ARLINGTON, Texas – One particular sequence in Monday night’s College Football Playoff final seemed to define the Oregon defense this season. Trailing 21-10 and backed up in its own territory, the Ducks defense forced Cardale Jones and the Ohio State offense into a fourth-and-one.

Ohio State opted to go for it. Jones, upon the snap, immediately chopped his feet forward. Only he was immediately pushed backward. However staying with the play, the junior quarterback making his third collegiate start, sprinted around the left sideline and barreled over defensive back Chris Seisay for a first down.

On the subsequent play though, Jones’s pass bounced off a Buckeye receivers hands and into the grasp of Oregon linebacker Danny Mattingly. The next play, Marcus Mariota connected with wide receiver Byron Marshall and Marshall did the rest, sprinting for a 70-yard touchdown.

The plug to the spark that had driven Oregon’s last two wins over Arizona and Florid State appeared to have emerged again. The next drive, Jones was flushed out of the pocket and fumbled the ball. The play identified with the one Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston became notoriously known for on New Year’s Day. The ball just slipped free and Tony Washington, like he had been in the same position at the Rose Bowl, was there to jump on it.

Although this time, Oregon settled for a field goal and on the subsequent Ohio State drives thereafter, it became increasingly noticeable that this game wasn’t like the previous two.

Oregon’s defense forced four turnovers Monday night. However, its inability to have at least a marginal push at the line of scrimmage resulted in 538 total yards of offense and a 37:29 time of possession for the Buckeyes.

“We didn’t play like ourselves,” junior defensive lineman Arik Armstead.

It didn’t play like it had in its prior two games at least. In the Pac-12 Championship against Arizona, the defense allowed just 225 yards of offense and in the Rose Bowl it forced five turnovers. Yet this was a different type of monster, and Ohio State’s running back Ezekiel Elliot bulldozed through the Oregon defense for all 60 minutes of regulation in a 42-20 win.

In all, Elliott rushed the ball 36 times for 246 yards. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns. His speed was elusive and his 225-pound frame bounced off virtually every defender that tried to contain him.

Physically, Oregon solved its problem in the trenches against Michigan State, Stanford and every other team that tried to exploit it. But there was no resolve Monday night, leaving senior outside linebacker Tony Washington answerless for what had just occurred.

“I wish I had an answer because if I did I think we would’ve fixed it,” Washington said. “We just weren’t getting to the ball like we used to.”

In total, Ohio State rushed the ball 61 times and Elliott became such a constant that a T-shirt company released a new product, with “Feed the Zeke” embroidered across the front.

“We just didn’t execute our defense,” defensive coordinator Don Pellum said. “I don’t think we tackled very well, I don’t think we communicated as well as we have in the past. And some of the adjustments we made we didn’t execute in the way we needed to.”

And it was clear after Oregon came to within one point in the third quarter. On its next two drives, Ohio State ran a combined 19 plays for 151 yards, while taking 10:52 off the clock. Both drives culminated with touchdown runs from Elliott.

In addition, the Buckeyes converted on over 50 percent of its third-downs and were perfect on its three fourth-down attempts during the game. To add to the damage, they reached the end zone on every one of its red zone trips.

“My hats are off to those guys,” Pellum said.  “They did a fabulous job.”

After the Rose Bowl, senior linebacker said that the Ducks had been making statements all season with the way they played. The defense had taken advantage of every opportunity it had to destroy the notion that it couldn’t compete with physically-minded offensive attacks.

After this one though, it was clear that Washington’s remarks symbolized their defensive performance. Oregon didn’t have an answer and there were a list of obvious reasons why.

“We didn’t get off the field, we didn’t tackle the ball carrier and that’ll lead to losses,” Armstead said.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

ARLINGTON, Texas – Less than three minutes into the game, it already looked like the previous nine that had come before it. The Ducks won the toss, elected to receive and methodically marched down the field with ease. In 2:39, Oregon ran 10 plays and traveled 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead.

As far as what the Oregon offense had become on its nine-game win streak that got them to this point, the opening drive was exactly it.

Marcus Mariota went 4-for-4 for 30 yards, running back Thomas Tyner –who made his first start since the third game of the season – sprinted for 26 yards, and Keanon Lowe capped it with a seven-yard touchdown grab.

However, the annual script that most of its games this season have written suddenly flipped. On the following offensive drive and facing a third-and-four, Mariota connected with freshman wide receiver Charles Nelson for what looked like a five-yard gain. The Ducks continued to move at the pace they initiated instantly and were about to enter Ohio State territory for a second time within the first five minutes of regulation.

Yet, there was one problem. Nelson dropped the ball. Oregon’s punt team took the field.

Ohio State scored on the drive thereafter and Oregon found itself in a similar situation again. Only this time, as Mariota scrambled out of the pocket on third-and-nine and saw Dwayne Stanford wide open 40 yards down the field, the redshirt sophomore was the one mistiming the pass.

Suddenly, the up-tempo offense that was averaging 15.9 seconds per play on the first drive of the game, was exiting the field on back-to-back drives.

“Against good football teams you can’t beat yourself and early on in the game that hurt us when we had a drop, those kill drives,” wide receivers coach Matt Lubick said. “It was hard enough to beat a good football team when you’re doing things right, but when you do those it makes it a harder hill to climb.”

A domino-effect followed. A third-down false start caused Oregon’s next drive to sputter and a goal-line stand from Ohio State in the second quarter defined what type of night it turned into. By the end of it, it was a 42-20 loss for Oregon – one highlighted by missed opportunities and unforced errors.

“I think in the first half we killed them with the tempo,” freshman running back Royce Freeman said. “They were trying to hold on, but then we got out of rhythm and they started to be able to catch their breath and we couldn’t get anything going.”

Oregon finished with eight drives that ended scoreless and its rushing attack gained just 132 yards, which hails in comparison to its 242 yards per game average. In addition, the offense scored one touchdown on its four red zone trips and only mustered 10 points off four turnovers.

While that was happening, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot sprinted his way towards 246 yards of rushing.

“Usually we get that job done and it opens up a lot of things for us,” Freeman said.

In every which way, the game became one whose final result was indicative of the stat line. As senior center Hroniss Grasu said, “we shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”

“When they gave us the ball you gotta take advantage,” Grasu said. “We weren’t able to do that.”

As it turned out, Ohio State was the better team Monday and convincingly so. The game led to a point near the end of regulation in which the scarlet and gray’s echoes dominated the chorus at AT&T Stadium. Out of sorts and completely disheveled, Oregon’s offense whimpered on its final two drives, looking nothing even remotely similar to the one that had sprinted down the field about three hours earlier.

Those two drives amounted  22 yards on seven plays and culminated at the end of the game with Mariota throwing an interception. Everything was completely out of whack, and Ohio State had, to put it mildly, beat them.

“They just played their game,” wide receiver Byron Marshall said. “We tried to play ours. It didn’t really work out as planned.”

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

It looked like any other game that had come before it instantly. Oregon won the toss, elected to receive and marched down the field with ease. In 2:39, Oregon ran 10 plays and traveled 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead.

However, a couple of uncharacteristic dropped passes and a long list of missed opportunities defined the rest of the game. Ohio State, led by running back Ezekiel Elliot, ran roughshod on Oregon’s defense, eventually easing its way to a 35-20 win to become the first College Football Playoff National Champion.

Oregon’s defense managed to weather the unrelenting storm, forcing four turnovers. Yet, unlike in the Rose Bowl, in which Oregon scored 34 points off them, the Ducks managed to score just 10. They also scored just one touchdown in its four red zone trips and at one point, went 22:36 without putting a point on the board.

Elliott rushed the ball 36 times for 246 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. In other words, he was unstoppable and Oregon didn’t have an answer.

Mariota finished with 333 yards and two touchdowns on 24 completions and Byron Marshall led all receivers with 169 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

Oregon’s rushing attack gained just 132 yards on 33 carries.

Key plays:

– Capping off their opening drive with a seven-yard touchdown connection between Marcus Mariota and Keanon Lowe, the Ducks recorded the first score of the game. After marching down the field with ease, the Ducks set the tone early on with this play.

– On what should have been a 40-yard completion, actually ended up being a vital drop by Dwayne Stanford who was all alone deep down the field. The Ducks were forced to punt for the first time, eventually giving Ohio State their first score of the game.

– At the 8:46 mark in the second half, and with Ezekiel Elliott charging down the field, Troy Hill laid a hit, forcing a critical fumble. The Ducks however, failed to convert the following drive into points.

– On a 3^rd and 12 with roughly seven minutes to go in the second quarter, Jones connected with Devin Smith for a 45-yard pass. The Buckeyes went on to take a 21-7 lead.

– On two separate 3^rd downs, Stanford and Charles Nelson, both of whom had key drops early on, recorded big time grabs to keep Oregon’s drive alive. The Ducks ended the drive with an Aiden Schneider field goal.

– After linebacker Danny Mattingly forced an interception on a Cardale Jones pass, Oregon responded quickly. On its first play, Mariota connected with Byron Marshall for a 70-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-17.

– With the score 21-20, Buckeyes running back Elliott rushed in a pair to touchdowns. The first of which came from nine yards out and the second came from the two. Those two touchdowns made the score 35-20.

Oregon passing

Marcus Mariota – 24-of-37 for 333 yards and two touchdowns

Ohio State passing 

Cardale Jones – 16-of-23 for 242 yards and one touchdown

Oregon rushing

Thomas Tyner – 12 carries for 62 yards

Marcus Mariota – 10 carries for 39 yards

Royce Freeman – 10 carries for 22 yards

Ohio State rushing

Ezekiel Elliott – 36 carries for 246 yards and four touchdowns

Oregon receiving

Byron Marshall – eight receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown

Dwayne Stanford – four receptions for 61 yards

Keanon Lowe – three receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown

Evan Baylis – five receptions for 25 yards

Ohio State receiving –

Corey Smith – two receptions for 76 yards

Devin Smith – one reception for 45 yards

Jalin Marshall – five receptions for 52 yards

Oregon total offense – 465

Ohio State total offense – 538

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

ARLINGTON, Texas – Oregon (white) and Ohio State (red) have taken the field and this highly anticipated College Football Playoff final is set to begin. The Ducks are looking for their first national championship in program history, while Ohio State would win its seventh with a win tonight.

Look here to keep up with live updates from Emerald reporters at AT&T Stadium covering the game.

Tweets by @ODEsports

ARLINGTON, Texas – We’re finally at a point in the season where a victor will be crowned. It’s the first year of the College Football Playoff, and either Oregon or Ohio State are set to become the first national champion that had to play 15 games to get there. The date – Jan. 12 – also marks the latest major college football game in the modern era.

Oregon’s high powered offense led by Marcus Mariota rank third in the nation in total offense (552.9 yards per game) and will be up against a Buckeyes defense allowing just 333.6 per game. The same type of matchup will occur when Ohio State has the ball.

Over the last two games running back Ezekiel Elliot has averaged 225 rushing yards, and the Oregon defense is coming off a game against Florida State, in which they forced five turnovers.

Here’s a quick look at what to watch for in tonight’s inaugural College Football Playoff final at AT&T Stadium:

Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington suspended:

Darren Carrington was in the beginning process of making a name for himself. The redshirt freshman hauled in 14 receptions for 291 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games, including a 7-catch, 165-yard performance in the Rose Bowl. However, it was reported Friday that Carrington was suspended for Monday night’s game because of a failed NCAA mandated drug test.

In addition, Devon Allen will miss his first game of the season after injuring his knee in Oregon’s Rose Bowl date with Florida State. That leaves the Ducks with Keanon Lowe and Dwayne Stanford out wide likely, as well as Charles Nelson and Byron Marshall in the slot. Elsewhere, the experience at receiver is nowhere to be found. Marshall has 66 catches for 834 yards and five touchdowns this season.

A matchup by the numbers:

– Ohio State has forced 32 turnovers this season and ranks sixth in the nation in that category. On the other hand,  Oregon has committed the fewest (10). In addition, Mariota has only thrown three interceptions all season, but will be facing a Buckeyes defense that has forced 24.

– Ohio State is averaging 262.2 yards rushing per game and 5.8 yards per carry this season. Oregon’s defense is allowing 156.1 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry.

– In two starts, Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has passed for 500 yards and four touchdowns while leading offensive attack that has ran roughshod on those two opponents. He’ll be the first backup quarterback since 1999 to start in a game with national championship implications. Florida State backup quarterback Marcus Outzen started in place of Chris Weinke and completed 9 0f 22 passes for 145 yards.

– Tonight’s winner will become the seventh team in FBS history to win 14 games in a single season. Oregon could become the 25th school to have a Heisman winner and win the national championship in the same season.

– Ohio State leads the all-time series 8-0. This will be the first meeting between the team since 2009, when Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor led the Buckeyes to a 26-17 victory at the 2009 Rose Bowl.

– Oregon won the first ever NCAA Basketball tournament in 1939. The team it beat – Ohio State. The final score of the game was 46-33, and 76 years later the two converge in the first ever college football national championship in which a tournament decides it.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

DALLAS, Texas – Taking a seat at the Paramount Studios for the Pac-12 Media Days in late July, Mark Helfrich suddenly met a swarm of reporters encircling him. For the better part of an hour, he was pressed with a variety of questions as cameras and audio recorders overwhelmed the stage-like platform he sat at. More of this was on the agenda for Helrich afterward. Television and radio appearances, as well as photo opportunities, followed.

Throughout the entire day, the same type of question persisted.

As he prepared to embark on his second season as the head coach of the Oregon football team, what mark he made on the program seemed to be theme. His predecessor, after all, led the program to four consecutive BCS bowl games and after one season in charge, Helfrich was faced with those through-the-roof expectations.

He quickly made it clear though, that the type of signature he left on the football program at Oregon wasn’t a matter that concerned him.

“If our players are 100 percent committed to our culture, 100 percent to our process, that’s our mark,” Helfrich said back in July.

Despite his dismissal of the query, Helfrich time and again has been confronted with the question during his second stint as a head coach. As Oregon dominated in all but one week of the season and secured itself a birth in the College Football Playoff, the same type of verbiage always followed.

Yet his response back in July  has come to signify the singular impact he has made. Oregon now prepares to face Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas simply because everyone has bought in. 100%.

“When guys buy in, that is the mark,” redshirt senior Dior Mathis, who has been coached by both Chip Kelly and Helfrich, said. “Once that happens we’re a team and we’re playing as good as we’ve been playing. So once that happens, you get a sense of what this Oregon Ducks team is like.”

For senior linebacker Derrick Malone, the biggest factor with Helfrich and the rest of the coaching staff stems from trust. He points to subtle details, such as hot tubbing multiple times a week versus once like they had done before, that have improved the performance of him and all those around him.

“That’s what it is,” Malone said.  “You follow me, you trust the coaches, you trust the process that we set forth and we’re going to pick our heads up and be in a great position at the end of the season. Everything that he’s asked us to do we’ve done it and that’s why we’re in the position that we’re in today.”

Oregon is in this position today despite a never-ending list of setbacks. The team’s been plagued with injuries across the board at offensive line and at wide receiver, yet has still managed to average 47.2 points per game, which ranks second in the nation.

All of that starts with coaches, according to Marcus Mariota.

“They’ve really prepared each and every single player for their opportunity,” Mariota said. “It’s given each guy confidence to go out there and play to the best of their abilities. That’s what I love about this team. Everyone talks about the next guy up. For us it’s really helped us and provided us with success.”

With all of that success this season, Helfrich hasn’t been able to escape the question, and Saturday at the National Championship Media Day was no different. His answer has still yet to change.

“I never have viewed this program as my program,” Helfrich said. “It’s all these guys, it’s obviously a combination of the assistant coaches, the administration, the support, the fans, all those things that go into it, and we’re just kind of on a train that’s trying to get more efficient, better, faster, all those things.”

That train is nearing a place it’s never finished before: as a national champion. According to longtime Oregon assistant Don Pellum, who is in his first year as defensive coordinator, a lot of the credit for that position is because of Helfrich.

“He challenges these guys,” Pellum said just days before the Rose Bowl.  “It’s really neat the way he does it. I think a big part of our success is due to the leadership of  Helfrich, and it’s not just with the players, it’s with the administrative staff. It’s with the coaches. He empowers us to do our job and gives us the resources, and he says go.”

It’s been a driving force behind his short tenure and a reason why senior Tony Washington feels like every player  at Oregon has a certain level of respect for him. He’s created, or at least continued, a chain effect that has been passed down from coaches to upperclassmen to incoming freshman.

It’s worked out too. The seniors have bought in, and according to Malone everyone coming in each year has and will follow after that.

That, as Pellum says, “that’s the Mark Helfrich way.”

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

DALLAS, Texas – Taking a seat at the Paramount Studios for the Pac-12 Media Days in late July, Mark Helfrich suddenly met a swarm of reporters encircling him. For the better part of an hour, he was pressed with a variety of questions as cameras and audio recorders overwhelmed the stage-like platform he sat at. More of this was on the agenda for Helrich afterward. Television and radio appearances, as well as photo opportunities, followed.

Throughout the entire day, the same type of question persisted.

As he prepared to embark on his second season as the head coach of the Oregon football team, what mark he made on the program seemed to be theme. His predecessor, after all, led the program to four consecutive BCS bowl games and after one season in charge, Helfrich was faced with those through-the-roof expectations.

He quickly made it clear though, that the type of signature he left on the football program at Oregon wasn’t a matter that concerned him.

“If our players are 100 percent committed to our culture, 100 percent to our process, that’s our mark,” Helfrich said back in July.

Despite his dismissal of the query, Helfrich time and again has been confronted with the question during his second stint as a head coach. As Oregon dominated in all but one week of the season and secured itself a birth in the College Football Playoff, the same type of verbiage always followed.

Yet his response back in July  has come to signify the singular impact he has made. Oregon now prepares to face Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas simply because everyone has bought in. 100%.

“When guys buy in, that is the mark,” redshirt senior Dior Mathis, who has been coached by both Chip Kelly and Helfrich, said. “Once that happens we’re a team and we’re playing as good as we’ve been playing. So once that happens, you get a sense of what this Oregon Ducks team is like.”

For senior linebacker Derrick Malone, the biggest factor with Helfrich and the rest of the coaching staff stems from trust. He points to subtle details, such as hot tubbing multiple times a week versus once like they had done before, that have improved the performance of him and all those around him.

“That’s what it is,” Malone said.  “You follow me, you trust the coaches, you trust the process that we set forth and we’re going to pick our heads up and be in a great position at the end of the season. Everything that he’s asked us to do we’ve done it and that’s why we’re in the position that we’re in today.”

Oregon is in this position today despite a never-ending list of setbacks. The team’s been plagued with injuries across the board at offensive line and at wide receiver, yet has still managed to average 47.2 points per game, which ranks second in the nation.

All of that starts with coaches, according to Marcus Mariota.

“They’ve really prepared each and every single player for their opportunity,” Mariota said. “It’s given each guy confidence to go out there and play to the best of their abilities. That’s what I love about this team. Everyone talks about the next guy up. For us it’s really helped us and provided us with success.”

With all of that success this season, Helfrich hasn’t been able to escape the question, and Saturday at the National Championship Media Day was no different. His answer has still yet to change.

“I never have viewed this program as my program,” Helfrich said. “It’s all these guys, it’s obviously a combination of the assistant coaches, the administration, the support, the fans, all those things that go into it, and we’re just kind of on a train that’s trying to get more efficient, better, faster, all those things.”

That train is nearing a place it’s never finished before: as a national champion. According to longtime Oregon assistant Don Pellum, who is in his first year as defensive coordinator, a lot of the credit for that position is because of Helfrich.

“He challenges these guys,” Pellum said just days before the Rose Bowl.  “It’s really neat the way he does it. I think a big part of our success is due to the leadership of  Helfrich, and it’s not just with the players, it’s with the administrative staff. It’s with the coaches. He empowers us to do our job and gives us the resources, and he says go.”

It’s been a driving force behind his short tenure and a reason why senior Tony Washington feels like every player  at Oregon has a certain level of respect for him. He’s created, or at least continued, a chain effect that has been passed down from coaches to upperclassmen to incoming freshman.

It’s worked out too. The seniors have bought in, and according to Malone everyone coming in each year has and will follow after that.

That, as Pellum says, “that’s the Mark Helfrich way.”

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

DALLAS, Texas – Taking a seat at the Paramount Studios for the Pac-12 Media Days in late July, Mark Helfrich suddenly met a swarm of reporters encircling him. For the better part of an hour, he was pressed with a variety of questions as cameras and audio recorders overwhelmed the stage-like platform he sat at. More of this was on the agenda for Helrich afterward. Television and radio appearances, as well as photo opportunities, followed.

Throughout the entire day, the same type of question persisted.

As he prepared to embark on his second season as the head coach of the Oregon football team, what mark he made on the program seemed to be theme. His predecessor, after all, led the program to four consecutive BCS bowl games and after one season in charge, Helfrich was faced with those through-the-roof expectations.

He quickly made it clear though, that the type of signature he left on the football program at Oregon wasn’t a matter that concerned him.

“If our players are 100 percent committed to our culture, 100 percent to our process, that’s our mark,” Helfrich said back in July.

Despite his dismissal of the query, Helfrich time and again has been confronted with the question during his second stint as a head coach. As Oregon dominated in all but one week of the season and secured itself a birth in the College Football Playoff, the same type of verbiage always followed.

Yet his response back in July  has come to signify the singular impact he has made. Oregon now prepares to face Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas simply because everyone has bought in. 100%.

“When guys buy in, that is the mark,” redshirt senior Dior Mathis, who has been coached by both Chip Kelly and Helfrich, said. “Once that happens we’re a team and we’re playing as good as we’ve been playing. So once that happens, you get a sense of what this Oregon Ducks team is like.”

For senior linebacker Derrick Malone, the biggest factor with Helfrich and the rest of the coaching staff stems from trust. He points to subtle details, such as hot tubbing multiple times a week versus once like they had done before, that have improved the performance of him and all those around him.

“That’s what it is,” Malone said.  “You follow me, you trust the coaches, you trust the process that we set forth and we’re going to pick our heads up and be in a great position at the end of the season. Everything that he’s asked us to do we’ve done it and that’s why we’re in the position that we’re in today.”

Oregon is in this position today despite a never-ending list of setbacks. The team’s been plagued with injuries across the board at offensive line and at wide receiver, yet has still managed to average 47.2 points per game, which ranks second in the nation.

All of that starts with coaches, according to Marcus Mariota.

“They’ve really prepared each and every single player for their opportunity,” Mariota said. “It’s given each guy confidence to go out there and play to the best of their abilities. That’s what I love about this team. Everyone talks about the next guy up. For us it’s really helped us and provided us with success.”

With all of that success this season, Helfrich hasn’t been able to escape the question, and Saturday at the National Championship Media Day was no different. His answer has still yet to change.

“I never have viewed this program as my program,” Helfrich said. “It’s all these guys, it’s obviously a combination of the assistant coaches, the administration, the support, the fans, all those things that go into it, and we’re just kind of on a train that’s trying to get more efficient, better, faster, all those things.”

That train is nearing a place it’s never finished before: as a national champion. According to longtime Oregon assistant Don Pellum, who is in his first year as defensive coordinator, a lot of the credit for that position is because of Helfrich.

“He challenges these guys,” Pellum said just days before the Rose Bowl.  “It’s really neat the way he does it. I think a big part of our success is due to the leadership of  Helfrich, and it’s not just with the players, it’s with the administrative staff. It’s with the coaches. He empowers us to do our job and gives us the resources, and he says go.”

It’s been a driving force behind his short tenure and a reason why senior Tony Washington feels like every player  at Oregon has a certain level of respect for him. He’s created, or at least continued, a chain effect that has been passed down from coaches to upperclassmen to incoming freshman.

It’s worked out too. The seniors have bought in, and according to Malone everyone coming in each year has and will follow after that.

That, as Pellum says, “that’s the Mark Helfrich way.”

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise

It’s game day and finally, a national champion in college football will be crowned. With that, Sports Editor Justin Wise and Associate Sports Editors Joseph Hoyt and Hayden Kim breakdown the game between Oregon and Ohio State, offering insights and predictions. 

How much of an impact will the loss of Darren Carrington play on the Ducks Monday night against Ohio State?

Wise – It’s hard to completely fathom. The loss of Carringon is one thing. The loss of Carrington and Devon Allen is a complete other. The Ducks seem to work interchangeably though, and I don’t see Carrington’s absence playing more than a marginal effect. Oregon still has up to four capable wide receivers healthy.

Hoyt – “Next man up” has been something Oregon players have embodied and preached all year. When asked if he was worried about the status of the receivers, injured receiver Devon Allen was very confident in the players as he rattled off name after name. Based on the way this season has gone – having Marcus Mariota doesn’t hurt, either – someone should step up to replace Darren Carrington.

Kim– Losing Darren Carrington was undoubtedly a blow to the Oregon offense. Will it be a game changer? I don’t think so. Arguably with the most depth, the wide receiving corps will be able to move on, even without their best deep threat. Chance Allen said “Thank God we have a great quarterback” in response to having to replace Carrington and at the end of the day, Mariota will do his part. It’s certainly a loss, but one that can be dissolved.

Oregon will be in trouble if…

Wise – Ohio State’s offensive line establishes control in the trenches. Oregon certainly has the tools to match, and is playing some of the best defense it has played in years. However, the challenge it has before them serves as another test. OSU running back Ezekiel Elliot has averaged 225 yards rushing per game in his last two contest and if that stat line is anywhere near that on Monday, Oregon could be facing an uphill battle.

Hoyt – Ohio State can get pressure on Marcus Mariota. The Buckeyes defensive line – a unit Oregon center Hroniss Grasu calls the best defensive front they’ve played this season – is led by Big-Ten defensive player of the year Joey Bosa (20 TFLs, 14 sacks). To kill a snake, you have to cut off its head. Stopping Mariota is always that equivalent for playing against the Ducks.

Kim – If a Joey Bosa led Ohio State defense gets pressure on Mariota. With the return of Jake Fisher, the Ducks have yet to lose a game with a revived offensive line and it’s going to have to hold one more time if they want to win. When the line plays well, Tyner and Freeman have had field days and everyone knows what Mariota can do with time. It’s going to come down to the battle in the trenches once more.

Prediction. Why?

Wise – Oregon 45, Ohio State 35. The defense is forcing turnovers at an unbelievably high rate and the offense is capitalizing on those at an even faster rate. To beat Oregon, opponents have had to go throughout a game mistake-free, and it appears to be a challenge no team can overcome. Ohio State, with an inexperienced quarterback, doesn’t look like the team that will do it.

Hoyt – Oregon 42, Ohio State 38. Shootout, nail-biter in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship? Yes, please. In the end, Oregon has the best player in the country in Marcus Mariota. Losing Carrington hurts, but Mariota makes everyone around him better. Someone will step up and Oregon will win its first football national championship in program history.

Kim – Oregon 52, Ohio State 41. There is no doubt in my mind that the inaugural College Football Playoff title game will be a shootout. Both offenses aren’t the type to slow down and it’s because of the play of Mariota and Jones. Getting out to a fast start is going to be paramount.

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DALLAS, Texas – Terry Frei knew that it was a possibility, however the likelihood appeared slim. After all, Ohio State barely snuck into the inaugural College Football Playoff and was facing No. 1 ranked Alabama. Oregon’s chances to move onto the final were more logical, and it’s 59-20 win over Florida State proved it.

But as the night came to a close, and as a desperation heave from Alabama quarterback Blake Sims fell into the hands of an Ohio State defender, Frei was letting it be known what the matchup between Oregon and the Buckeyes would emulate.

In 1939, Ohio State and Oregon, known as the Webfoots then, met in a 9,000 seat arena on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Ill., in the first ever NCAA Basketball National Championship. 76 years later, the two will meet in the first ever College Football Playoff final.

Frei knew this because he authored the book, “March 1939: Before the Madness,” that was released in February of 2014.

There will be a few drastic differences between the two games. For one, this year’s championship game will be played in a mega-plex that cost $1.3 billion to create. In addition, the national television audience is likely to set records based on the semifinal games’ rates. In 1939, the official audience was 5,000.

But for the former Oregonian sportswriter and author, the similarities are still easily noticeable.

“I think you can overstate the differences between 1939 and today, there was still locally, extreme pride and passion about college sports,” Frei said.  “While you didn’t have that broad brush of national attention, at a local level there was great fervent interest in the local teams.”

It’s especially evident with how Eugene celebrated after Oregon’s 46-33 win. As told by Frei, Oregon students rushed the streets, “and the Eugene Register-Guard the next morning would say they ‘took the town like Hitler took Czechoslovakia.’”

Frei’s ties to that game don’t stop there. The son of former Oregon head football coach Jerry Frei, Terry lived the first 17 years of his life in Eugene.

Jerry was an assistant for 12 years and a head coach for five in, as Terry notes, a completely different time for athletics at the school.

Offensive line coach Steve Greatwood remembers Jerry as far back as when he was a youngster attending Len Casanova sports camps. The longtime assistant now works in an office named after him.

Terry knotted those ties with Oregon even further last year when his father was honored at the 2014 spring game.

“I think it was great to have them back and have Jerry honored because Jerry didn’t leave here in the best circumstances,” Greatwood said. “I think it was really good for the family, that ‘hey this is still home.’”

That connection is a reason why Terry says passion oozes out of every page. The only regret he has is that he did not get to the writing of the book sooner, as a number of the participants in the game had already passed away.

Oregon’s basketball team,”The Tall Firs” as Oregonian editor H.L. Gregory trademarked them, became infamous for their imposing lineup. It included two players listed at 6-foot-4 and one at 6-foot-8. Their matchup with Ohio State became a trail blazer for what the NCAA Basketball Tournament is today.

The College Football Playoff may now take the same type of track, which to Frei is the ultimate similarity between the two. It’s the first one.

As for what an Oregon championship might mean, Frei doesn’t concern himself with that type of discussion.

“I’m not going to sit here and say that that is the absolute ultimate,” Frei said. “I’ll be pumping a fist or two, but I don’t get caught up that a championship validates anything in sports.”

He’s leaning towards Oregon though, and in a fitting way too. His prediction has the Ducks winning, 46-33.

“Lets hope history can repeat itself,” Greatwood said.

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise