NCAA Football Playoffs Championship: #2 Oregon vs #4 Ohio State (SETTLED)
College Football Championship 2015: Oregon vs. Ohio State Is Ideal Final Matchup
By Tim Keeney - The Bleacher Report
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Any critics of college football's new playoff system were silenced on New Year's Day.
Under the old BCS system, we still would have been given a matchup between Oregon and Ohio State. Only it would have happened in the Rose Bowl, and it wouldn't have mattered beyond determining the 101st champion in the Granddaddy of Them All. At the same time, Alabama and Florida State would have met in the national championship. And that would have been that.
Instead, America got two endlessly entertaining playoff matchups—albeit for two very different reasons—on Thursday. And its going to get another one—the right one—in the national championship.
Before Thursday, you probably weren't going to find many arguments that Oregon didn't belong in the title game. But the Seminoles were the defending champions. They had won 29 games in row and hadn't lost with Jameis Winston under center. Doubt that Oregon was actually the better team still lingered.
Well, not anymore. After a fairly even first half, the Ducks used a handful of takeaways and their typical dizzying offensive attack to turn the Rose Bowl into an historic 59-20 beatdown. Urban Meyer's reaction pretty much says it all, via C.J. Fogler:
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If there was someone who believed Oregon didn't belong in college football's penultimate battle, someone who still thinks the Ducks are all gimmick and speed, they no longer have an argument to back it up.
As for the Buckeyes, they had more convincing to do. Down two legitimate Heisman talents at quarterback, Meyer had to turn to Cardale Jones, who entered the Sugar Bowl with just 34 pass attempts on the season.
They were underdogs against Wisconsin. They routed Wisconsin. They were underdogs against No. 1 Alabama. They scored 42 points against an NFL-prospect-laden roster, limited superstar Amari Cooper to 7.9 yards per catch and beat No. 1 Alabama.
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No, there's no question. Ohio State belongs.
“Obviously we're really thankful for the playoff system," running back Ezekiel Elliott said, via Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel. "[The committee] gave us a chance to go out there and show that we're one of the better teams in the nation and we deserve to be in the national championship.”
Now, it's Oregon vs. Ohio State. Two electrifying offenses that would have no trouble putting up 100 combined points. A Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback vs. a quarterback trying to replace a phenom. Two creative coaches with a week to game-plan.
This is the matchup we want to see in the national championship. And we know that thanks to the playoff system.
