After an entire off-season of hard work, film study and preparation and the bumps and bruises of a rugged 14 games to get to Dallas, the Buckeyes squared off against offensive juggernaut Oregon in the first ever College Football Playoff Championship.
Along the way, Ohio State lost its two-time conference player of the year quarterback, its all-conference defensive end, a starting H-back, and the quarterback who played his way into the Heisman conversation all season. Oh, and the Buckeyes also lost a teammate who took his own life.
Against this backdrop, and after knocking off two consecutive Heisman Trophy finalists, Ohio State faced the nation’s best offense and the guy who actually took home the award as the country’s best player—with a quarterback who has never started a regular season game in college.
The Ducks play their spread offense faster than anyone in the country. They’ve got an athletic defense that specializes in giving up yards and strangling opponents inside the red zone, and taking the ball away. They have a seemingly endless supply of speedy wide receivers who can turn any play into six points. And they were hungry.
Would Cardale Jones be able to go 3-0 as a starter with all three wins coming in the postseason? Could Ohio State convert touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone to keep Oregon from pulling away? Would Marcus Mariota shred the Buckeye defense like he’s done to everyone else this season? Could Ezekiel Elliott continue his incredible running? Would Urban Meyer win his third national championship and his first at Ohio State?
Yes, yes, no, yes, and yes. Jones went 16/23 for 242 yards and a touchdown and ran for 38 yards and another score to get the W, although he did turn the ball over three times (one wasn’t his fault). The Buckeyes were perfect in the red zone, never settling for three. Mariota was 24/37 for 333 yards and two scores, but despite those numbers he was largely contained. Elliott went beast mode (again) and 36 times for 246 yards (6.8 YPA) and four touchdowns and was the game’s MVP. Meyer did the damn thing, repeatedly going for fourth downs (3/3).
Here are National Championship talking points:
WATER COOLER PREP (EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW…IN ONE PARAGRAPH)
Oregon marched right down the field to take a 7-0 lead and things looked shaky early, but the Buckeyes punched back and actually dominated the game, winning by 22 despite four turnovers. Ohio State’s defense responded, keeping the Ducks off the board after two of those miscues and holding for a field goal on another. Third down was the key. Ohio State was 8/15 and held Oregon to 2/12 in the 42-20 win.
TALK BEFORE THE GAME
Leave it to Coach Pantoni to say it succinctly:
Tonight we get to live our dream
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) January 12, 2015
The tailgate scene was off the hook:
Natty Tailgate!! #gobucks pic.twitter.com/QhFZObA5rQ
— Mike Vrabel (@CoachVrabel50) January 12, 2015
The players were ready to go, even the kicker:
One last game before the end of freshman year. Time to go out with a bang! #Buckeyes #BeatOregon http://t.co/2U733qnPif
— Sean Nuernberger (@Sean4Heisman1) January 12, 2015
TALK IN THE AFTERMATH
“The chase is complete. It’s done. It’s over. They accepted their final mission, their final assignment, and their final directive, and they did it. That was our whole mantra this last couple of weeks. A job well done, and we’re very grateful.” – Urban Meyer
“Toughest route, having to go through three straight Heisman Trophy finalists and still won the whole damn thing.”
From the Department of Duh:
Being at that game was the best decision I've ever made.
— Dima (@suckatsports) January 13, 2015
(I kid because I'm sooooo jelly.)
It might not get any better than this:
Jacob Jarvis and Chase Farris celebrate the Ohio State National Championship victory. #Buckeyes #NationalChampions pic.twitter.com/NFUFxtuIWn
— Lantern TV (@LanternTV) January 13, 2015
Welp, time to get tatted, Urbz:
Jeff Heuerman told me Urban Meyer told team if it beat Oregon he would get a tattoo on upper arm.
— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) January 13, 2015
GIVE THAT MAN A BUCKEYE LEAF (PLAYER OF THE GAME)
Elliott did it again. He was a workhorse with his 36 carries, punishing Oregon defenders on every run. He entered the game needing 295 yards to tie Eddie George’s single-season school rushing record (albeit in more games than Eddie) and he darn near did it. Elliott was the security blanket the offense needed when things weren’t going well and his pounding served to calm everyone down, keep Mariota on the sidelines and, as the song says, drive, drive on down the field. He scored four touchdowns while Oregon scored only two as a team.
DID YOU SEE THAT?! (PLAY OF THE GAME)
The Ducks faced a third-and-goal with a chance to take the lead just five plays after Jones had the ball slip out of his hand for a turnover at his own 23. Oregon had all the momentum and was about to regain the lead when Mariota found Evan Baylis in the back of the end zone. Baylis made a leaping catch but before he came down, Eli Apple shoved him out over the back line and Baylis landed out of bounds for an incompletion. Oregon settled for a 23-yard field goal to pull within 21-20 and never scored again. Apple’s heads-up play kept the Buckeyes from falling behind and staved off the Ducks’ run.
SLOBBER KNOCKER OF THE GAME
There were a lot of big hits in this game, as befits a national championship. The biggest may have been in the final four minutes, with Oregon trailing by 15 and desperately needing a drive. On second-and-10 from their 15, the Ducks drew up a screen pass to running back Thomas Tyner. Doran Grant knifed his way around a blocker and destroyed Tyner for a one-yard loss. Two plays later, Ohio State took over on downs and punched in its final touchdown of the game.
JIM TRESSEL'S LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE GAME
Tressel was at the game, enjoying the pageantry and the hard-fought football game between two excellent programs. As the back-and-forth battle raged on, Tressel often became excited when the teams faced fourth down near midfield.
“Ah, time to pin them deep with a well-placed punt,” Tressel thought to himself.
But, time and again, Urban Meyer and Mark Helfrich went for it, thus denying the sweater vested one his favorite of all plays. After the Buckeyes converted the third of their three fourth-down attempts, Tressel put his head in his hands and wept quietly for a game that he no longer recognized.
WHEN YOU SANK INTO YOUR CHAIR (THE MOMENT BUCKEYE FOOTBALL DISGRACED YOUR FAMILY)
There are few things that make me as apoplectic as a big play that turns into a bad play. Such a play happened in the second quarter, as Ohio State tried to put Oregon away early. Leading 14-7, Jones found Corey Smith for a huge play down the right sideline for 47 yards to the Ducks’ 10-yard line. But Smith sustained a hit by Troy Hill and lost the football, ruining a chance to put more points on the board.
WHAT YOU TEXTED YOUR FRIEND AT THE END OF EACH QUARTER
First: “Good quarter but the D is giving me a coronary.”
Second: “Great half. If not for those two turnovers...”
Third: “Minus 4 on TOs now but what a way to end the quarter!”
Fourth: “CHAMPIONS! OH MY GOD! WE WON THE WHOLE DAMN THING!”
IT WAS OVER WHEN
With a team like Oregon and a talent like Mariota, you’re never really sure it’s over, even when it would be under normal circumstances. The moment when it was really, truly, and finally over came with 2:45 to play when Mariota’s desperation heave on fourth-and-11 from his own 15 sailed beyond Charles Nelson on the sideline. The Ducks had timeouts remaining, but opted not to use them, as Ohio State ground out the clock and put the icing on the cake with Elliott’s fourth touchdown run.
That’s the season, folks! Ohio State’s next game will be Sept. 7 in Blacksburg, VA, in a revenge game against Virginia Tech. Should be a fun one. I can’t wait, but honestly I’ll be enjoying this feeling for a while before I even think about that.
