THE 'EYES HAVE IT!

Elliott, Ohio State fry Ducks to claim first title since 2002

ARLINGTON, Texas — To think, Ohio State’s season was declared over before it even began. And to think, six weeks ago, the Buckeyes weren’t even expected to make the College Football Playoff.

The doubts were logical. The doubts were justified.

Ohio State had lost two Heisman candidate quarterbacks — Braxton Miller,and J.T. Barrett — in a single season, two injuries that were too much for any team to overcome. Cardale Jones, a sophomore who’d thrown 19 career passes before the Big Ten Championship, would have to win the first three starts of his career — all as an underdog — to bring the Buckeyes a national championship.

Three starts later, the thirdstring quarterback cemented a legacy unmatched in the history of college football.

“It’s a dream come true, but it’s still an unreal feeling,” Jones said.

Completing an unlikely and unimaginable ascent to reclaim college football’s throne, Jones led No. 4 Ohio State to its first national title in 12 years, upsetting Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and No. 2 Oregon with a 4220 win in the first College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night at AT&T Stadium.

“This team wasn’t supposed to do this,” said Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who became the second head coach in history to win national championships at two different schools, his third overall. “It’s as improved a football team — and I’ve watched football for a long time — from Game 1 to Game 15, I’ve never seen anything like it.

“This will go down as one of the great stories in college football history.”

Going against the overwhelming Oregon offense, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott emerged as the game’s unstoppable force, earning offensive MVP honors after running for 246 yards and four touchdowns to surpass 220 yards rushing for the third straight game and give Ohio State (141) its sixth national championship after being listed 16th in the first set of playoff rankings.

“It means a lot because going and three fourthdown opportunities.

Mariota finished with 333 yards passing and two touchdowns, while throwing an interception on what might have been his final pass at Oregon (132).

“It hurts. You put so much work, you put so much effort into the year, and it’s tough to go out with a loss,” Mariota said. “They just outexecuted us for a couple more quarters, and just the way it happens.”

Oregon’s offense was unrecognizable — beyond the silver and white uniforms — in the first half, punting four times to allow Ohio State to take a 2110 lead at the half, but the Ducks swung momentum by coming up with four turnovers, turning the game in two plays with a Jones interception and a 70yard touchdown pass to Bryon Marshall to cut the deficit to 2117.

Despite dominating physically, Jones (309 total yards, one touchdown) finally showed that the toughest position in sports couldn’t possibly be as easy as he had made it look, losing his grip on a throw midway through the third quarter, giving Mariota the ball 23 yards from the end zone. But with a chance to take the lead, the mighty Ducks’ offense could only muster a field goal, leaving Ohio State up 2120 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

Another chance would never come again.

After scoring on a 9yard run to close out the third quarter, Elliott put Ohio State ahead, 3520, with a 2yard touchdown and less than 10 minutes remaining in the season.

Soon, Jones was surrounded by a chaotic blend of strangers and friends, staring up at gold confetti and the majority of an 85,000plus crowd clad in red, staring down at a sight too sweet to conjure.

And to think, their season was over before it even started.