We came, we saw, we conquered. A huge sigh of relief. The Ducks have fought their way into the first ever College Football Playoff. What a staple on this great year in Ducks football history. Not only did he Ducks win the Pac-12 Championship against the Arizona Wildcats, but now they get to face the only undefeated team left in the nation: the Florida State Seminoles. Are the Ducks the team to take down the one opponent that we have all been waiting to see lose all season long?
The 2014-2015 Pac-12 Champions, the Oregon Ducks.
In an article written by Tom Weir, a featured columnist for Bleacher Report that can be found here, there is a strong argument that Oregon might have the upper hand in this battle.
“What makes the Ducks even more fearsome as the playoffs approach is they now have a defense their offense can be proud of. The Pac-12 title win was the fourth time in the last five games they’ve held an opponent to under 20 points. Florida State has played some stout second-half defense that has kept the Seminoles in range, but with a rushing defense that ranks only 104th in the nation, Mariota might run wild on them,” Weir wrote.
Ducks RB Royce Freeman in the end zone.
Despite all their “close calls,” the Seminoles have managed to keep a perfect record this season. It seems that both the Ducks and Seminoles find their rhythm in the second half of games. Where the Seminoles are trying to make a comeback and scramble for the win, the Ducks are sealing the deal. As Weir says in the article, the Seminoles’ run defense is ranked 104th in the nation. They may have a tough time stopping the running duo of QB Marcus Mariota and true freshman Royce Freeman. Oh, and did I mention Charles Nelson, Kenny Bassett, Byron Marshall… The list goes on and on. The Ducks will have to get out to a quick start and be careful not to let the Seminoles make one of their close call comebacks.
I can’t wait for the New Year. Go Ducks!
The Ducks celebrating after their Pac-12 Championship victory.
Top Photo by Gary Breedlove
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Ashley Young is current senior at the University of Oregon and grew up an avid Seattle Seahawks fan, despite all the ups and downs of past seasons. She has made her way to the University of Oregon and now loves watching the Ducks dominate in all sports. In her spare time, she has discovered a passion through the sport of Ultimate Frisbee and is a co-captain for the University of Oregon Women’s Ultimate team, last year’s national champions. Twitter: @AshleyHopeYoung