Marcus Mariota, Oregon Prove Critics Wrong — Win Big Game Outside of Pac-12
By Jeff Hauser
@radiohauser
Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The longest winning streak in college football has ended for the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (13-1) at the hands of the No. 2 Oregon Ducks (13-1), 59-20, in the Rose Bowl. The impressive 29-game streak was surrendered in the second half after five turnovers by the Noles, equating to 35 points for the Ducks.
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota silenced his critics by leading Oregon to the most dominating performance this season with 639 total yards on offense, despite not playing most of the fourth quarter.
The biggest question for the Ducks this season was if they could win the “big game” against opponents outside of the Pac-12 conference. After a blowout victory against the undefeated Seminoles, there’s no question that Oregon deserves to play for a national championship. In the third ever battle of Heisman-winning quarterbacks, the Ducks played great on both sides of the ball. FSU quarterback Jameis Winston struggled against the Ducks, who only allowed just two touchdowns to the Noles’ offense. The lackluster showing from the former Heisman winner should reevaluate his plans to declare eligible for the NFL Draft.
Time and luck ran out on Florida State, after narrowly escaping defeat week after week in the last eight games. It was only a matter of time before a top 10 opponent would knock off the Noles and it was Oregon’s high-paced offense that outmatched them. The Ducks will be a tough draw in for the national championship for either Alabama or Ohio State, due to their ability to score quickly on offense. The Noles couldn’t recover from a surmountable lead, but the real question is, can any team slow down Mariota and Oregon’s offense?
Mariota simply got the best of Florida State and proved once again why he and the Ducks have been the topic of conversation in this historic season. Just one win separates Oregon from its first national championship now.
Jeff Hauser is a Pac-12 Football contributing writer for RantSports and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @radiohauser.
Beamer Deserves One Final Shot With Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech was just another technology-centric institute until Frank Beamer created a top-15 football culture. Read More
5 Reasons Why CFP System Was Successful This Year
For year many college football fans wanted to see some sort of playoff system, and the College Football Playoff was successful in its first year of existence. Read More
5 Recruits Texas Longhorns Still Hope to Sign
The Texas Longhorns currently have the No. 9 rated recruiting class in the country. Here are five more recruits the team still hopes to sign. Read More
Ohio State's Meyer Doing All-Time Great Job
Imagine a team losing its starting quarterback just before the season began. Add to that the fact that the quarterback was expected to be a Heisman Trophy contender. Read More
5 Things You May Not Know About Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekeil Elliott has exploded in the ground game for Ohio State, and could potentially lead his team to a National Championship. Here are five things you may not know about the young star. Read More
5 Penn State Recruiting Targets
James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions picked up several key committments early in the cycle, but they still seek more additions to complete their stellar class of 2015. Read More
10 Biggest Surprises From CFB Bowl Season
Taking a look at the biggest surprises from the college football bowl season. Read More
5 Reasons Why CFP System Didn’t Work In 1st Year
Taking a look at five reasons why the College Football Playoff system didn't work in its first year of existence. Read More
Winston Makes Right Call Declaring For Draft
Judging by the past year, this is the best decision Jameis Winston has made by far. Read More
Winston Will Unsurprisingly Enter 2015 NFL Draft
Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston has decided he will enter the 2015 NFL Draft. Read More
Top 15 Players In CFP National Championship
Who are the 15 players to watch in Monday's Oregon-Ohio State game? Read More
Everett Golson Should Remain at Notre Dame
The quarterback controversy never stops at Notre Dame and Everett Golson will be one to watch this offseason. However, his best course of action will be to remain with the Fighting Irish. Read More