Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes won the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship, beating the Oregon Ducks 42-20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Monday night.
The Buckeyes found a way to overcome four devastating turnovers, piling up 538 yards against the Ducks’ athletic defense. Ohio State was also able to limit Oregon to a season-low 20 points to secure the 22-point victory.
How did the Ducks and the Buckeyes grade out from a highly entertaining national title showdown?
Oregon Ducks Grade Analysis
Pass Offense
Marcus Mariota got off to a hot start, completing his first four passes (which included a touchdown) to put the Ducks up 7-0 early. Charles Nelson and Dwayne Stanford each had big drops that killed drives in the first half, but Mariota was still able to throw for 193 yards before the break.
The Ducks finally got the big play they were looking for on their first offensive snap of the second half as Mariota connected with Byron Marshall for a 70-yard touchdown pass.
The Heisman Trophy winner had a hard time on third down, though, as the Ducks converted just two of 12 third-down attempts. He finished with 333 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, completing just 42.9 percent of his passes in the second half.
Run Offense
Oregon’s ground game never found traction against Ohio State’s physical front seven. Thomas Tyner was able to put together a few nice runs and…
Continue Reading: National Championship Game 2015: Game Grades, Analysis for Oregon vs. Ohio State
