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My name is Matthew Evans. Good night!

Thank you for joining us here at VAVEL USA for tonight's game. It has been a fun ride covering this great sport that we all love for you this season. Make sure to stay tuned for more coverage of this game as well as recruiting, spring practice, and all the news and notes you could ever dream of.

Ohio State going with the orange Gatorade

Courtesy of @SportsCenter

The first College Football Playoff Trophy is now going home to Columbus.

Courtesy of @CollegeGameDay

What a game, it is crazy to think how much worse the game could have been if Ohio State doesn't have four turnovers.

The VAVEL USA Player of the Game is Ezekiel Elliott. 246 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.

Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes, the winners of the first College Football Playoff! 2014 National Champions

​FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 42, Oregon 20

4th (0:08): INTERCEPTION!!! That will do it!

4th (0:14): Pass is incomplete to Lowe.

4th (0:27): Mariota complete to Marshall out to the 43.

4th (0:28): The kickoff is just a formality at this point. Oregon will have one last possession starting at their 20.

4th (0:33): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE!!! It is the VAVEL USA Player of the Game Ezekiel Elliott with his FOURTH touchdown run of the night! The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 42, Oregon 20.

4th (1:24): Elliott cannot get into the end zone, stopped at the 1.

4th (1:43): Oregon jumps offside, that is a first down to the 2 yard line.

4th (1:53): Elliott looks to be close to the first down at the 5. They are just short and that brings up 4th down.

4th (2:35): Elliott with the carry up the middle for 5. 3rd and 3 at the 7.

4th (2:35): Timeout Oregon

4th (2:45): Jones with the sneak up the middle for a short gain. 2nd and 8 at the 12.

4th (2:53): Mariota throws towards Nelson and it is incomplete. That will do it.

4th (2:59): The third down pass is incomplete. 4th and 11. This is it.

4th (3:33): Tyner is smacked down for a loss. 3rd and 11 at the 14.

4th (4:03): Mariota escapes out to the 16. 2nd and 9 at the 16.

4th (4:17): Mariota throws to Stanford who makes a great catch but a holding call will bring it back. 1st and 17 at the 8.

Is there some kind of miracle here for Oregon?

4th (4:23): The punt is taken for a fair catch at the 15 yard line.

4th (4:24): Delay of Game on Ohio State. 4th and 6 at the 46. The punt team is on the field.

4th (5:11): Jones is stopped a yard short. 4th and 1 at the 41.

4th (5:56): Elliott with the carry up the middle for a gain of 3. 3rd and 6 at the 46.

4th (6:38): Elliott with the carry to the left for a gain of 1. 2nd and 9 at the 49.

4th (7:05): Elliott bursts up the middle for 8. 1st and 10 at the 50.

4th (7:40): Elliott with the carry for 3 yards. 2nd and 7 at the 42.

Oregon needs a big stop or a turnover and quickly.

4th (7:47): The punt is taken for a fair catch at the 38 yard line.

With the way Oregon's defense has struggled, you'd think they would have to go for it here on 4th down.

4th (7:49): Timeout Ohio State after Oregon lines up for a fake punt.

4th (8:28): Mariota complete to Stanford for a gain of 19. The punt team is coming out on 4th down.

4th (8:36): Lockie scrambles out and throws incomplete. Mariota coming back out. 3rd and 26 at the 7.

4th (8:36): False start on Oregon. 2nd and 26 at the 7.

4th (8:47): Pass is incomplete from Mariota and he is down after the play. He took a big hit after that play, that could've been a penalty but it wasn't. There is an unsportsmanlike penalty on Oregon after the play. 2nd and 21 at the 12.

4th (8:57):Tyner with the carry for 9 yards. 1st and 10 at the 23.

4th (9:10): Flag on the play, false start on Oregon. 2nd and 6 at the 14.

4th (9:32): Mariota complete to Baylis for 9. 2nd and 1.

This is a huge drive for Oregon.

4th (9:44): A flag comes out and will likely bring back the good return. Holding on Oregon. They will start at their own 10.

4th (9:49): TOUCHDOWN!!! Elliott with his third touchdown run on the evening. The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 35, Oregon 20

4th (10:04): Elliott down to the 2 yard line. He is just short. 3rd down.

4th (10:41): Samuel with the carry for 6. 2nd and 4 at the 6.

4th (11:19): Jones complete to Marshall over the middle for a gain of 19. 1st and 10 at the 12.

4th (11:57): Elliott with a short gain of 2. 3rd and 5 at the 31.

4th (12:29): Smith with the carry for 3. 2nd and 7 at the 33.

4th (12:57): Pass complete to Thomas for a gain of 23 out to the 36.

4th (13:26): Elliott with another huge run out to the 41. 1st down.

4th (13:58): Marshall with the carry on the end around for a gain of 5. 2nd and 5 at the 29.

4th (14:06): Ohio State will start at their own 24.

4th (14:11): Pass to Marshall is incomplete. 4th down and the punt team is on the field.

4th (14:16): Mariota's pass is tipped and nearly picked off. 3rd and 11.

4th (14:43): Freeman is stopped for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11 at the 40.

4th (14:54): Pass complete to Lowe for 20 yards and a first down.

4th (15:00): The kickoff is taken out to the 21 yard line.

15 minutes to go. We are in for a great finish.

End of 3: Ohio State 28, Oregon 20

3rd (0:07): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE!!! Elliott with the power run to the left side for another big score! The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 28, Oregon 20

3rd (0:39): Elliott with the carry inside the ten yard line for another first down. 1st and goal at the 9.

3rd (1:19): Marshall with the catch for 5 yards. 2nd and 5 at the 20.

3rd (1:53): Jones with a big collision with the linebacker and he powers forward for the first down.

3rd (2:39): Jones is dropped in the backfield. 3rd and 3 at the 28.

3rd (3:14): Jones passes to Samuel for a gain of 8. 2nd and 2 at the 27.

3rd (3:39): Elliott to the right side for a gain of 2. 1st down at the 35.

3rd (4:21): Elliott up the gut for another big gain. It is close to a first down. 3rd and 1 at the 37.

3rd (5:03): Elliott takes the swing pass for a gain of 1. 2nd and 9 at the 45.

3rd (5:33): Jones complete to Thomas for 17 yards. 1st down at the 46.

3rd (6:01): Elliott pounds forward for a 4 yard gain. 1st down at the 37.

3rd (6:39): Elliott with the carry to the right for a gain of 8. 2nd and 2 at the 33.

3rd (6:39): The kickoff is taken for a touchback. Ohio State will start at their 25.

What a crazy turn of events.

3rd (6:43): The field goal attempt is GOOD! Ohio State 21, Oregon 20

3rd (6:50): Mariota throws to the back of the end zone but the receiver cannot get his feet down. 4th down.

3rd (7:16): Mariota keeps and is out of bounds after an 8 yard gain. 3rd and 4.

3rd (7:49): Tyner is dropped in the backfield for a loss of 2. 2nd and 12 at the 14.

3rd (8:01): Freeman with the carry up the middle for 2. 1st and 10 at the 12.

3rd (8:21): Marshall with a carry for 9. 2nd and 1 at the 14.

3rd (8:34): FUMBLE!!!! JONES FUMBLES THE BALL ON A SCRAMBLE!!! Oregon recovers at the Ohio State 23!!!!

3rd (8:57): Elliott gains 2 and the first down. 1st and 10 at the 49.

3rd (9:12): The ruling is confirmed. 4th down.

3rd (9:12): The spot of the ball is under review.

3rd (9:52): Jones is dropped short of the line to gain. 4th and 1 at the 48.

3rd (10:30): Elliott with the carry for 10 yards out to the 46. 3rd and 3 at the 46.

3rd (11:04): Jones keeps and is dropped for a loss. 2nd and 11 at the 36.

3rd (11:23): Elliott with the carry for 13. 1st and 10 at the 38.

3rd (11:23): Ohio State will start at their own 25.

3rd (11:23): The kickoff is taken for a touchback.

3rd (11:33): TOUCHDOWN OREGON!!!! Byron Marshall up the seam for the 70 yard touchdown reception! A HUGE play for the Ducks. The play is under review. The ruling is confirmed, a touchdown. The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 21, Oregon 17

That interception made by Danny Mattingly, a graduate of Mead High School in Spokane, Washington. We are always proud of our kids from Eastern Washington.

3rd (11:41): FUMBLE!!! The catch is made but Oregon comes away with the ball! That is the third turnover for Ohio State. It is an interception.

3rd (11:54): False start on Ohio State. 1st and 10 at the 37.

3rd (12:19): Jones is stopped on the sneak so he scrambles outside and dives for 2 yards and the first down. A great play!

3rd (12:56): Elliott with a short gain. 4th and 1 at the 33.

3rd (13:18): Elliott up the middle for 8. 3rd and 2 at the 34.

3rd (13:27): Jones floats a long pass into the end zone, the pass is caught but the receiver is out of bounds. 2nd and 10 at the 42.

3rd (14:00): Elliott with the carry up the middle for a gain of 6. 1st and 10 at the 42.

3rd (14:37): Jones escapes from pressure and gains 5 yards on the carry. 2nd and 5 at the 48.

3rd (15:00): Elliott with a big carry on first down for 22 yards. 1st down at the 47.

3rd (15:00): Oregon is kicking off moving from left-to-right on your keyboard. The kickoff is taken for a touchback.

How do you see the second half going? Leave us your comments below.

Oregon is going to need a big stop or a turnover on this first drive. Going down three scores could put this game out of reach.

Oregon - Ohio State Live

The first half summed up in one photo:

Courtesy of @SportsCenter

Of course the only other time in which they scored 10 or fewer points in the first half was in their loss to Arizona.

The least amount of points scored by Oregon in the second half of any game this season was 14 points. They average 22.2 points in the second half.

We go into the half with the teams combining for 607 yards of offense on 88 plays. Ohio State with two turnovers so far and an 11-point lead.

Halftme: Ohio State 21, Oregon 10

2nd (0:09): Oregon attempts a hook-and-lateral but it is stopped for a short gain and that brings us to halftime.

2nd (0:14): Mariota complete to Stanford for 13. 1st and 10 at the 45.

2nd (0:20): The punt is taken for a fair catch at the 32.

Timeout Oregon

2nd (0:26): Jones carries up the middle for a gain of 4. 4th and 2 at the 21.

Timeout Oregon

2nd (0:33): Elliott carries for a gain of 3. 3rd and 6 at the 17.

Timeout Oregon

2nd (0:40): Elliott is stopped for no gain. 2nd and 10 at the 13.

2nd (0:48): The kickoff is taken out to the 32 yard line but there is a flag. Holding on Ohio State, ten yards from the spot.

2nd (0:52): The kick is GOOD! Ohio State 21, Oregon 10.

2nd (0:56): Mariota with a bad throw to the flat. 4th down and the field goal team comes out.

2nd (1:25): Freeman up the middle for 3. 3rd and 4 at the 9.

2nd (1:54): Freeman carries for 3 yards. 2nd and 7 at the 12.

2nd (2:06): Nelson with the catch for 14 yards and a 1st down.

2nd (2:35): Mariota is knocked out of bounds after a gain of 2. 3rd and 9 at the 29.

2nd (3:13): Mariota is hit out of bounds for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11 at the 31.

2nd (3:23): Marshall with the catch for 15 to the 30.

2nd (3:47): Tyner up the middle for a gain of 3. 2nd and 7 at the 45.

2nd (3:58): What a catch over the middle by Stanford for 28.

2nd (4:17): Pass complete to Marshall for 7. 3rd and 11 at the 24.

2nd (4:28): Mariota complete to Marshall for a gain of 7. Flag in the backfield. Offensive holding, it'll be 2nd and 18 at the 17.

2nd (4:49): Mariota carries to the right for 2. 2nd and 8 at the 27.

A huge drive here, Ohio State gets the ball to start the second half.

2nd (4:49): The kickoff is taken for a touchback.

Cardale Jones is having a great game so far, can you believe it is his 3rd career start?

Courtesy of @SportsNation

Raise your hand if you had Ohio State leading by two scores at any point in this game... Anyone?

2nd (4:55): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE!!! Cardale Jones spins into the end zone on the QB sneak. The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 21, Oregon 7

2nd (4:55): Ruling is reversed. 3rd and goal at the half yard line.

2nd (5:00): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE!!! Cardale Jones with the QB Keeper to the right side and it is a two score game. The play is under review as Jones looked to be close. It looks like the elbow is down before the ball breaks the goal line. This should be reversed.

2nd (5:41): Jones keeps up the middle for a gain of 2. 2nd and goal at the 4.

2nd (6:18): Devin Smith gets open behind the defense for a gain of 45. 1st and goal at the 6.

2nd (6:57): Marshall is dropped for a two yard loss. 3rd and 12 at the OSU 49.

2nd (7:05): Jones escapes the pressure and throws the ball away. 2nd and 10 at the 49.

Ohio State's defense is playing great ball so far. It looks like Mariota will need to try and win the game with his arm.

2nd (7:13): The punt is taken for a fair catch at the Oregon 49.

2nd (7:50): SACK!!! Mariota goes down as the pocket collapses. A loss of 5. 4th and 10 at the 9.

2nd (8:26): Freeman is stuffed after a gain of 2. 3rd and 5 at the 14.

2nd (8:46): Freeman with the carry for a gain of 3. 2nd and 7 at the 12.

2nd (8:46): Oregon will start at their own 9. Another big play from the defense to keep the Ducks in the game.

2nd (9:00): FUMBLE!!! Jones completes a long pass to Smith who fumbles the ball after trying to gain more yards! A big turnover for the Ducks!

2nd (9:29): Elliott up the middle for a gain of 5. 1st and 10 at the 41.

2nd (9:59): Jones complete to Vannett for 8. 2nd and 2 at the 36.

2nd (10:30): Big hole for Elliott who breaks up field out to the 28.

2nd (11:10): Jones sneaks it out to the 3. 2nd and 8 at the 3.

Oregon went 17 for 26 on fourth down on the season.

That is not a surprising play-call from Oregon. They are known to go for it when deep in their opponent's territory.

2nd (11:10): Personal foul on Ohio State, it'll be about a 2 inch penalty. Ohio State will take over very deep in their end.

2nd (11:17): Tyner with the handoff up the middle but he is STUFFED AT THE GOAL LINE!!! There is a late flag after some shoving in the end zone.

2nd (11:43): Mariota carries to the right and takes a whack after a gain of 4. 4th and goal at the 3.

2nd (11:48): Mariota looks for Baylis is the back of the end zone but the pass is overthrown.

2nd (12:23): Baylis is planted after making the catch for 3 yards. 2nd and goal at the 7.

2nd (12:38): Marshall with the catch for 17. 1st and goal at the 10.

2nd (12:55): Mariota complete to Stanford for 1. 2nd and 9

2nd (13:07): Mariota complete to Marshall on the slant for a gain of 20. 1st and 10 at the 28.

2nd (13:37): Tyner for a gain of 4 up the middle. 1st and 10 at the 48.

2nd (13:49): Mariota complete to Baylis for a gain of 7. 2nd and 3 at the 48.

2nd (13:53): FUMBLE!!!! The handoff is bobbled and Oregon gets on the ball! A big turnover there for the Ducks!

2nd (14:27): Pass complete to Thomas for a gain of 6. 2nd and 4 at the 39.

2nd (14:53): Jones takes the carry to the left side and takes the space for a gain of 17. A big run into Oregon territory.

2nd (15:00): Jones looks short but the pass is incomplete. 3rd and 9 at the 38.

A very interesting first quarter with Ohio State catching some big breaks. Oregon with two massive drops on third downs to stall drives.

End of 1: Ohio State 14, Oregon 7

1st (0:09): Elliott is stuffed for 1 yard. 2nd and 9 at the 38.

1st (0:18): The punt is brought out to the 37.

1st (0:18): False start on Oregon. 3rd and 11 at the 35.

1st (0:24): Pass is incomplete on the slant to Byron Marshall. 4th down coming up.

1st (0:24): False start on Oregon. 3rd and 6 at the 40.

1st (0:40): Freeman with the carry for 2 yards. 3rd and 1 at the 45.

1st (0:58): Mariota with the carry for 7. 2nd and 3 at the 43.

1st (1:02): Evan Baylis is now down on the field for Oregon.

1st (1:08): Tyner breaks through for 11. 1st and 10 at the 36.

1st (1:08): The kickoff is taken for a touchback.

1st (1:15): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE! Jones bobbles the snap but finds Vannett in the corner of the end zone and the Buckeyes take the lead. The PAT is GOOD! Ohio State 14, Oregon 7

1st (1:27): Elliott with another huge run bouncing off of tackles down to the 1.

1st (1:36): Jones throws into the end zone incomplete but there is a flag. It is defensive pass interference, a 15 yard penalty. 1st and 10 at the 18.

1st (2:03): Jones quick out to Thomas for a gain of 7. 1st and 10 at the 33.

1st (2:35): Elliott with the carry to the left for 6. 2nd and 4 at the 40.

1st (2:52): A big run from Marshall to bring the punt back into Oregon territory. 1st down at the 46.

1st (3:00): Mariota has a man wide open in Dwayne Stanford but he DROPS THE BALL!!! Big play there. 4th down.

1st (3:27): Freeman is stuffed in the backfield for a loss of 3. 3rd and 12 at the 28.

1st (3:56): Mariota pitches out to Baylis for 1. 2nd and 9 at the 31.

1st (4:07): Mariota is complete to Baylis for 5.

1st (4:27): Tyner with a carry to the left for 8. 2nd and 2 at the 25.

1st (4:36): The kickoff is brought out to the 17.

Drive: 10 plays, 97 yards in 3:16

1st (4:36): The second PAT attempt is GOOD! Oregon 7, Ohio State 7.

1st (4:44): TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE!!! Ezekiel Elliott with a big run of 33 yards breaking at least three tackles. What a drive by Cardale Jones. The PAT is GOOD! Oregon 7, Ohio State 7 but there is a flag. Holding on the kicking team. They will rekick.

1st (4:51): Jones looks for Samuel on the wheel route but the pass is incomplete. 2nd down at the 33.

1st (5:02): FIRST DOWN

1st (5:09): Marshall with the carry on the jet sweep and it is really close. They will measure.

1st (5:47): Jones gains 7 yards to bring up 4th and 2 at the 35.

1st (5:57): Jones throws high to Elliott but the pass is incomplete. 3rd and 9.

1st (6:28): Elliott is stopped for a short gain. 2nd and 9 at the 42.

1st (6:50): Jones complete to Marshall for a gain of 26 on the back shoulder throw. 1st down at the 43.

1st (7:11): Jones complete to Smith out to the 31 yard line. 1st down after the gain of 26.

1st (7:20): Jones nearly gets sacked and throws the ball away after escaping from the pocket. 3rd down.

1st (7:52): Jones keeps for a short gain of 1. 2nd and 9 at the 4.

1st (8:05): The punt is downed inside the 5 yard line. What a play there. Ohio State to start at their own 3.

1st (8:10): The pass is dropped and that brings up 4th down.

1st (8:36): Tyner to the left for a gain of 3. 3rd and 3 at the 45.

1st (8:58): Tyner up the middle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6 at the 42.

1st (9:10): Mariota complete to Lowe for 28 out to the 38.

1st (9:16): The punt is taken for a fair catch at the 10.

1st (9:53): Jones attempts to pick up the first down with his feet but he is stopped for 2 yards. 4th and 5 at the 42.

1st (10:28): Marshall takes the swing pass but he is stopped for no gain. 3rd and 7.

1st (11:00): Elliott up the middle for 3. 2nd and 7 at the 40.

1st (11:33): Jones powers forward for a first down. A gain of 6 out to the 37.

1st (11:54): Jones scrambles for a gain of 4. 3rd and 4 at the 31.

1st (12:21): Elliott with the carry for 2 yards. 2nd and 8 at the 27.

1st (12:21): The kickoff is taken for a touchback. Ohio State will start at the 25.

Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards in 2:39

1st (12:28): TOUCHDOWN OREGON!!!! Mariota finds time and hits Keanon Lowe for the score. The PAT is GOOD! Oregon 7, Ohio State 0

1st (12:39): Mariota keeps to the right side for a gain of 8. 1st and goal at the 7.

1st (13:04): Freeman up the middle for a gain of 2. 2nd and 8 at the 15.

1st (13:19): Nelson with the catch down to the 17. 1st and 10.

1st (13:24): The runner's knee was down. It will be 2nd and 4 at the 25.

1st (13:16): It will be 1st and 10 at the 25 yard line when they overturn this call.

1st (13:30): FUMBLE!!! Mariota puts the ball on the turf but he is down. The replay will confirm that Mariota was down before the ball came out.

1st (13:46): Tyner with another carry for 6. 1st down at the 31.

1st (14:06): Tyner up the middle for 6 yards. 2nd and 4 at the 37.

1st (14:25): Tyner catches a break as he fumbles but the ball is back into his hangs after a big gain on the play.

1st (14:39): Tyner with the carry for 4. 2nd and 6.

1st (14:51): Mariota complete to Marshall for a gain of 8. Ball at the 41.

1st (15:00): Mariota complete to Marshall for a gain of 8. 2nd and 2 at the 33.

1st (15:00): Ohio State in red will be kicking from left-to-right and we are undrerway! The kick is taken for a touchback.

Oregon has won the toss and they will receive.

The captains are making their way to the center of the field.

Nice and simple, just the way the anthem should be.

It is now time for our National Anthem.

And now here come the OHIO STATE BUCKEYES!!!

And here come the OREGON DUCKS!!!

Both teams are lining up in the tunnels.

Are you ready? We are! The first ever National Championship to be decided on the field!

Pre-game festivities are getting underway at AT&T Stadium here ahead of Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes.

Lee Corso picking the Buckeyes. Interesting.

This will be the first time since 2002 that a team from the northern portion of the United States. Ohio State was the last team from the North to win the National Championship.

There it is! Script Ohio being done by the Buckeye Band.

Here we go, less than 20 minutes to kick off in Dallas.

Will we get to see the famous 'Script Ohio'? That is probably my favorite pre-game tradition and that is coming from a Pac-12 guy.

The Ohio State Band is now out on the field.

The Oregon Band is performing on the field right now.

Let's take a look at how both teams do on third downs. Both are ranked in the Top 4 in conversion percentage. Oregon is ranked 4th at 51.6% converting 96 of 186 third downs. Ohio State is ranked 3rd at 51.9% converting 95 of 183 third downs.

Ohio State has exited the field while the Ducks continue to run through their warmups.

The anticipation is building as each second ticks by at AT&T Stadium for Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes

With 30 minutes to go until kickoff, the Ohio State Buckeyes head over towards their band.

Urban Meyer getting his team ready to go:

Courtesy @ESPNPR

Another very interesting this to look for ESPN is testing out "Pylon Cam" which could show great shots if there is a close play towards the corner of the playing field. We will see how much use that camera gets.

The Oregon Ducks are now on the field to a chorus of boos from the Ohio State fans as well as some cheers from the yellow-clad faithful.

Urban Meyer says that his team is "ready to go" in an interview with ESPN.

Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes

How do you see today's game going? Do you think that Ohio State will win? Do you think that Oregon will win? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

We have a leader in the "Sign of the Night" competition. It seems like the Pac-12 and Big Ten are not too fond of the SEC.

Courtesy @TaylorRooks

We are less than an hour away from kickoff now from AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

There was a good amount of people who were upset that Oregon did not pull out one of their crazy uniform combinations for tonight's National Championship Game. This though is a good look for them and wearing white makes it look like they will be moving faster on your screen.

Those white and silver uniforms look pretty slick for the Oregon Ducks.

Here is an early look at the stadium with the fans starting to find their seats for Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes.

Courtesy of @CBSDFW

Hmmm, who do you think this guy is rooting for?

Courtesy @SportsCenter

We have a few players out for warmups already as we approach 70 minutes to kickoff.

The fans are starting to fill in the stadium, lots of red, green, and yellow all around the concourse.

#43 Darron Lee, Freshman, Linebacker: Lee is another pass rushing specialist. He has 73 tackles with 16.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks.

#97 Joey Bosa, Sophomore, Defensive Line: Bosa is a beast in the trenches. He has just 53 tackles on the year but 20 of those were for a loss with 13.5 sacks on the year.

#37 Joshua Perry, Junior, Linebacker: Perry leads the team with 118 tackles on the season. He has added 8.5 tackles for loss as well as 3 sacks.

Now here is a look at the key defensive players for the Ohio State Buckeyes:

Oregon has combined for 36 sacks on the season with 12 interceptions.

#44 DeForest Buckner, Junior, Defensive Line: Buckner has 73 total tackles with 13 tackles for loss. Four of those for loss tackles were sacks.

#91 Tony Washington, Senior, Linebacker: Washington has 53 total tackles on the season with 11 tackles for loss from the linebacker position. He has also added six sacks on the year.

#4 Erick Dargan, Senior, Defensive Back: Dargan leads the team in tackles with 90 and interceptions with seven on the season.

We will start with the Oregon Ducks:

Let's take a look at some of the key defensive players for each team.

The quick-strike ability of the Oregon offense is something else that is pretty incredible. They have 41 scoring drives of less than 2:00.

DID YOU KNOW: Ohio State allowed only 15 passing touchdowns all season. They kept opponents out of the end zone through the air in six of their 14 games in 2014.

Will the football teams beat the combined 79 points from the basketball game in 1939? Likely yes, but we will see for sure in just a few hours.

On that night, the Oregon Ducks were victorious 46-33 after holding the Buckeyes to just 17 percent shooting from the floor.

The venue was not as grand as AT&T Stadium, it was the 1,000-seat Patten Gymnasium in Evanston, Illinois on the campus of Northwestern.

A very interesting item to remember as we keep trucking on towards kickoff. This is the first official National Championship Game in regards to Division 1 College Football, these two schools contested the first National Championship Game in College Basketball as well back on March 27, 1939.

There is Breaking NFL news as it looks like the Denver Broncos have parted ways with head coach Jon Fox.

A great look at the stadium from Kirk Herbstreit.

The Ducks are in the house!

The Buckeyes have already arrived at AT&T Stadium. They are taking a walk-through the stadium right now as the Oregon buses pull in behind the stadium.

Ohio State, on the other hand, is ranked 52nd in passing yards with 247.5 per game and 10th in rushing yards with 262.2 per game.

Breaking those numbers down even further, Oregon is ranked 11th in the nation in passing yards with 311.0 per game and 18th in rushing yards with 241.9 per game.

In regards to the yardage totals, Oregon is 3rd with 552.9 average yards per game. Ohio State is ranked 9th with 509.7 yards per game.

Oregon is ranked 2nd in the nation with 47.2 points scored per game while Ohio State is ranked 5th in the nation with 45.0 points scored per game.

At the end of the day though, the offenses will be what we will talking about and for good reason. Both offenses are ranked in the Top 10 in both total yards per game and points scored.

The Ducks do play with that bend-but-don't-break defensive mentality. They have allowed 22.5 points per game which is good for 29th in the nation. Ohio State is ranked 23rd in the same category with 21.2 points allowed per game.

Ohio State has higher rankings as well in both average passing and rushing yards allowed. The Buckeyes are ranked 17th in passing yards allowed (188.2 per game) and 33rd in rushing yards allowed (139.8 per game). The Ducks are ranked 103rd in passing yards allowed (259.5 per game) and 50th in rushing yards allowed (154.2 per game).

When you look at the defensive statistics for both schools, the numbers can be a bit deceiving. Ohio State boasts a top 15 ranked defense in yardage with 328.0 average yards allowed while Oregon is ranked 83rd with 413.8 average yards allowed. A contributing factor to that can be that Oregon plays in a more offensively oriented conference in the Pac-12.

The offenses have been talked about as the big keys to the game but really it will come down to which defense contains the opponent's dynamic offense.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are boarding their team buses en route to AT&T Stadium. We are just over three hours away from kickoff.

Looking at the Ohio State Buckeyes: Since Urban Meyer took over in 2012, the Buckeyes are 32-1 (.970) when scoring 30 or more points. They are 5-2 (.714) when scoring less than 30, though all of those wins came in 2012.

Looking at the Oregon Ducks: Since Chip Kelly took over as head coach in 2009, the Ducks are 68-2 (.971) when scoring 30 or more points in a game. They are 2-8 (.200) when scoring less than 30.

The magic number for both teams over the past few seasons has been 30 points scored.

The 2010 Rose Bowl was not just about how great Ohio State's defense played, it was also the best game at quaterback to that point for Terrelle Pryor. Pryor threw for a career-high (to that point) 266 yards on 23-of-37 passing with two touchdowns and a pick. He would surpass that yardage total during the next season with a 334 yard performance against Indiana.

That was the last time that Oregon has gained less than 300 yards of total offense in a game.

Ohio State held Oregon to just 260 yards of total offense and kept quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in check with a season-low 81 yards passing on 9-of-20 throws.

Oregon has never scored more than 17 points in any of those previous meetings. That 17 point total was achieved in the last meeting on January 1, 2010 in the Rose Bowl when the Buckeyes won 26-17.

Tonight will be the ninth meeting all-time between the two schools with Ohio State leading the all-time series 8-0.

For some more pre-game reading, check out my colleague Heath Clary's preview of tonight's final game live Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes.

How do you see tonight’s game, Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes Live ending up? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

January 1: #4 Ohio State 42, #1 Alabama 35. Ohio State proved that they were the right choice for the fourth seed despite having a third-string quarterback under center after their back-and-forth win in the Sugar Bowl. Ezekiel Elliott had another massive game running for 230 yards and two touchdowns to lead the team to victory. The highlight run being his 85-yard scoring run with 3:24 remaining in the game. Cardale Jones threw for 243 yards but missed on nearly half of his throws.

December 6: #5 Ohio State 59, #13 Wisconsin 0. The domination was all-around by the Buckeyes who outgained Wisconsin by 300 yards in the massive victory. Cardale Jones threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns himself. The win put Ohio State in the conversation for the fourth and final spot in the College Football Playoff.

November 29: #6 Ohio State 42, Michigan 28. The win was overshadowed by both the broken ankle suffered by J.T. Barrett and the disappearance of reserve linemen Kosta Karageorge. It was a big win though as Ezekiel Elliott ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Buckeyes into the Big Ten Championship Game. It would be up to third-stringer Cardale Jones to lead the team to victory.

November 22: #6 Ohio State 42, Indiana 27. Nerves were getting heavy when Tevin Coleman’s 90-yard run gave Indiana a 20-14 lead halfway through the third quarter but it was freshman Jalin Marshall to the rescue for the Buckeyes. Marshall returned a punt for a score in the third quarter before catching three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to account for the final 28 points for Ohio State in the win. J.T. Barrett did throw for 302 yards and four scores but he also accounted for two of the three Buckeyes turnovers.

November 15: #8 Ohio State 31, #25 Minnesota 24. On a snowy afternoon in Minneapolis, J.T. Barrett had his best game as quarterback. He finished the game with three passing touchdowns and 200 yards though the air but it was his work on the ground which earned him the praise. Barrett ran for 189 yards including an 86-yard touchdown run on third down during the second drive of the game. His four combined touchdowns gave him 38 on the season which passed Johnny Manziel as the most scores by a player in their first 10 college games in the last 10 seasons. The Buckeyes fought off two different comeback attempts to keep themselves in line for a Big Ten Title.

November 8: #14 Ohio State 49, #8 Michigan State 37. J.T. Barrett had another huge night throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns while running for 86 yards and another two scores to put the Ohio State Buckeyes in line for the Big Ten Title and a chance at the College Football Playoff. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 154 yards and two scores as well in the win. Ohio State actually had two turnovers but were able to limit the damage caused by those giveaways.

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November 1: #16 Ohio State 55, Illinois 14. Ohio State jumped out to a big 31-0 lead at halftime paced by two touchdown passes from J.T. Barrett. It was the performance needed to settle nerves going into their big clash with Michigan State during the next week of play. The Buckeyes outgained Illinois by 302 yards in the game.

October 25: #13 Ohio State 31, Penn State 24. The man for the Buckeyes in this one was Ezekiel Elliott who ran for 109 yards and a score. J.T. Barrett really struggled in his first big road test at Beaver Stadium completing 12-of-19 passes for only 74 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He made up for it with his legs with two rushing touchdowns but it was the defense who came up with a big stop on fourth down in the second overtime to secure the victory and keep Ohio State on the path to a Big Ten Championship.

October 18: #13 Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17. It was the J.T. Barrett show as the freshman quarterback threw for three touchdowns and ran for another two to lift the Buckeyes to their fourth-straight win. Barrett paced the team who ran for a combined 324 yards in the victory while averaging 8.1 yards per carry as a team. Junior tight end Nick Vannett caught two touchdown passes, his only two catches in the game.

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October 4: #20 Ohio State 52, Maryland 24. The Ohio State Buckeyes used both a strong rushing and passing game to defeat the Maryland Terrapins. Ohio State ran for 269 yards and threw for 264 yards en route to their third consecutive game scoring 50 or more points. Once again J.T. Barrett was a stud throwing four touchdowns with only five incomplete passes. Ezekiel Elliott ran for another 139 yards despite not scoring in the game.

September 27: #22 Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28. J.T. Barrett continued to show his growth throwing for 330 yards and four touchdowns in the big win over in-state rival Cincinnati. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a career-high 182 yards in the victory which did not sit well with head coach Urban Meyer. The Ohio State defense allowed 352 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air to the Bearcats.

September 13: #22 Ohio State 66, Kent State 0. If there was any frustration in the Ohio State camp going into their game with Kent State, it was almost fully erased as the team outgained their opponents by 502 yards. J.T. Barrett threw for 312 yards and six touchdown passes in the win. The only cause for concern would be the three turnovers from the Buckeyes but that does not sting too badly when you win by 66 points.

September 6: Virginia Tech 35, #8 Ohio State 21. J.T. Barrett had a chance to put himself into Ohio State lore as he led the Buckeyes down the field in the final minutes in front of a record crowd at Ohio Stadium. He had a chance to make up for his two previous interceptions and try to prove that he was better than his nine completions to that point. Barrett did find a receiver with in the Virginia Tech half with just under a minute to go, the bad news was that receiver was a Hokie. Donovan Riley ran the clinching pick-six back 63 yards to end the Buckeye’s 25 game winning streak.

August 30: #5 Ohio State 34, Navy 17. It is never an easy task to play well against Navy especially when they are executing their triple-option offense. Navy did run for 370 yards on Ohio State but freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett did just enough to lift the Buckeyes to the win in his first collegiate start. Barrett threw for 226 yards on 12-of-15 passing including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith to give Ohio State the lead for good in the third quarter. Barrett ran for 50 of the team’s 194 yards on the ground to lead in that category too.

Let’s take a look back at the road to the National Championship Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes Live for the Ohio State Buckeyes:

The Buckeyes do not throw the ball very often but when they do, it is usually in the hands of senior speedster Devin Smith or tall sophomore Michael Thomas. Thomas led the team in catches with 50 on the season for 746 yards and nine touchdowns. Smith only caught 32 passes on the year but 12 of those were for touchdown, he averaged 27.7 yards per catch in 2014.

Leading the rushing attack is sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott who ran for 1,632 yards on 237 carries with 14 touchdowns. Elliott averaged nearly seven yards per carry in 2014. What has been incredible about his play this season is that he has gotten better as the season has gone along. In the past six games, Elliott has run for 923 yards on 111 carries for an average gain of 8.3 yards per carry. Just unbelievable numbers for a sophomore.

Ohio State actually finished higher than Oregon in terms of rushing yards per game, the Buckeyes finished with an average of 262.2 rushing yards per game while throwing for 247.5 per game.

While Oregon’s offense is always talked about, folks seem to forget that Ohio State had a very potent offense as well. They finished 5th in the nation in scoring averaging 45.0 points per game. Their yardage total was not bad either finishing 9th with an average of 510 total yards per game.

Barrett looked to be leading the Buckeyes towards the College Football Playoff before he suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the regular season finale at home to Michigan. Next in line would be 6-foot-5, 250 pound sophomore Cardale Jones to try to lead the team through the Big Ten Championship and he sure did. We’ll get to that game a little later.

Urban Meyer made a big decision as he put the ball in the hands of freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett out of Wichita Falls, Texas. The freshman actually had a very good season passing to compliment the strong running attack of the Buckeyes. He threw for four 300-yard plus passing game while also adding eight games with ten or more carries.

It is a pretty big surprise that the Buckeyes have made it this far considering how their season started. Urban Meyer had hoped to get quarterback Braxton Miller back after off-season shoulder surgery to repair an injury suffered during last season’s Orange Bowl. Miller reinjured the shoulder just before the season opener with Navy causing him to miss the entire 2014 season.

The 4th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes enter tonight’s game with a 13-1 record as well. They made it to the Championship Game Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes Live following a thrilling 42-35 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

January 1: #2 Oregon 59, #3 Florida State 20. It was an all-around beat down for the Oregon Ducks who dominated every portion of the Rose Bowl en route to the massive 59-20 win. Oregon earned 639 total yards on offense while forcing five Florida State turnovers to limit the Seminoles to their 20 points. Thomas Tyner ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the big victory which lifted Oregon into the first College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

December 5: #2 Oregon 51, #7 Arizona 13. Most expected the Pac-12 Championship Game to be a very thrilling game to the end like the meeting between the two schools in October. Oregon had other plans though earning 627 total yards in the big win which secured their spot in the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals. Marcus Mariota threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns while also running for three scores in a game which saw Oregon punish Arizona. Mariota all but secured himself the Heisman Trophy with his performance.

November 29: #2 Oregon 47, Oregon State 19. That pesky second quarter once again proved to be the big difference in the Civil War as the Oregon Ducks extended their 9-0 first quarter lead to 30-3 at halftime. The Ducks racked up 565 yards of offense including 367 passing yards from Marcus Mariota. Mariota accounted for six touchdowns in the game (four passing, two rushing). Royce Freeman earned another 100-yard rushing game while converted running back Byron Marshall caught six passes for 131 yards and a score.

November 22: #2 Oregon 44, Colorado 10. The Ducks put up 597 yards of total offense in a game that was not close even from the pre-game warmups. Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns while Royce Freeman gained 105 yards on the ground with two touchdown of his own. The Ducks held a 30-3 lead at halftime which brought the combined first half score of the past four meetings between these schools to Oregon 164, Colorado 19.

November 8: #4 Oregon 51, #17 Utah 27. It is not very often that one play can change the outcome of a game and especially one play that occurred in the first half. In this game though, that was the case as Utah wide receiver Kaelin Clay appeared to score on a 78-yard touchdown pass from Travis Wilson to give Utah a big 14-0 lead at the start of the second quarter. Clay did not score though, as he dropped the ball at the one-year line before he broke the plane of the goal. The fumble was picked up and run the other way for a 100-yard fumble return which tied the game and swung all of the momentum over to the Oregon side. The Ducks would score 24 points in the second quarter to run away with the game in which Marcus Mariota threw for 239 yards and ran for another 114 yards.

November 1: #5 Oregon 45, Stanford 16. Marcus Mariota threw for two touchdowns and ran for another two as the Ducks snapped a two-game losing streak to Stanford. The Cardinal was really the only legitimate challenger left in the Pac-12 North that could possibly have won the division. This was the game that had the Oregon faithful nervous as losses to Stanford over the last two season had derailed the Ducks chances at a National Championship. Oregon showed they were the better team from the opening kickoff finishing with 267 yards on the ground compared to the 132 from the Cardinal.

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October 24: #6 Oregon 59, California 41. Defenses be darned as the Ducks made their first trip to Levi’s Stadium in late October coming away with the 59-41 win over California. Both teams combined for 1,150 yards of offense with Oregon earning 590 of those. Royce Freeman ran for his third consecutive 100 yard game with two touchdowns and Marcus Mariota once again threw for five touchdown passes. Once again, it was the second quarter which Oregon pulled away in with 24 points in the frame.

October 18: #9 Oregon 45, Washington 20. It was the Royce Freeman show in this big win for the Oregon Ducks over the Washington Huskies as the running back gained 169 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Oregon exploded for 21 second quarter points to break the game open turning a 7-6 lead after the first frame into a 28-6 lead at halftime. Mariota threw for 336 yards with two passing touchdowns.

October 11: #12 Oregon 42, #18 UCLA 30. Both schools came into the game&

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About the author
Matthew Evans
Matthew is an American sports journalist based out of Kennewick, Washington. He is a Managing Editor for VAVEL USA as well as Co-editor of the soccer section.