Pregame

– I’m picking Ohio State, and now my convictions are deepened more than ever. Not because I know anything more than I did a week ago when I picked Oregon, but I’ve been around media people all week long who picked the Ducks, and I’ve been arguing. 

– Rough guess … 70/30 Ohio State fans in the house. 

– Oregon cheerleaders on a 60-yard-wide big screen TV is a positive thing. 

– I lied … 80/20 Ohio State fans. This place is Columbus South. 

– It’s a fatal flaw in my sports life that I’ve never been to a Super Bowl – especially considering I worked for Pro Football Weekly – but, apparently, this is sort of close. 

– The difference, apparently, is that there just aren’t as many people around the sideline. The Super Bowl is the Super Bowl. This might get there soon, but for the inaugural run, it’s supposedly really, really close. 

– However, this is a late-arriving fan base this week. Dallas wasn’t nearly as packed as I thought it’d be. 

– I’ll say this at every big sporting event that I attend, but I’m 100% cool if there aren’t any explosions going off, even if they’re fireworks. 

– Not quite as corporate as I thought it’s be. That will change soon. 

– Wow. A real college football national championship. Yay. 

– Final pick, Ohio State by ten. 

First Quarter

– One Oregon play in, and Ohio State isn’t down 14 yet. 

– Oregon needs to slow down its offense. It makes it inconvenient for me to write. 

– There’s something wrong about being at a game and watching on a JumboTron because it’s simply a better view than actually looking at the field. 

– And there we go. Oregon can’t, can’t, CAN’T lose the turnover battle, and Mariota put it on the ground. 

– But it looked like Mariota was down. 

– He was down. It would’ve been nice if the officials would’ve told me it was going to take five minutes to figure out so I could’ve gone to get a cookie. 

– If Oregon had Darren Carrington, it’d be up 35 by now. 

– Touchdown Keanon Lowe. That was certainly easy. 

– Oregon kicked the extra point? It’s leaving points on the table!!! 

– Well, that’s it. Game’s obviously over. 

Oregon 7, Ohio State 0

– Amazing the number of media people hanging out in the back eating and not really watching the game. 

– Ohio State has to punt. Why bother anymore? Obviously, the game really is over. 

– Well, that answers that question. America, Oregon is going to throw to Keanon Lowe. 

– And there we go. I’ve just watched my second play of this game looking at the field and not the JumboTron. I have no idea what happened. 

– WHAT? Ohio State came up with a defensive stop? But that can’t happen! It’s … it’s … OREGON!? 

– 4th-and-2 from the Oregon 35 … You know what you have to do, Ohio State. 

– I will now judge whether or not Oregon plays finesse football based on this play. 

– Finesse team. 

– 33-yard Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run. And thus truly begins the track meet. 45 points ain’t going to get the job done. 

Oregon 7, Ohio State 7

– That was a ten-play, 97-yard drive in 3:16. Sort of Oregon-like. 

– After the touchdown, Elliott either went Texas Tech guns up, or he made the loser sign with both hands. 

– Ohio State is daring – TRIPLE DOG DARING – Oregon to run between the tackles, and it can’t/won’t do it. 

– Oregon is stopping itself. It’s just not quite clicking, but it seems really, really, really close to hitting a home run. 

– J.T. Barrett’s leg could be fully healed by the time an Oregon defender pressures Cardale Jones. 

– Ohio State threw a touchdown pass from the one? FINESSE TEAM. 

Ohio State 14, Oregon 7

– Is it just me or is this a long-ass first quarter for two “tempo” teams? 

– Oregon out AGAIN. It’s not like this offense can’t go from down 14-7 and be up 30-7 in a snap, but the Buckeye D is more than holding serve. 

FIRST QUARTER SCORE: Ohio State 14, Oregon 7 

Second Quarter 

– This is really it. Ohio State turns it over. This is when Oregon KILLS teams – you can’t make mistakes against the Ducks. 

– Yup … it’s like a turnover is blood in the water to the Ducks. As icky and weird as that sounds. 

– 4th-and-goal from the 3. Oregon, be Oregon and go for it. 

– Needed three yards, tried to power the ball, got two. #NotAFinesseTeam

– Possibly the greatest personal foul in a key game ever. Ohio State penalized about four inches. 

– Cardale Jones, use that 12-gauge and throw it 99. 

– Devin Smith has been strangely quiet. 

– Wait a minute. I almost forgot. Oregon didn’t score off the other turnover. It’ll get its shot again after Corey Smith coughed it up. 

– Oregon HAS to score on this, just to show that it can. 

– Three and out. 

– Ohio State HAS to capitalize on this. The D is doing its job. 

– Cardale Jones finds Devin Smith, sets everything up, and Jones finishes it off. The Buckeyes are doing anything it wants to when it comes to getting physical. 

Ohio State 21, Oregon 7

– Boom, boom, boom. Oregon is moving the ball, and Mariota, is having a nice game, but he’s not leading the way to lightning-fast points the Ducks are needing. Field goals aren’t going to get it done. 

Ohio State 21, Oregon 10

– First half main thought? Ohio State didn’t slam the door shut, and Oregon didn’t take advantage of the opportunities like it normally does. 

Third Quarter

– Ohio State moving the ball at will AGAIN. Oregon isn’t stopping this offense, and it’s getting blown off the ball by the Buckeye line … 

– And then comes the turnover. 

– Ohio State has a national championship there for the taking, and it’s playing like it, but it‘s leaving the door open for the most lethal offensive machine … 

– Byron Marshall, 70-yard touchdown catch … 

– WAAAAAAIT A MINUTE. 

– That’s NOT a touchdown! He dropped it just before … 

– My bad. Touchdown. Ohio State is royally screwing this up. 

Ohio State 21, Oregon 17

– Uhhhhh, Ohio State. Three words. Long, scoring, drive. 

– Just keep pounding it with Elliott. And no more screw-ups. 

– And then Cardale Jones gets sacked, the ball goes deep into OSU territory, and here comes the flood. 

– Oregon, enough is enough. Start being Oregon and start doing what you do. 

– Give Ohio State credit. The defense is cashing the checks the offensive mistakes were writing. 

– Big, big, big, big stop. The Buckeye defense is letting Marcus Mariota crank up the yards, but he’s not punching it in. The Ducks aren’t closing. 

– Field goal. Ohio State is surviving, but barely. 

Ohio State 21, Oregon 20

– Okay, Ohio State. NOW you go on your long, sustained scoring drive. 

– Cardale Jones might be making a few mistakes, but that dude is a MAN. He’s powering all over the Duck defensive front. 

– Jones is making everything happen now. The offensive line continues to totally dominate the Oregon defensive front … 

– Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run. And breathing room. The power is beating the finesse. 

Third Quarter Score: Ohio State 28, Oregon 20

Fourth Quarter

– America, you do realize this game is about to be tied in the next four seconds. – Oregon just isn’t clicking. (Duh). Mariota is fine when he has open receivers, but when his guys are covered, nothing. It’s not there. 

– Ohio State is thoroughly dominating this game – at least it seems like it, even if the stats don’t really show it. 

– Keep pounding it, Ohio State. Keep letting Ezekiel pound it … 

– WOOOO. Now THAT’S an arm. Cardale Jones just threw a ten-yard out to Michael Thomas that half the quarterbacks in the NFL couldn’t even dream of trying. 

– It seems like Oregon has been on the field for two minutes this game. 

– This is the key to this game – this third down conversion … 

– Jones had ten minutes to throw, and he converted. He fired right into coverage for a first down. Oregon can’t stop Ohio State unless Ohio State turns the ball over. 

– Ohio State isn’t turning the ball over. Ohio State straight up powers over the baby soft that can’t stop the running game. Touchdown. It’s not ball game, but it’s close. 

Ohio State 35, Oregon 20

– It’s hilarious. Tweeting Ohio State fans are STILL grouchy even when their team is about to win a national title. 

– Oregon, you know that hurry-up thing you do? Now’s the time for the gimmick to work. 

– Oh no … if Mariota didn’t just suffer a concussion, he sure looked like he did. 

– Jake Fisher’s nasty streak isn’t helping his team tonight. 

– And thus begins the legend of Jeff Lockie … or not. 

– Fortunately for Marcus Mariota as a human being, it seems like a shoulder injury. 

– Oooh. Shoulder looked fine like on that laser throw. 

– 4th-and-7. So, of course, Oregon goes to a gimmick just to force Ohio State to call a time out. 

– Oregon, why on earth would you punt the ball. Like you’re going to stop Ohio State NOW?!

– Uhhhhhh, I get it, but field position doesn’t mean much to Oregon – normally. Ohio State punting on 4th-and-1 from midfield is smart, but it’s not like the power game has been stopped. 

– Wow!!! A few Oregon fans leaving?! With 4:17 to go and this offense? 

– Mariota just bailed his team out with his feet. He should’ve been sacked on the one, but he saved the game – for the moment – by getting out to the ten. 

– Oregon just will not stop going wide, even though that’s not working in any way, shape or form. 

– 2:53, you have to punt from your own 14. Even if you’re Oregon. 

– Oregon doesn’t. It’s about to give Ohio State the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. 

– Mariota misfires, and Ohio State is the national champion. 

– Nine months from now, how many babies in Columbus will be named Ezekiel Elliott? 

Ohio State 42, Oregon 20

– Elliott – 36 carries, 246 yards, four scores. That’s a pretty good day. 

FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 42, Oregon 20