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 Offensive Rushing Yards stats. The teams are listed in order of their Rushing Yards Average entering the game. Teams with the highest Rushing Yards Average entering the game are listed first.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State
3 Things
- Amazingly Ohio State's opponents averaged 191.7 yards rushing before playing Ohio State and when taking their performance against Ohio State out of their 2014 season stats.
- Ohio State faced four opponents that were ranked in the top 20 in rushing yards. The Buckeyes held two of the teams to below their season average.
- The Buckeyes are holding opponents to just under 50 yards below their season rushing average.
| Team | Avg. Before Ohio State | Rushing Yards Against Ohio State | Difference | Rank Before | Rank After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 339.3 | 71 | - 263.3 | 2nd | 3rd |
| Navy | 325.4 | 370 | + 44.6 | 2nd | 8th |
| Indiana | 264.3 | 281 | + 16.7 | 10th | 9th |
| Michigan State | 254.9 | 178 | - 76.9 | 15th | 18th |
 |
241.9 | ----- | ----- | 17th | ----- |
| Minnesota | 224.3 | 218 | - 6.3 | 26th | 25th |
| Virginia Tech | 220.0 | 125 | - 95.0 | 41st | 66th |
 |
209.5 | 170 | - 39.5 | 34th | 35th |
| That Team | 166.6 | 121 | - 45.6 | 61st | 65th |
| Rutgers | 159.2 | 149 | - 10.2 | 74th | 72nd |
| Maryland | 155.2 | 66 | - 89.2 | 78th | 87th |
| Cincinnati | 123.5 | 70 | - 53.5 | 99th | 109th |
| Illinois | 106.5 | 106 | - 0.5 | 111th | 113th |
| Penn State | 93.2 | 16 | - 77.2 | 118th | 120th |
| Kent State | 47.5 | 47 | - 0.5 | 120th | 122nd |
| Averages | 191.7 | 142.0 | - 49.7 | 57th | 61st |
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 rushing yards opponents gained against Ohio State and divided the total by the number of games played through 1-4-2015 less Ohio State.
| Team | Season Avg. Without Ohio State | Rushing Yards Against Ohio State | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 339.3 | 71 | - 268.3 |
| Navy | 335.4 | 370 | + 34.6 |
| Indiana | 262.0 | 281 | + 19.0 |
|
|
241.9 | ----- | ----- |
| Michigan State | 240.0 | 178 | - 62.0 |
| Minnesota | 215.3 | 218 | + 2.7 |
|
|
209.5 | 170 | - 39.5 |
| That Team | 166.6 | 121 | - 45.6 |
| Cincinnati | 163.7 | 70 | - 93.7 |
| Rutgers | 163.7 | 149 | - 14.7 |
| Virginia Tech | 149.8 | 125 | + 24.8 |
| Maryland | 126.5 | 66 | - 60.5 |
| Illinois | 118.5 | 106 | - 12.5 |
| Penn State | 109.1 | 16 | - 93.1 |
| Kent State | 84.7 | 47 | - 37.7 |
| Averages | 191.7 | 142.0 | - 49.7 |
