NPR Blogs

Ohio State Beats Alabama, Will Play Oregon For Championship

By Christopher Dean Hopkins,

Christopher Dean Hopkins and Doreen McCallister

Published January 1, 2015 at 9:15 PM EST

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Evan Spencer (6) intercepts the final, Hail Mary attempt by Alabama as time runs down for the win during the 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks will meet on Jan. 12 in college football's first national championship game based on a playoff system.

The headline in The Columbus Dispatch read: Get ready for Bucks vs. Ducks.

With help from Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State rallied from a 21-6 deficit to beat the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Thursday night, 42-35.

Alabama was hoping to get a shot at its fourth national title in six years, but that dream was denied.

With seconds left in the game, Alabama quarterback Blake Sims threw a Hail Mary pass into the endzone, but it was intercepted by Buckeyes wide receiver Evan Spencer.

Turnovers Doom Florida State As Oregon Sprints Into Championship Game

Despite knocking a long field goal attempt off the left upright to end the first half, Florida State can't have felt bad about its position going into the locker room — the Seminoles were within a score of Oregon's vaunted, high-octane offense.

But five of the team's next six drives ended in turnovers, including one fumble returned for a touchdown and another that let the Ducks start inside FSU territory.

Oregon put up touchdowns in each of its first five drives after halftime en route to the 59-20 win and a berth in college football's first playoff-set national championship game on Jan. 12.