CFWP: Oregon to Win First National Championship

The Ducks are predicted to win the first national championship in the program's history on Monday evening against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State stopped the nation's best running back, holding Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon to just 76 yards on 26 carries for a harmless 2.9-yard average.

Then in the Sugar Bowl national championship semifinal, the Buckeyes limited the damage by the nation's best wide receiver. Although Alabama's wide receiver Amari Cooper scored two touchdowns, the Ohio State defense made sure he didn't go off for one of those back-breaking 200-yard efforts like he had three times previously in the season.

The challenge turns to stopping the nation's best quarterback on Monday evening when Ohio State meets Oregon's Marcus Mariota. Can they capture lightning in the bottle once again?

It's much more difficult to defend a team whose best player is a dual-threat quarterback, because A) you don't know if he's going to hand of the football on the read-option, B) you don't know if he's even going to cross the line of scrimmage and C) you don't know which of five players to whom he might throw the ball. 

That goes for any dual-threat quarterback, but Mariota is more special than most. Not unlike Aaron Rodgers, he makes impeccably good decisions. He's efficient and rarely turns the ball over.

But when you play a team like Oregon, the challenge isn't just stopping Mariota. It's stopping an entire system, one inherited from former coach Chip Kelly, passed down and kept alive by current coach Mark Helfrich.

The Buckeyes have to be prepared for an uptempo offense, one that can snap the ball in less than 10 seconds from the time the previous play was blown dead. And they'll do it play after play, drive after drive for a full four downs.

This is Oregon after all, a team that more than likely isn't going to kick a field goal if they're in the red zone. And they're liable to go for a two-point conversion at the drop of the hat.

The system is a major reason why Oregon has gotten this far. And it's part of the reason why they've overcome the loss All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and wide receiver Devon Allen in the Rose Bowl, the loss of tight end Pharaoh Brown at midseason, the loss of left tackle Tyler Johnstone before the season, and it's why they'll overcome the loss of wide receiver Darren Carrington in the national championship for reportedly failing a drug test.

Neither offense is going to be stopped cold, but the Oregon defense will have the upper hand over Ohio State.

This is a unit that has improved as the season went on, allowing an average of 17.5 in its last six games, important games such as the Civil War, the Pac-12 championship and the Rose Bowl.

Senior defenders such as linebacker Tony Washington and safety Erick Dargan came into the season hailed as mid- to late-round draft choices by several outlets, but they showed in the win over Florida State that they're being undervalued.

On New Year's Day, Washington was a wrecking ball against Florida State, coming up with four tackles, a sack, forcing a fumble and returning another 58 yards for a touchdown. Dargan, meanwhile, made eight tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted Jameis Winston.

And if it's not Washington or Dargan coming up big on Monday night, it'll be someone else, perhaps defensive ends Arik Armstead or DeForest Buckner. Someone will on a rapidly improving Oregon defense. And that'll be the difference.

Prediction: 44-30, Go Ducks.

 

Enjoy the game, folks. This is the last CFWP column before the season opener next September. It's been fun.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].

0 points
 

Comments (8)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Imma Fubared's picture

January 12, 2015 at 09:49 pm

Oregon has no chance. OSU has too many weapons and Oregon has one.

0 points
0
0
FITZCORE1252's picture

January 12, 2015 at 10:29 pm

Going into the fourth quarter. Oregon just has NO answer for Ezekiel Elliott. Wow.

I'm gonna have some pissed off coworkers tomorrow if this holds up. I like it!

0 points
0
0
barutanseijin's picture

January 13, 2015 at 12:57 am

Yep, Oregon wins no problem. Oh wait--

0 points
0
0
Chazman's picture

January 13, 2015 at 07:16 am

And that is why you play the game . . .
Packers may be the underdogs this weekend, but lets see how the game plays out.
GOPACKGO!!

0 points
0
0
Handsback's picture

January 13, 2015 at 08:06 am

I told my wife that Ohio St. would win (she's from Ohio, but not a big Ohio St. fan) and thought no way in heck the Buckeyes could pull it off.
Congrats to Urban Meyer for winning the first of many CFP.
By the way...did Ohio St. QB remind anyone else of Vince Young?

0 points
0
0
Brian Carriveau's picture

January 14, 2015 at 06:44 am

Cardale Jones is closer to a Cam Newton or a Ben Roethlisberger, more of a bulldozer that can put his shoulder down and get yards as opposed to Young, who was a more dynamic runner.

0 points
0
0
Point-Packer's picture

January 13, 2015 at 12:04 pm

PAC 12 is generally overrated. Lots of fluff on the west coast and very little bang. OSU slammed it down Oregon's throat.

0 points
0
0
angiepacker's picture

January 13, 2015 at 09:25 pm

For my Dad's 60th birthday, I'm trying to get him to his first ever Packer's game in September. He's been a lifelong fan, and any donation would be greatly appreciated. Go Packers! Thank you. gofundme.com/k5rupo

0 points
0
0