The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks have gone through all sorts of carnage and College Football Playoff selection drama to reach this very point: one win away to winning it all.
On Monday, two of college football's most respected program, the Bucks and the Ducks will square it off at AT&T Stadium for a place in history and the title as the first undisputed National Playoff Champion.
A Duck Tale
Marcos Mariota and the Ducks thought their national championship dream already died when they absorbed a 31-24 upset at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Week 5.
However, the defeat made them even better and hungrier to achieve the goal as they went on to win eight consecutive games - including a 51-13 demolition of their previous conqueror Arizona that solidified their place in the inaugural college football playoffs as the no.2 seed.
Mariota, who compiled one of the greatest seasons in college football, ended the two-year reign of outspoken quarterbacks (Johnny Manziel and Jamies Winston) after bagging the Heisman Trophy award.
At the Rose Bowl, Mariota proved just that after he amassed 338 yards with two TDs and rushed for another score to guide his team to a 59-20 win over defending national champ Florida State Seminoles.
Hard as a Nut
Despite losing Braxton Miller before the start of the season and 35-21 shellacking loss to Virginia Tech on Week 2, the Buckeyes just showed everybody they are as hard as a nut as they piled up blowout win after blowout win to squeeze into the College Football Playoff picture as the no.4 seeded team.
With Miller sitting out, Urban Meyer capitalized on the rushing ability of quarterback JT Barrett to keep them rolling in their next 10 games. Then, tragedy struck again when Barrett was ruled out from the Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers with a knee injury. After that, Cardale Jones just happened before everybody's eyes.
Jones, the unheralded third-string quarterback, stepped up when things were bleak for the Buckeyes, putting up back-to-back big games against the Badgers (257 yards with three TDs) and the ever-dominant Alabama Crimson Tide (243 yards with one score) at All-State Sugar Bowl.
In the College Football Playoff semifinal, Ohio State capitalized on the rocket arm of the 6-foot-5, 250-pound sophomore to punish the Crimson Tide offense, and seal their fate at the National Championship game.
Two Great Teams But One Champion
Although both teams have already proven themselves as champions after overcoming all sorts of adversities along the way, College Football Playoff only wants one holder of the National Title.
On Sunday at 8:30 p.m US Eastern Time Live on ESPN and ESPN Watch / Sports Stream, the Bucks and the Ducks will finish what they started in an electrifying way at AT&T Stadium. Box Score Stats, Game Updates and Recap are available on ESPN.
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