Ohio State pulled off a convincing victory in the first college football playoff championship game.
The Buckeyes defeated Oregon in a 42-20 victory at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Ohio State’s running game was dominant with nearly 300 yards. Ezekiel Elliot ran 246 yards alone, plowing through Oregon’s defense and scoring 4 touchdowns.
OSU quarterback Cardale Jones threw for 242 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Jones started the season as a third string red shirt sophomore. He led his team to stunning victories at the end of the season, routing rival Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten championship game and then defeating Alabama in a New Year’s Day shocker at the Sugar Bowl.
Oregon’s high tempo offense — led by Heisman quarterback Marcus Mariota — could not keep up, despite being handed four turnovers.
Coach Urban Meyer wins his third national title overall and his first national championship with Ohio State. Meyer previously won two championships with the University of Florida, one of them against Ohio State and another against Oklahoma.
Meyer — who was born in Toledo and played as a defensive back at Cincinnati — has coached at Ohio State since 2012. The team went undefeated in his first season but could not go to the national championship due to NCAA sanctions placed against the program, which were levied prior to Meyer taking over as head coach.
Neither Ohio State nor Oregon would have likely made the national championship game under the BCS system. #1 ranked Alabama would have been guaranteed a slot, while undefeated Florida State would have benefitted from the BCS’ computer rating formula and their status as defending national champions.
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