I was really surprised at how ineffective Oregon's offense was. Oregon had 465 yards of total offense, which is a pretty decent output, although significantly less than their season average of 547 yards per game. However, outside of the opening 75-yard TD drive and a fluke 70-yard TD pass, Oregon really did nothing on offense. The two touchdown drives netted 145 yards, but the remaining 320 yards of offense produced two short field goals, six punts, two turnovers on downs, and an interception on a Hail Mary to end the game.
The ball bounced Oregon's way all night long. On their opening drive, the Ducks put the ball on the turf twice, but recovered one fumble and kept possession on the other when the runner was ruled down by contact. Oregon WR Byron Marshall nonchalantly dropped the ball as he was going into the end zone at the end of his 70-yard touchdown reception, and the replay officials very generously concluded that he had the nose of the ball over the front edge of the goal line before losing possession. Ohio State fumbled the ball three times and lost all three, while Jalin Marshall bobbled a perfect pass right into the hands of an Oregon defender. If the Buckeyes had done a better job of controlling the football, then the game would have been a real rout.
Oregon once again proved that it is a fake football team, and that finesse football doesn't win championships. In 2010, Oregon went a perfect 12-0 during the regular season, averaging 49.3 points per game. In the national championship game, a tough and physical Auburn squad held them to 19 points and crushed their national championship hopes. Same thing last night. Oregon entered the contest averaging 47.2 points per game and had just scored 59 against #3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The Ohio State defense beat the snot out of Oregon and the speedy Ducks were never able to get into a rhythm offensively. The Buckeye defense came up with big stops all game long and held the Ducks to just 20 points on the night.
Oregon gained 465 yards, but couldn't get yards when it counted – the Ducks were just 2 for 12 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down, one of which was a crucial goal line stand. On the other side of the ball, the Ohio State offensive line consistently blew gaping holes in the Oregon defense, and the Buckeyes exploited it for 296 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. The Buckeye offense converted 8 of 15 third downs, and all three of their fourth down attempts.
Ohio State shot themselves in the foot with turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 interception) but Oregon was never able to capitalize, gaining only 10 points off of those four turnovers. Oregon's problem was penalties – 10 for 76 yards. Four of those penalties came on a single possession with the game still in the balance. Ohio State had just gone up 35-20 with 9:44 left in the game. Oregon received the ensuing kickoff and after a nice return would've had the ball near midfield, but a holding penalty set them back to their own 10-yard line. Three more penalties on the drive put the Ducks at 3rd-and-26 deep in their own territory and Oregon was eventually forced to punt. On their next drive, still trailing by just 15 points (two scores), a 29-yard pass play was negated by a holding penalty and the Ducks again had to punt the ball away. On the Buckeyes' final drive, with time running down and Ohio State facing a fourth-and-inches, an Oregon defender jumped offsides and gave the Buckeyes a cheap first down.
Oregon was chippy and swaggering all night long (well, at least until the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes finally pounded them into submission), and they run up the score whenever they get the chance (including a garbage TD with 1:25 left to play against Michigan State). So I'm glad that Urban didn't take a knee and added an extra touchdown in the final minute of the game. That made a statement – if you're gonna quack, we're gonna attack.
And one more thing, Oregon: The real national championship game was the Sugar Bowl. You paled in comparison to Alabama. I'll remember that epic Sugar Bowl long after this game.
Congratulations to Urban Meyer, the rest of the staff, and especially the players for bringing home the eighth national championship in Ohio State history (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014)!
It's been a crazy finish to this season. First The Game (Michigan), then the Big Ten title game (Wisconsin), then the Sugar Bowl (Alabama), and finally the National Championship Game (Oregon), and now I'm drained. I'm looking forward to next year, but I'm glad that it's eight months away.
