Ducks, Bucks in a National Title game we want (well, most of us)

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones (12) runs as Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) defends the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in New Orleans. - Bill Haber/AP Photo
Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones (12) runs as Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) defends the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in New Orleans. - Bill Haber/AP Photo /
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For the first time in a long, long time the SEC will not be competing for a national title, while a Pac-12 and a Big Ten team take the spotlight.

The SEC wanted a four-team playoff to get two of their own teams in and create a possibility for an all-SEC National Championship game.

That seemed to work well for them.  Guess you can say, the tide turned on them.

Instead of beating their chest as they have throughout at least the past half-decade, the SEC is eating a lot of humble pie this morning.

Instead of a National Championship game between what almost everyone thought would be between Alabama and Florida State, we’re getting Oregon vs. Ohio State, the two and four-seeds in the first ever College Football Playoff, respectively.  And unless you go to the University of Alabama or Florida State University, a good majority of the country is actually excited about a non-SEC National Championship game on Jan. 12.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports) /

The 2015 calendar year began with fans getting to see Oregon rout Florida State 59-20 in the Rose Bowl, followed by witnessing the new Buckeye legend known as Cardale Jones rallied Ohio State from a 15-point hole to a 42-35 win over top-ranked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

What the country really got to see Florida State collapse and Jameis Winston end up on SportsCenter’s Not-Top 10 list and got to see the collapse of a heavily favored Alabama team who lost to a third-string quarterback.

In short, the magic that makes March Madness what it is found a way to sprinkle itself into January football.

Under the original BCS system, we would’ve been lulled to sleep by (another) SEC team in the national championship against (another) fan favorite in Florida State.  Neither Oregon nor Ohio State would’ve had a shot at a national title and now we get to see the exciting high-powered offense of the Ducks take on the team of destiny in the Bucks.  (Just rolls of the tongue doesn’t it?)

The best teams who would’ve believed they deserved to be at the top got to prove it.

“The playoff is meant to give the two best teams.  I think it did that,” said Ohio State linebacker Josh Perry after the Sugar Bowl.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the new College Football Playoff system isn’t perfect.  It would be great to see a full playoff or six teams (No. 1 and 2 get a first round bye) or even eight, however for the new system to “get it right” on the first shot is a step in the right direction and has more people excited about the national championship for the first time in a very, very long time.

As for the SEC, how big is that humble pie they’re eating this morning?  While it was originally thought that the SEC could fill all of the College Football Playoff spots, or at least three besides the spot held for Florida State, five SEC bowl teams – Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, LSU, Auburn – all lost to teams from “inferior” leagues.  The SEC West went 2-5 in bowl games vs non-SEC opponents this bowl season.

“The SEC has had a terrific run,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.  “Narratives are based on facts.  But sometimes narratives overcome the facts. … Winning games on big stages, it certainly reset that.  Until you actually win the game, you can’t expect anybody to change the momentum of the narrative.

“We had a great day today.  We’ve always tipped our hats to the guys who won.  I tip my hat to us.”

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Clemson Football: Which bowls will host CFP semifinal games in 2023? /

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  • While Ohio State celebrates the big win, all eyes are set on the Ducks flying past the Buckeyes in 10 days.

    “Oregon won by 40?” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said after Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl, startled when he heard about the Rose Bowl result.  “I gotta go.  We gotta go get ready for that one.”

    “We know Oregon,” Meyer mentioned.  “I’ll probably be able to call Oregon’s plays because we study them and they study us.  There’s a mutual respect.”

    Ohio State has just over a week to prepare for a Ducks team that dashed past the Noles offensively and swarmed Winston and the FSU offense defensively, not allowing them to rally from behind as they have done all season.

    While Oregon went into halftime with an 18-13 lead, everyone thought the Seminoles had Oregon right where they wanted them.

    Nope.  Nope.  And again, nope.

    Oregon’s Heisman-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota led the Ducks to 41 second-half points – 35 of which coming from FSU turnovers, one of those turnovers sparking internet memes everywhere.

    Florida State opened with the ball in the second half, but after freshman tailback Dalvin Cook fumbles in Oregon territory, the Ducks capitalized, scoring just five plays later on a Royce Freeman touchdown.

    Overall, Oregon finished with 639 yards of offense and are steamrolling into the National Championship game.

    Again, it’ll be a game of (finally respected) dominance vs. destiny.

    And for the first time in quite a while, we’ll all be watching.