College Playoff Semifinal Preview: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State
Florida State is 13-0 and still fighting to prove they are the No. 1 team in college football. The problem is, they are No. 2 and have to beat No. 3 Oregon to even earn that distinction.
If Florida State is going to make it to the National Championship, they will have to put up a ton of points. That's because Oregon 46.3 points per game and typically only gives up 22.5.
Oregon has a high-powered offense, yes, but Florida State has only given up an average of 23 points per game this season.
It could come down to 2013's Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston outplaying this year's winner Marcus Mariota. Mariota threw for 38 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Winston only appeared in 12 games, throwing only 24 TDs, and was picked off 17 times.
Running the ball is a great option for Florida State. They have employed several spread and single back sets that could force Oregon to drop back into pass coverage freeing up some running room for Winston or true freshman running back Dalvin Cook.
Running is a great idea for Oregon too. Like Florida State, they have a true freshman back who can change the game with just one rush. Royce Freeman leads the Ducks in rushing yards and touchdowns. If Florida State limits Freeman or the Ducks want to change things up, sophomore Thomas Tyler and QB Mariota can take over too. Mariota did run it in 14 times this year; that's quite a bit for a QB.
It could depend on the offensive and defensive lines, who gets the bigger pushes and protects the quarterbacks better. With both defenses pretty strong, this game might not be the scoreboard-light-up game that everyone expects.
Prediction time? It's hard to choose against the Ducks. They should be able to control the clock with Freeman and Mariota.
Score: Oregon - 31, Florida State - 20
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