Monday, January 12, 2015

On The Mark 1.12.15: #Buckeyes National Championship Game Preview

By @MarkW2112

This is it.  My last On The Mark preview for the Ohio State Buckeyes 2014 season.  And what a season it was.  And still is as the Buckeyes are playing in the first ever NCAA Football National Championship game, held at AT&T Field in Arlington, TX.  Their opponent, the offensively explosive Oregon Ducks, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who will probably be playing in his last game of college football.  

The Buckeyes have had a long, hard fought road to this day.  Starting with losing their starting quarterback Braxton Miller before the season began and ending with the injury to J.T. Barrett, who had himself a Heisman worthy season before that.  Yet somehow the almost impossible happened.  Cleveland's own Cardale Jones, the third string QB for the Bucks, led them to a blow out win against Wisconsin and even more amazing upset against number 1 ranked Alabama.  This time, however, Jones and Buckeyes will be on the biggest stage.

My thoughts: the Buckeyes have had an incredible season.  It comes down to the last game against a very explosive Oregon offense.  While the Ducks will be without their 2 leading receivers, Marcus Mariota has many other weapons at his disposal.  However, the Ducks have not faced a physical defense like the Buckeyes.  It will be intriguing to see how this plays out.  On offense, the Buckeyes, lead by Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliot, will look to keep the turnovers to a minimum.  If they do, they should be able to move down the field against the Duck's defense.  It will be an offensive battle until the end.

Prediction: As much as it pains me to say it, Oregon will win 45-42.  The Buckeyes will put up one heck of a fight though.

What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks at the NCAA National Championship
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Time: 8:30 PM EST
TV: ESPN


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