It’s official, fan friends! Oregon has locked down their spot in the College Football Playoffs and will be playing Florida State in the Rose Bowl on January 1.
In this playoff our Ducks (12-1) are are ranked No. 2 and the Seminoles (13-0) are ranked No. 3. Florida State is undefeated and the only team in this playoff rack to have no losses. Although Florida State has been a big name in college football this year, I personally didn’t know all that much about the team or their game, so I did a little research.
It seems as though Florida State encompasses a defending Heisman-winning quarterback in Jameis Winston. In an article for Oregonlive.com, Andrew Grief discusses a preview of this game. Grief explains how the Seminoles can hurt the Ducks and how they can hurt them in this match-up.
He explains, the Seminoles can hurt first off, by always finding a way to win. Regardless of who they are playing or what the predicament of the game is they have managed to lead an undefeated season. They have actually been mentioned as “bullies” in college football. They have had a very successful season thus far, but they also had a successful season in 2013, ending up winning a national title while managing to outscore the majority of their opponents by an average 40 points per game.
The hard-core Seminoles are not only confident and determined but they make key plays when necessary and are ranked No. 6 nationally for red-zone defense and No. 7 for red-zone offense. But the Ducks have proven since their earlier loss to Arizona this season that we are not an easy team to “hurt.”
Our Ducks have an opportunity to take down Winston and as the defense thrives every game, every week, every day of practice. Winston has 17 interceptions this season! With Troy Hill, Erick Dargan, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu as part of the secondary, not only do they have an opportunity to establish Interception Central, if you will, but to put major pressure on the FSU offense, in general.
I’d like to conclude with a fun-fact that will most likely make you giggle with happiness and pride: Winston’s interception total in the last six games totals 12.
Marcus Mariota being amazing in Fridays victory over Arizona.
Marcus Mariota’s interception total for his entire career … 12.
Top Photo by Gary Breedlove
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McKalie Bellew just moved to Oregon from Arizona. She is a sophomore at Lane Community College and moved here to pursue her dream of studying Sports Journalism and Broadcasting at the University of Oregon. Her passion for sports is admirable and her determination and hunger for success in the sports field is fascinating; if you ever have the chance to talk to McKalie face-to-face about sports, you’ll know how much she loves these games just by the way her eyes light up during the conversation. When unable to attend Ducks home games you can find her in front of a television on the edge of her seat, cheering her crazed-fan-head off. McKalie appreciates your feedback and constructive-criticism to help her become a better writer and reporter.