NCAA Football Ohio State Buckeyes

5 Players Who Must Step Up For Ohio State In College Football Playoff National Championship

5 Players Who Must Step Up For Ohio State In College Football Playoff National Championship

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After knocking off Alabama, Ohio State is in the National Championship and in prime position to knock off Oregon in the final game. Ohio State will have its hands full versus Oregon, but it is playing well enough to beat the Ducks. That said, the team will need these five players to step up.

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5. Eli Apple

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5. Eli Apple

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The redshirt freshman from New Jersey has played great this season. Against Alabama, he was tasked with facing the nation's most dominant receiver in Amari Cooper. Apple was able to keep Cooper off his usual game. Although Oregon doesn't have a player like Cooper, they can be deceptive with their deep passes, so Apple will need to keep playing at a high level.

4. Curtis Grant

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4. Curtis Grant

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Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Curtis Grant was the leading tackler against Alabama. The senior linebacker is sure tackler, but he will have the toughest matchup in his college career against Marcus Mariota and Royce Freeman. Oregon is the fastest team in the country, and their rushing attack is up there with the best as well.

3. Michael Bennett

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3. Michael Bennett

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When he is on the field, Michael Bennett is a relentless presence in the middle of the trenches. However, Bennett gets a ton of breaks so he can keep fresh. Oregon's offensive line isn't the best, but they're so fast and play with so much pace that they are nearly impossible to beat. If there is one defensive line that can knock off Oregon, it is Ohio State's.

2. Joey Bosa

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2. Joey Bosa

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Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The sophomore has been unbelievable in 2014. Bosa finished the 2014 year with 13.5 sacks, and many have compared him to J.J. Watt for his ridiculous ability to split the middle of the defense. Like Watt, Bosa also has freakish athletic talent. Despite this, Bosa had just three tackles against Alabama. He will need to play a bigger role against Oregon.

1. Cardale Jones

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1. Cardale Jones

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Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

He has started just two games, but Cardale Jones has been quite incredible for the Buckeyes. Against Wisconsin and Alabama, Jones has put up 101 points combined. With weapons like Ezekiel Elliott and Devin Smith, he has a good offense to work with. Oregon has a great defensive line that will make it tough for Jones to go through his reads and move the football down the field, so he will need to bring his 'A' game.

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