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2014 national title anniversary: Ohio State football’s CFP championship win vs. Oregon
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- 2014 national title anniversary: Ohio State football’s CFP championship win vs. Oregon
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2014 national championship season, when the Ohio State football Buckeyes went 14-1 and captured the first College Football Playoff title. We'll relive that remarkable year by sharing the game stories from that campaign as they appeared in the pages of The Columbus Dispatch.
Now up: Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game against Oregon .
A host of Ohio State defenders converge on Oregon running back Royce Freeman.
Buckeyes cap rise to the top
Defense secures title by stifling Oregon offense
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January 12, 2015
Say it slowly and let it sink in. It really happened. You aren't dreaming.
The Ohio State Buckeyes , counted out so many times this season, are the kings of college football.
This resilient 2014 team, a combination of 1968 youth and 2002 grit, overcame four turnovers to roll over Oregon 42-20 in the championship game of the inaugural College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium last night.
Counted out after losing Braxton Miller before the season and falling to Virginia Tech in their second game, the Buckeyes (14-1) won their sixth national championship in school history in front of a mostly Ohio State crowd of 85,689.
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The national title is the third for Urban Meyer, who won two at Florida and now has brought one to his home state.
"To see all these teammates smile like they are, it's what it's all about," senior tight end Jeff Heuerman said.
Ezekiel Elliott continued his stunning late-season run by weaving and powering for 246 yards and four touchdowns behind an offensive line that punished Oregon to earn MVP honors.
One-time third-string quarterback Cardale Jones was mostly flawless, throwing for 242 yards and a touchdown and repeatedly using his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame to bull for key first downs.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott capped his record-shattering postseason with four touchdowns and 246 yards to deliver Ohio State its first national title since 2002.
The defense, which many expected to wilt under the pressure of stopping Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota 's orchestration of Oregon's turbo-paced offense, was stout after a bad start. The 20 points were the fewest the Ducks scored all season.
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"We just had to settle down and adjust to their tempo," co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. "You can't simulate that in practice."
Ohio State led 21-10 at halftime, but that lead was threatened when the turnover bug that began in the first half flared up again. Oregon (13-2) intercepted a pass that glanced off Jalin Marshall . On the next play, Mariota threw deep to Byron Marshall , who was wide open for a 70-yard touchdown.
Oregon looked poised to regain the lead when Jones fumbled while starting to throw under duress and lost the ball at the Buckeyes' 23. Oregon got it to the 6 before Eli Apple prevented a touchdown catch by Evan Baylis by pushing the tight end out of the end zone before he could get his feet down. Oregon's field goal made it 21-20.
That was as close as the Ducks would get as Elliott and the offensive line took over. The Buckeyes answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, with Elliott doing most of the heavy lifting, finally scoring on a 9-yard carry.
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Ohio State made it 35-20 with just under 10 minutes left in the game, and Ohio State's defense prevented Mariota from providing any late magic.
"There were some bad situations that happened to us, but we know how to come back from it," receiver Evan Spencer said. "We've been dealt so many bad hands. We've just learned how to deal with it. We had a couple of costly turnovers that can't happen. But our defense backed us up."
The Buckeyes didn't even force Oregon into facing third down on the game's opening possession, a 75-yard touchdown drive. But then the Ducks twice dropped third-down passes on their next possessions. On the second, Dwayne Stanford was alone behind the Buckeyes' defense.
After a slow start, Ohio State's offense started rolling. Elliott weaved for a 33-yard touchdown to cap a 97-yard drive to tie the score and set up Nick Vannett 's 1-yard scoring catch with a 17-yard thumping carry to put the Buckeyes ahead 14-7.
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But it could have been a bigger margin. Two turnovers – a botched exchange between Jones and Elliott and a fumble by Corey Smith after a 50-yard reception – kept the Buckeyes from completely seizing control. The Smith fumble came after a goal-line stand by Ohio State's defense.
The Buckeyes made it 21-7 with just under five minutes left in the second quarter. Three plays after Devin Smith caught a 47-yard pass to the Oregon 5 on third-and-12, Jones scored on a sneak.
Oregon would make it a game, but the Buckeyes did what they did all year – answer the challenge.
"I'm speechless," center Jacoby Boren said. "We're national champions. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
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Given how young this team is, don't be so sure.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football 2014 National Championship year: Oregon game
