Oregon vs. Ohio State National Championship Predictions
By Ty Duffy
Four teams have become two. The National Championship Game is upon us. Here are predictions for Oregon vs. Ohio State from the TBL writers.
Ty Duffy: I don’t have a clear read on this one. I’ll go with the result that suits Vegas. Oregon wins outright. Ohio State covers. The score stays under 73.5. Oregon 39-34 Ohio State
Kyle Koster: If you would have polled the nation on the winner of an Oregon-Ohio State national title game before the Buckeyes dispatched Alabama, I’d wager a solid 85 percent of people would have been on the Ducks. Since then — for good reason — that gulf has closed. For 11 days I’ve been hearing Ohio State is the “right side.” It seems those taking the Bucks don’t even think they need the six free points. I’ll ride with Oregon, based mainly on the belief Cardale Jones can’t play three spectacular games in a row at this point of his young career. Oregon 45, Ohio State 27
Michael Shamburger: Mariota is the difference maker. Oregon 48-38 Ohio State
Jason Lisk: I had Oregon as my pick before the semifinal games. I am strongly debating that now. I do think we are in for a fantastic game. This won’t be a blowout where one team clearly outclasses the other. The X-Factor for me is Cardale Jones in short yardage and as a runner. We’ve seen his big arm, but he was lethal against Alabama when he had to be physical. I could see this game going under, not because the defenses dominate, but because both offenses move the ball, convert manageable third downs, and then it comes down to red zone performance. I could see Cardale being a big factor as a downhill runner out of shotgun in the red zone. Ohio State 34, Oregon 31
Jason McIntyre: Nary a mention of the Darren Carrington suspension? When Oregon’s Devon Allen went down on the kickoff, Carrington seemed to fill the void offensively (7-165-2 TDs). Now that he’s been popped for weed, and Allen’s out due to injury, do they have enough depth at the position for Mariota? Ohio State has the coaching advantage. And remember Florida State averaged 7.3 yards per play against the Ducks, and had six plays of 20+ yards in the first 36 minutes, before turnovers did them in. Ezekiel Elliott with 175 yards rushing in the upset. Ohio State 41, Oregon 37.
Ryan Glasspiegel: The vast array of alternate announcing broadcasts may not get huge ratings numbers yet, but there’ll be a lot of (deserved) praise for them on our Twitter feeds tonight. As far as what happens in the real game, who really knows? Ohio State 38, Oregon 34