CFP Preview: #2 Ohio State & #1 Oregon Meet in Captivating Quarterfinal
The second of 4 quarterfinal games for this year’s 12-team College Football Playoff may be a championship game in its own right. Ohio State and Oregon, the number 2 and number 1 seeds, respectively, duel in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day at 5 pm. with the winner facing the winner of the first quarterfinal between Texas and Arizona State.
The Buckeyes and Ducks have met in the Playoff before- the inaugural CFP championship game was between the two schools, which Ohio State ran away with in a convincing 42-20 victory. But much has obviously changed in the ten years since. One, the Buckeyes weren’t having to rely on a third-string QB that became a campus wide hero by beating a school that had a Heisman winner under center. And two, they didn’t play Oregon during the regular season, as they weren’t even conference foes yet. Now they face off once again, in much tighter and higher circumstances than even a national championship game could provide.
Why Oregon Knocks Off Ohio State for Real This Time
The regular season meeting before these teams’ CFP duel was nothing short of your average postseason game. A nailbiting 32-31 Ducks victory, no thanks in part to Ohio State’s horrible clock management on the game’s final drive, gives you a taste of how this one might go. But the real kicker here (pun intended, since that game was decided on a late FG) is just how dangerous Oregon really is. The Ducks put up the 7th most points/game and the 12th most yards/game in the country. Their defense is also top 10 in the nation, allowing the 9th fewest opponent points/game and the 10th fewest opponent yards/game.
The one thing the Ducks have to worry about in what is their first CFP game is how to crack the number 1 overall defense in the country, which belongs to Ohio State. They allow the fewest points/game and the fewest yards/game, which in most scenarios, is deadly for a lot of teams. But Oregon just isn’t one of those teams with their own strong defense and offense for that matter. It’ll be another nailbiter, for sure. But this time, Oregon wins by a little more than single digits!
Why Ohio State Gets Its Long Awaited Revenge
Ohio State could’ve been unbeaten, easily locking themselves into the CFP and made the Big Ten championship if it weren’t for two crucial losses. One of those was the aforementioned 32-31 Oregon debacle. The Buckeyes could’ve gotten down the field to kick a go ahead FG of their own, but maybe it wouldn’t have even mattered against the country’s best overall defense. The point is, this is a game that Ohio State wants to win. And they can win it if they play their best cards right. Freshman WR Jeremiah Smith had a field night against Tennessee, and he basically remains their best offensive weapon.
The Buckeyes do have the 8th best points/game number in the country but do lag a little in the yard makeup of that, ranking 24th. Still, QB Will Howard knows what needs to be done. The Buckeyes have one predicted CFP power taken care of after the Tennessee beatdown- now they face someone a little more intriguing.
Final Prediction: Oregon 44, Ohio State 42 (2OT)
A rather bold prediction, but think about it- these teams combined for 63 points in the regular season meeting at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. There’s no telling why there wouldn’t be another offensive shootout between these two in the CFP, and honestly, finishing things in the extra period(s) wouldn’t be the craziest kind of ending for a game of this magnitude. The only question is will we see the same Ohio State team that blew out Tennessee or the one that beefed it against arch-rivals Michigan, both at the Shoe? Even if it’s the former, the Buckeyes still just can’t compete with Oregon’s overall firepower on both sides of the ball.
The Ducks march on in this year’s 12-team CFP, and it’s only their first contest, while Ohio State falls short yet again in a game they could’ve won, much like those 2 regular season defeats, of which Oregon has no problem with.
Related: Freshman Superstar WR Jeremiah Smith Gets High Praise From Analysts
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