The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks 42-20 Monday night in the 2015 College Football National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Ohio State (14-1, 8-0 Big Ten) claimed their first National Championship since the 2002 season when they defeated Miami (FL) in the 2003 Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl.
Oregon got off to a fast start in the game after scoring on their first drive to take a 7-0 lead. But the Buckeyes answered later in the first quarter and never trailed again.
Ohio State was led by quarterback Cardale Jones, who stepped in after season-ending injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Jones finished the game 16-of-23 for 242 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also rushed 21 times for 38 yards and another touchdown.
“This will go down as one of the great stories in college football history,” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said.
The Buckeyes also got it done on the ground behind Ezekiel Elliot. The sophomore running back gained 246 yards on 38 carries (6.8 avg.) and scored four touchdowns. For his efforts, Elliott was named the CFB National Championship Offensive MVP.
Of course, Ohio State also finished the season as the number one team in the final AP Poll after receiving all 59 first-place votes.
Ohio State now heads into the 2015 season as the likely preseason top-ranked team. The Buckeyes kick off their 2015 schedule at Virginia Tech on Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day).
Oregon will have to regroup heading into next season, and will likely lose Heisman Trophy quarterback Marcus Mariota to the NFL Draft. The Ducks open their 2015 schedule at home vs. Eastern Washington on Sept. 5.
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