle for the run game of Ezekiel Elliott. The big question mark remains Cardale Jones. He looked great in his first career start, winning MVP of the B1G Championship Game. However, against a defense that has three weeks to prepare against him, it remains to be seen if his confidence gained from Indy will carry over.
Prediction
I hate predicting games involving Ohio State and having to be objective. Though, given that this is an Ohio State centric website, I suppose showing favor isn’t a sin. This one is going to be a shootout, despite both defenses being pretty strong. Saban and Meyer with three weeks to prepare for each other? I’ll take my chances with Urban this time.
Final: Ohio State 31 Alabama 30
*All stats courtesy of ESPN.com and NCAA.com
The handsome fellows of Ohio State will be going old school with their gray stripes against the big fat meanies of Alabama on Thursday night. I hope most of you have the day off Friday because it could be a late one…
For some reason the other playoff game (Oregon vs Florida State) will kick off a little after 5 o’clock in Pasadena. With most NCAA games lasting 3.5 to 4 hours the chances of the night game kicking off at the scheduled 8:30PM timeslot is a pipedream.
Why the Rose Bowl isn’t scheduled to start at 4 or 4:30 is beyond me but whatever.
So how will this game that will end Friday morning play out? Here is your big game preview:
The biggest unknown matchup of Thursday will be when the Buckeyes have the ball.
10 Biggest question marks:
10 Meaningless/Interesting Numbers:
10 Baseless-Gut Predictions:
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Bama Fan Message Board Analysis:
 User BadgerTidefan-From Tidefans.com on Tim Tebow speaking to the Bucks– “This strategy could backfire on Urban when the guys on the team see Tebow on TV predict an Alabama win after he’s been trying to motivate them, imagine how they may feel. There may be a little conflict of interest involved in this since he and every other guy on sports tv has to provide commentary leading up to actual game.â€
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Yup, once those Bucks are in the locker room getting dressed before the game and see Timmy Teebs pick Alabama, it’s all downhill.
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Both teams know who they are and what they can do when Bama takes the football:
 10 Biggest question marks:
10 Meaningless/Interesting Numbers:
10 Baseless-Gut Predictions:
Bama Fan Message Board Analysis:
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User A One from Bama’s 247 site on Ohio State safety Von Bell– “I know for a fact that not only did we pass on Bell, but that our recruiting board had several defensive backs listed ahead of him.â€
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Of course, Bama certainly passed on a 5 star position of need from their number 1 pipeline state…
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Closing Thoughts:
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This maybe one of the most exciting games in Ohio State history, there is no pressure and nobody expects the good guys to pull it out. You just don’t beat the mighty Alabama with a 3rd string quarterback…
Right?
Wrong.
Ohio State shocks the nation-
34-27
