Oregon vs. Florida State: Rose Bowl Preview With TV Schedule
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Rose Bowl Matchup: No. 2 Oregon Ducks (12-1, 8-1 Pac-12) vs. No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (13-0, 8-0 ACC)
TV Schedule: Thursday, Jan. 1, 5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Stadium: Rose Bowl
Now that all of the shock of the Big 12 teams not making the College Football Playoff has set in (okay, it will probably take a long time for Baylor and TCU fans to get over this one), we can enjoy this great matchup.
This one might as well be played for the championship. Well, kind of.
Oregon enters this contest on an eight-game winning streak. In the Pac-12 championship, the Ducks managed to beat the Arizona Wildcats by the score of 51-13. They definitely earned their spot in the playoff.
Florida State hasn’t lost a game the entire season. It knocked off the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by the score of 37-35 in the ACC championship. Needless to say, the Seminoles have made things interesting all year.
Keys to the game? How about stopping Oregon QB Marcus Mariota for FSU and stopping Florida State QB Jameis Winston for Oregon. After all, Mariota has a great shot of winning the Heisman this year. Winston won it last year.
Both teams are capable of putting up a lot of points on the board, but it is the Ducks who are averaging 46.3 PPG, which is good enough for No. 3 in the country. Florida State comes in at No. 29 in that department (34.8 PPG).
In the end, I like Oregon to win this game. Not only does it have the best player in college football on its side, but it knows how to close out games. Yes, FSU has won every single game it has played this year, but it is bound to fall sooner rather than later. That slip-up will come against the Ducks in the playoff.
Hopefully Winston and co. don’t fool around right off the bat by getting behind big, because they will not be able to come back on Oregon’s potent offense if so.
PREDICTION: Ducks 35, Seminoles 27
…
Looking to watch the Ducks take on the Seminoles? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.
Michigan Football In Good Hands With Harbaugh
Michigan finally has the right man at the helm to lead them back to the top of the Big Ten in Jim Harbaugh. Read More
Sugar Bowl: Top 10 NFL Draft Prospects
The 2015 Sugar Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Ohio State Buckeyes consists of many NFL Draft prospects. Check out this list of the top 10 prospects in this game. Read More
Arizona’s RichRod Comes Full Circle In Fiesta Bowl
Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez will finally get to coach in the game he had to miss when he left WVU for Michigan. He should enjoy the moment.. Read More
5 Notable Stats For Notre Dame With LSU’s Offense
There are a few specific characteristics of LSU’s offense that Notre Dame must take into account heading into their Music City Bowl matchup with the Tigers. Read More
Clemson Tigers' Future Bright With DeShaun Watson
Clemson looked good in their 40-6 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl. In 2015, they could be scary good. Read More
ND Wisely Starting QB Zaire In Bowl Game
Notre Dame’s decision to start redshirt freshman quarterback Malik Zaire against LSU is the correct choice on several accounts. Read More
Live: Harbaugh's Introductory Press Conference
A live look in at Jim Harbaugh's introductory press conference as the new head coach of Michigan Wolverines football. Read More
Best 5 NFL Draft Prospects in the Peach Bowl
These are the top five NFL Draft prospects in the Peach Bowl played by the TCU Horned Frogs and Ole Miss Rebels. Read More
Texas Offense Must Upgrade After Bowl Loss
The Texas Longhorns suffered a loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Texas Bowl. This loss showed improvements must be made next season. Read More
Arkansas Razorbacks Finish Season with a bang
Big win over Texas cements Razorbacks' up-and-coming status Read More
Citrus Bowl: Top 5 NFL Draft Prospects
With the Citrus Bowl coming on New Year's Day, here are the top five NFL Draft prospects to watch in the game. Read More
Sooners Embarrassed by Clemson to End Season
The Oklahoma Sooners demonstrated that they can't compete against a ranked team. Read More