Boom. Boom. Boom. Oregon (13-2) and
its offense was clicking on all cylinders to start the 2015 National
Title Monday night, storming out to get a quick 7-0 lead on Ohio State (14-1)
just as they had against Florida State in the previous round. However, their
next drive was stalled on third down when a perfect pass hit a receiver right
in the chest in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ohio State followed that
Oregon mistake with a touchdown. The game was then tied 7-7; however, another
drive, another perfect pass, and another drop later, Ohio State scored another
touchdown to take the edge on Oregon 14-7. Oregon’s mistakes on offense were
killing themselves, one after another. Ohio State’s offense gave Oregon two
gifts in the form of fumbles, but Oregon still couldn’t capitalize. A couple of drives later the Ducks got to the
goal line and were stopped on 4th down. And finally, right before
the half, the Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who had been robbed of
completions by his own receivers, missed a wide open tight end that could have
gotten the Ducks a first down and goal, a simple play for the Heisman Trophy
Winner.
The second
half started out a tale of a different story, with Ohio State turning the ball
over and Oregon being able to get points off those mistakes. But unfortunately
for the Oregon, their lack of size and inability to score in the red zone haunted
them in the second half along with Running Back, Elliot running all over the Ducks
defense just as he had done against Alabama in the first round of the playoffs.
The winded Ducks just seemed unable to tackle the Ohio State star, who
bulldozed over Duck defenders one after another. Elliot’s 246 yard career high capped
off the second best season for a RB in Ohio State history. In the end, if there
was any doubt before, another Oregon mistake took away any of that with an off
sides penalty, allowing the Buckeyes to walk in the end zone for the final
touchdown to cap off the win and end the game to drop the Ducks to 0-9 against
the Buckeyes all time and elude them of their first national title.