Last Monday, January 12, the Ohio St. Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks 42-20 to win the first ever College Football National Championship title.

Ohio State had to overcome several injuries and fight against those who doubted they should be in college football’s final four in order to earn the title. They used three different quarterbacks, as the first and second string quarterbacks, both potential Heisman trophy winners, fell to season ending injuries. They endured a lopsided 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech and beat number 1 seeded Alabama to reach the title game.

Red-shirt sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones and sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliot led the team. Elliot ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns on a career-high 36 carries to earn the offensive MVP award for the championship game. Jones threw for 242 and a touchdown, along with a rush touchdown in his third ever career start.

Oregon’s fast-paced, no huddle offense could not convert against Ohio State’s stacked defensive from seven, as they only went 2-12 on third downs. Even with four Ohio St. turnovers, the Ducks failed to score. They struggled in the red zone and were held to their lowest point total of the season, four touchdowns fewer than their average coming in.

The Buckeyes championship title will be the third under head coach Urban Meyer. The number 2 seeded Ducks will have to continue their search for the championship title without their quarterback Marcus Mariota, as he has declared to forgo his last eligible year to enter the NFL draft.

The many staff members and students here at YLHS were split, as there were fans and supporters of both the Ducks and the Buckeyes. Many Pac-12 fans wanted Oregon to win, while others who did not like the sometimes showy Ducks attitude were rooting for Ohio State. Sophomore Brooke Gagnon (10), an Oregon fan, said after the loss, “It was really disappointing to see the Ducks lose, but Ohio St. played a great game, and hopefully, next year, another Pac-12 team (USC) can have a shot at the championship title.”