College Football National Championship Recap

1. Ohio State defeats Oregon, takes home 8th national title

The Buckeyes did exactly what they couldn't do against Oregon, turning the ball over 4 times.  And yet, they still beat the Ducks and did it in impressive fashion.  The defense really stepped up, especially in the red zone - something they had struggled with all year, and that kept the -3 turnover margin (-4 until the last play of the game) from hurting Ohio State too much.  The Buckeyes won the game in the trenches, with strong play on both the offensive and defensive lines, and just seemed too physical for Oregon.  Ohio State's 42 - 20 victory capped what was arguably the best postseason performance by any team in college football history.  The Buckeyes beat #13, #1, and #2 by a combined score of 143 - 55.  Of course, with conference championships still being relatively new and playoffs being brand new, this kind of postseason was not really even possible until this year.  Still, you can't deny how impressive Ohio State looked in these three games.

2. Ezekiel Elliott eclipses 200 rushing yards for third straight game

He did it again.  Elliott not only topped 200 rushing yards, he set a new career high.  With 246 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Ducks, it means that in the three game stretch against Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon, the sophomore running back had 696 yards on 76 carries (an insane 9.1 yards-per-carry) and 8 touchdowns.  Cardale Jones was the unlikely hero who stepped in at the toughest part of the season and surprised everyone, but Elliott was the one who carried this team on his back when they needed it most.  Of course, the success of both wouldn't have been possible without the offensive line's outstanding play, as they showed incredible improvement over the course of the season, and ended up being one of the best units in the nation.

3. One or both teams score 21 or more unanswered points

Ohio State had two such runs, as they answered Oregon's opening touchdown drive with 21 straight points.  The Ducks rallied back to make it a one point game, but the Buckeyes finished with another 21 unanswered points.

4. Ducks and Bucks combine for 90+ points in shootout

Both offenses seemed like they could move the ball fairly well early on, but were stopping themselves - Ohio State with turnovers and Oregon with dropped passes.  Eventually, though, Ohio State's offense got going while Oregon's continued to sputter.  Buckeyes scored 42 but Oregon's season-low 20 points (which was less than half their per-game average) made this prediction a bust.

5.  The color (or lack thereof) of Oregon's uniforms is mentioned twice or more during the broadcast

There actually wasn't much said about Oregon's uniforms, despite the fact that they lacked any of the school's colors.


National Championship record: 3 - 2

Overall record: 36 - 54

Other headlines from the National Championship:

This catch

Urban Meyer promises tattoo

The Ohio State head coach provided a little extra incentive to the Buckeyes by promising to get a tattoo if they beat the Ducks in the championship.  With the win, the only question now is what and where.  A Block O sounds like a strong possibility.

How many championships is it now?

You know you're a successful head coach when your wife forgets how many national championships you've won.  Also, please take note of cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs in the top left, who looks like how every Ohio State fan felt Monday night.  You may also remember Coombs as the guy who wore a short sleeve shirt to the Minnesota game.