Sad Duck fan.
Oregon enters the National Championship Game with several statistical strengths. The Ducks are ranked in the top 20 in the following 10 statistical categories.
- Rushing Offense (17th)
- Offensive 4th Down Conversions (17th)*
- Punt Returns (12th)
- Passing Offense (11th)
- Offensive 3rd Down Conversions (4th)
- Total Offense (3rd)
- Scoring Offense (2nd)
- Offensive First Downs (2nd)*
- Turnover Margin (2nd)*
- Team Passing Efficiency (1st)*
As you can see above, Oregon excels in offense. Stop the offense and you stop the Ducks.
*I did not track this stat with the Ohio State Effect in 2014.
Below you will see what the Buckeyes' defense did to opponents and their Points Scored stats. The teams are listed in order of their Points Scored Average entering the game. Teams with the highest Points Scored Average entering the game are listed first.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State
3 Things
- Oregon will be the third team Ohio State has played this year coming into the game averaging 40+ points per game. Michigan State (37 points) and Cincinnati (28 points) were held to a combined 25 points below their points scored average.
- Ohio State's defense held 9 of its 14 opponents under their scoring average. Only That Team scored more than 3 points above its average.
- The Buckeyes were able to hold 7 teams below their season scoring average by 12.5 points or more.
| Team | Avg. Before ohio State | Points Scored Against OSU | Difference | Rank Before | Rank After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
47.2 | ----- | ----- | 2nd | ----- |
| Michigan State | 45.5 | 37 | - 8.5 | 5th | 6th |
| Cincinnati | 44.5 | 28 | - 16.5 | 14th | 29th |
| Wisconsin | 37.5 | 0 | - 37.5 | 14th | 29th |
 |
37.1 | 35 | - 2.1 | 16th | 15th |
| Maryland | 36.8 | 22 | - 14.8 | 41st | 39th |
| Virginia Tech | 34.0 | 35 | + 1.0 | 56th | 55th |
| Navy* | 33.5 | 17 | - 16.5 | 35th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 30.7 | 24 | - 6.7 | 57th | 59th |
| Rutgers | 29.5 | 17 | - 12.5 | 68th | 79th |
| Illinois | 28.5 | 14 | - 14.5 | 74th | 79th |
| Indiana | 25.1 | 27 | + 1.9 | 88th | 85th |
| Penn State | 21.2 | 24 | + 2.8 | 108th | 103rd |
| That Team | 20.6 | 28 | + 7.7 | 111th | 109th |
| Kent State | 13.5 | 0 | - 13.5 | 117th | 124th |
| Averages | 31.2 | 22.0 | - 9.2 | 57th | 64th |
*Navy before stats based on 2013 season.
The 2014 Buckeyes totally dominated opposing defenses. Every defense's Points Allowed stats were demolished by Ohio State's offense. If you are an opponent of Ohio State it has to be frustrating knowing that the Buckeyes on average will score 45 points.
Below is a compilation of the average season stats of the teams Ohio State played in 2014. To get a fair comparison for the "Ohio State Effect" I removed the points Ohio State scored against the opponent and divided the total by the number of games played through 1-4-2015.
| Team | Season Avg. Without Ohio State | Points Scored Against Ohio State | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
47.2 | ----- | ----- |
| Michigan State | 43.5 | 37 | - 6.5 |
| Wisconsin | 37.3 | 0 | - 37.3 |
|
|
37.1 | 35 | - 2.1 |
| Cincinnati | 34.5 | 28 | - 6.5 |
| Navy | 33.0 | 17 | - 16.0 |
| Maryland | 29.0 | 22 | - 7.0 |
| Minnesota | 28.8 | 24 | - 4.8 |
| Rutgers | 27.5 | 17 | - 10.5 |
| Illinois | 26.9 | 14 | - 12.9 |
| Indiana | 24.9 | 27 | + 2.1 |
| Virginia Tech | 23.2 | 35 | + 11.8 |
| Penn State | 20.3 | 24 | + 3.7 |
| That Team | 20.3 | 28 | + 7.7 |
| Kent State | 17.8 | 0 | - 17.8 |
| Averages | 28.9 | 22.0 | - 6.9 |
The 2014 version of the Silver Bullets is nowhere near holding opponents to single-digits in scoring like Ohio State defenses of the past. However, this version was able to shutout two opponents. Oregon's defense does not have a shutout this season.
