2014 College Football Championship Game

JaMarcusHustle

#2 Oregon vs #4 Ohio State

Kick-Off: 1:30am
Television: ESPN
Venue AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Spread: Oregon -6
Total: 74

DALLAS (AP) -- Ohio State and Oregon will meet in a game that has never been played for a trophy that has never been raised.

The winner Monday night in North Texas can be called the truest champion in the history of major college football.

The first College Football Playoff national championship game matches the second-seeded Ducks and fourth-seeded Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium.

"It's college football history," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Sunday during a news conference with Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, with that new championship trophy sitting in between them.

The days of bowls, polls and the BCS having the final say about who is No. 1 are over. The playoff that fans wanted for so long -- and finally got -- will determine a champion without a doubt.

Oregon (13-1) and its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota are in search of the program's first national title, the last remaining goal for a school that has barged onto the national stage over the last two decades with ostentatious flare and flashy uniforms.

Ohio State (13-1) is shooting for national championship No. 5, but the first under coach Urban Meyer, who returned to his home state three years ago to take over a college football goliath that was looking to start its next golden age.

Tradition rich vs. cutting edge.

The Ducks from the Pac-12 raced into the championship game with an emphatic 59-20 victory against Florida State last week at the Rose Bowl.

The Buckeyes from the Big Ten upset Alabama 42-35 at the Sugar Bowl to cap an improbable rebound from an early season loss and injuries to two star quarterbacks.

"This is much more of a business trip, this time around," Ohio State All-America defensive end Joey Bosa said. "Last week we went, we hung out and had some fun. This week it's all about business; no going out, no messing around. We're just preparing."

Ohio State has won 12 straight since stumbling at home to Virginia Tech in September.

The Ducks have won nine in a row since, all by double-digit margins, since losing to Arizona in October.

"We've been playing, both our program and Ohio State have played with that kind of early loss, and your back was against the wall to get to this point every play of every game, the entire rest of the season, it was to the those words: do or die," Helfrich said.

For decades college football's best team was picked by poll voters and postseason matchups were set with little regard for determining a national champion.

The Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998, a system designed to create a No. 1 vs. No. 2 national championship game to end the season. It was an awkward and imperfect step in the right direction, often leaving everyone involved unsatisfied. The conference commissioners who ran the BCS relented a couple of years ago and decided to create a four-team playoff.

Here are some things to know about the ultimate winner-take-all-game:

SUPER MARIOTA

Mariota can become the seventh Heisman Trophy winner since 1996 to win the national championship in the same season he won the Heisman. Florida State's Jameis Winston did it last season.

Another victory in what is very likely his last college game would top off a career that can go down as one of the best in college football history.

Mariota has thrown for 10,463 yards, 103 touchdowns passes and just 13 interceptions while winning 35 games in three seasons as Oregon's starter.

"Our No. 1 concern is their quarterback," Meyer said.

The Buckeyes hope to contain the fast-moving Mariota with a defensive line, led by Bosa, that is among the best in the nation.

"They've got an awesome front seven," Mariota said. "Big, physical guys that really control the line of scrimmage."

MEYER'S MILESTONE

Meyer can become the second coach in college football history to win national championships with two schools, joining Nick Saban, who won the BCS title in 2003 with LSU and then three more titles with Alabama.

Meyer won national titles with Florida in 2006 and 2008. A third championship would make Meyer the ninth coach in college football's poll era (dating to 1936) to win at least three championships. Bear Bryant leads with the six he won at Alabama.

MISSING

The Ducks will be down their most productive receiver over the last two games.

Darren Carrington is ineligible after failing an NCAA administered drug test. He is second on the team in yards receiving with 704 and averages 19 yards per catch. He's been especially good lately.

In the Pac-12 championship game against Arizona and the Rose Bowl against Florida State, Carrington had 14 catches for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon also lost Devon Allen, second on the team in catches (41) and touchdown receptions (seven), at the Rose Bowl to a knee injury.

"We don't have things in our system that it's, hey, we need to throw this guy the ball in this play period," Helfrich said. "That doesn't exist."

OH-FER OHIO STATE

This will be the ninth meeting between Oregon and Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won the previous eight.

JaMarcusHustle

Rounding off an amazing weekend of football, I'll be pulling for an Ohio State upset tonight.

DaveyCakes

Go Ducks! Should be a cracker...

JaMarcusHustle

Very hard to predict the score in an Oregon game given their fondness for 2 point attempts, so I'm going to go with Ohio State to win a close but very high scoring affair by 3 or less.

JaMarcusHustle

ESPN taking it up a notch and putting cameras in the pylons for tonight's game.

tgdaly

Haven't watched as much college football as I would've liked this year, but really looking forward to this. I've heard great things about both teams and very interested in seeing if Mariota lives up to the hype considering he is favorite for the #1 draft pick

Realt Dearg Sec

Decided to get up and watch the bucks get the upset, hopefully. The reception on ESPN is a bit jumpy probably because of the crappy weather out but I'll stick with it.

Worst case scenario, Ohio lose and we see more of the Oregon cheerleaders. If God was putting together a team of cheerleaders, he would be visiting the ducks.

JaMarcusHustle

Really good start to this, but that turnover is being overturned.

Realt Dearg Sec

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

Really good start to this, but that turnover is being overturned.

Yeah presume they went with a call knowing they would be able to review

eagle eye

Ducks got lucky twice on that drive but that was a great finish to it by Mariota. Now can the Buckeyes answer immediately?

Realt Dearg Sec

eagle eye wrote: »

Ducks got lucky twice on that drive but that was a great finish to it by Mariota. Now can the Buckeyes answer immediately?

Possibly but my feeling is that to win Ohio need to be getting all the lucky breaks, especially early on, and that clearly hadn't been the case to start. I mean, I expect Oregon to get over forty easily, so offensive mistakes just will not do tonight.

eagle eye

I'm not so sure Oregon will reach 40 points. I think you underestimate the Buckeyes D.

Good stop there by the Ducks and now their Offense is off to an explosive start again.

Realt Dearg Sec

eagle eye wrote: »

I'm not so sure Oregon will reach 40 points. I think you underestimate the Buckeyes D.

.

I hope so. Good stop by then just now anyway.

I won't lie, I haven't watched much this year.

eagle eye

Buckeyes get a good stop but will have to start inside their own five, will be tough to score from there.

Realt Dearg Sec

Two great throws to start after nearly getting sacked

Edit, second throw wasn't great but fantastic work by the receiver to take it down

UnitedIrishman

That was some catch to manage to take that in.

Realt Dearg Sec

Elliott is a fantastic running back to evade a tackle. Lovely score.

JaMarcusHustle

Zeke Elliott is just unstoppable.

eagle eye

Fantastic drive by the Buckeyes. All tied up now.

eagle eye

Oh my, horrible drop.

eagle eye

Buckeyes score again, 14-7 and pressure on Oregon now.

Realt Dearg Sec

Once again Elliott sets them up for it with a great but if dodging and diving. Could watch him all day. Oregon really suffering without their main receivers, some awful drops.

eagle eye

Ducks stopped again, if Ohio State score on this drive you gotta fancy them to go on and win it.

eagle eye

Terrible mistake by Jones there and the Ducks get another big break. They gotta score here.

Realt Dearg Sec

eagle eye wrote: »

Ducks stopped again, if Ohio State score on this drive you gotta fancy them to go on and win it.

Huge stop alright.

eagle eye

Ducks go for it on 4th and goal at the 3 and don't get it. Ohio State ball at their own 1.

UnitedIrishman

This game is just a constant momentum swing!

Realt Dearg Sec

Horrible to give up possession at the end of such a nice play.

eagle eye

Unbelievable, Buckeyes moving down to the Oregon 10 but lose the ball again. Ducks have it at their own ten,another huge break goes their way.

eagle eye

Boom, Buckeyes go up be 14. D on top and offense on top, it's their own errors on offense that have the lead at 'only' 14 points.

who would have put money on oregon having 7 points this close to half time

Realt Dearg Sec

Amira Helpful Meat wrote: »

who would have put money on oregon having 7 points this close to half time

Not me anyway,for sure. Fantastic performance from Ohio.

eagle eye

Ohio State have been brilliant for the most part, couple of mistakes on offense take a little away from their performance.

Then again when you look at it from another angle, the Ducks are so lucky to be still in this.

Buckeyes get the ball first in the second half, if the score a touchdown they win it imo. I think they are going to win it anyways.

Realt Dearg Sec

Jesus, you go to bed early, you drag yourself out of bed on a work night and stay up till all hours watching, and how do they repay you? Tim Tebow.

**** you ESPN.

eagle eye

eagle eye wrote: »

Ohio State have been brilliant for the most part, couple of mistakes on offense take a little away from their performance.

Then again when you look at it from another angle, the Ducks are so lucky to be still in this.

Buckeyes get the ball first in the second half, if the score a touchdown they win it imo. I think they are going to win it anyways.

the one thing is is you where going to pick any team in any sport to suddenly put up a massive score it would be oregon

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Jesus, you go to bed early, you drag yourself out of bed on a work night and stay up till all hours watching, and how do they repay you? Tim Tebow.

**** you ESPN.

to be fair nobodies claimed either team should sign him yet and he's yet to "tebow" so i think the mute button is a fair compromise

eagle eye

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Jesus, you go to bed early, you drag yourself out of bed on a work night and stay up till all hours watching, and how do they repay you? Tim Tebow.

**** you ESPN.

He is a good as an analyst imo.

Realt Dearg Sec

Amira Helpful Meat wrote: »

to be fair nobodies claimed either team should sign him yet and he's yet to "tebow" so i think the mute button is a fair compromise

Last time I heard him speak he was doing a Bellichick choreographed presser. I liked him better that way.

Have a feeling the drama is far from over in this one. Too much potential for error in the passing game from Ohio, too much potential fireworks from Oregon. But still it's hard to look past Ohio unless Oregon have some serious unexpected adjustments to wrong foot them, and they haven't done it up to now, all the problems with Ohio have been their own errors.

Realt Dearg Sec

eagle eye wrote: »

He is a good as an analyst imo.

Ah he's basically a nice guy and all that, it's possible it's just the hype around him I don't like rather than himself, but he never, ever criticises anyone. I don't think you can genuinely be a good analyst in that situation.

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Ah he's basically a nice guy and all that, it's possible it's just the hype around him I don't like rather than himself, but he never, ever criticises anyone. I don't think you can genuinely be a good analyst in that situation.

i disagree jon gruden loves everyone but he offers a lot of tactical insight tebow on the other hand i find very very meh lots of for team a to win team as qb needs to play well type stuff

Realt Dearg Sec

Amira Helpful Meat wrote: »

i disagree jon gruden loves everyone but he offers a lot of tactical insight tebow on the other hand i find very very meh lots of for team a to win team as qb needs to play well type stuff

I agree on Tebow but Gruden isn't good imho, for exactly that reason that there's no context for his praise, when everyone is being praised how do you take his praise? There's no criticism to contrast it with, everything is just wild, man! Except Cutler. He would blame world war one on Cutler's demeanour at the line of scrimmage.

Speaking of which, that turnover was just wild, man!

eagle eye

Amira Helpful Meat wrote: »

i disagree jon gruden loves everyone but he offers a lot of tactical insight tebow on the other hand i find very very meh lots of for team a to win team as qb needs to play well type stuff

Well he said it straight up at half time that the Buckeyes OL and DL were on top and that the Ducks have to do better there to win it.

Anyways another big turnover for the Ducks, they have to score though. If they get stopped again here its going to start affecting their confidence.

Edit: One play, td Oregon and they are right back in it now. Over to the Buckeyes to actually keep the ball and score on offense.

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

I agree on Tebow but Gruden isn't good imho, for exactly that reason that there's no context for his praise, when everyone is being praised how do you take his praise? There's no criticism to contrast it with, everything is just wild, man! Except Cutler. He would blame world war one on Cutler's demeanour at the line of scrimmage.

Speaking of which, that turnover was just wild, man!

indeed it was monkey y banana wild

some job by cardale jones getting the first down before that to be fair


aaaaaaaaand its game on

for **** sake when will players learn to hold on to the ****ing ball jesus

eagle eye

Oh man, he got lucky there. Looked like he might have dropped it before the crossed but not indisputable so they get the td.

Realt Dearg Sec

Jesus what an idiot, very lucky to have the call upheld. What's the rush with these guys to drop the ball?

Game on indeed, how quickly things can change...

Realt Dearg Sec

Jesus Christ throw it away ffs!

wow jones having a nightmare start to the 2nd half

eagle eye

What a mistake from Jones, they are possibly throwing away a national championship with all these mistakes.

eagle eye

Buckeyes D holds them to a field goal. They are the only unit playing this game that deserve the title.

Realt Dearg Sec

eagle eye wrote: »

Buckeyes D holds them to a field goal. They are the only unit playing this game that deserve the title.

Yeah, but watching Jones have a melt down so far this half, I'm not confident of the Ohio D bring able to close this out without help staying off the field and rested.