Numbers that Matter Ohio State vs. Oregon

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Numbers that Matter Ohio State vs. Oregon

The scoreboard at ATT Stadium might not be big enough for the first College Football Playoff Championship game.Now, thats saying something. Oregon (13-1) and Ohio State (13-1) bring two of the nations top-five scoring offenses into the championship game. The Ducks are second at 47.2 points per game; Ohio State is fifth with 45.0 points per game.Its an offensive showcase in the making. Who has the advantage? Ahead of Monday's 8:30 p.m. kickoff, lets look at the Numbers that Matter:SeriesOhio State Jabari Parker Jersey and Oregon first met in the 1958 Rose Bowl, which the Buckeyes won 10-7 and earned the Coaches Poll national championship under Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes are 8-0 all time against the Ducks, the lasest win coming in the 2010 Rose Bowl.MORE OREGON: | | Last meetingOhio State beat Oregon 26-17 in the 2010 Rose Bowl. with 266 pa sing yards, 72 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown pa ses.Urban Meyer vs. Mark HelfrichWhat a coaching matchup. Meyer is 37-3 since taking over at Ohio State in 2012. Helfrich is 24-3 the past two seasons at Oregon. Thats a combined winning Spencer Hawes Jersey percentage of .910.Meyer in bowl gamesMeyer is 8-2 in bowl games in stops at Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He finished 4-1 in BCS bowl games and added a 42-35 win against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.MORE OHIO STATE: | | Helfrich vs. ranked teamsOregon is 7-1 against ranked teams under Helfrich, the only lo s coming last season against Stanford. Oregon is 5-0 against ranked teams this season, and it outscored those opponents by a combined score of 249-117.Spotlight player: Marcus Mariota, QB, OregonCan Mariota deliver Oregons first national championship? Since the lo s against Arizona, Mariota has 37 total touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games. Thats good for an incredible pa ser rating of 175.8.On the spot: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio StateElliott rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama, and he might just be the hottest back in the nation. In Ohio States past three games, Elliott has 57 carries for 571 yards (10 yards per carry). Oregon allowed 200 rushing yards in six games the past two years. The Ducks are 3-3 in those games.MORE: Freshman focus: Royce Freeman, RB, OregonFreeman had his lowest rushing output with just 44 yards against Florida State, but he had two TDs. Ohio State allowed 5.0 yards per carry against Alabama. Freeman must be more than just a red-zone factor for the Ducks.Key matchup: Jake Fisher vs. Joey BosaOregon's Fisher, a 6-6, 300-pound tackle, has the size to match Bosa, a 6-5, 278 Milwaukee Bucks Jersey -pound defensive end. Mariota didnt take a sack in the Pac-12 championship or the College Football Playoff semifinal against Florida State. Bosa had four games with at least two sacks this season, but he hasnt had Rashad Vaughn Jersey a sack in Ohio States last two games.X-factor: Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio StateWho else would it be? Jones, a third-string quarterback, is on the cusp of winning a Big Ten championship and a national championship in his first three starts. Jones has been particularly effective on third down, when hes averaging 12.4 yards per pa s attempt.Magic numbers: Yards per playBoth schools are ridiculous here. Oregon averages 7.4 yards per play; Ohio State checks in at 7.0 yards per play. The Ducks allow 5.4 yards per play; the Buckeyes allow 4.9 yards per play. Theres a 0.1-yard per play difference among the schools in those categories.Did you know?Oregon is just 6-5 in one-score games since Chip Kelly took over in 2009, including a 2-2 record under Helfrich. Ohio State is 11-1 in one-score games under Meyer since 2012, including a 3-0 record in overtime games.In-game trend: TurnoversWith two high-powered offenses, one or two turnovers could make the difference. Oregon is second in the nation in turnover differential (plus-20), while Ohio State is tied for 17th (plus-10). This puts even more pre sure on Jones to protect the football.Bottom lineThe Ducks are favored by seven points, and given Meyers track record in close games Oregon must play from ahead to win. Expect aggre sive play-calling from offensive coordinators Tom Herman and Scott Frost early to build that lead. It comes down to which team makes that one fatal mistake. The longer this game stays close, the better chance Ohio State has to cap off its magical run with a national championship. How will Oregon and Ray Allen Jersey Mariota respond to that pre sure?
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