Four storylines to watch in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual (5 p.m. ET Thursday on ESPN).
1. Heisman vs. Heisman. A matchup of Heisman winners has happened only three other times in college football history. So while the storylines have been painted of good versus evil, having Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston playing on the same field -- on such a big stage -- really is a historic event. Though Winston’s statistics haven’t been as impressive and he didn’t earn a trip to New York this season when Mariota won the Heisman, he’s still a highly dangerous quarterback. Winston has thrown for 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns. His 17 interceptions and 65.4 percent completion rate are worse than last season, but he has something that Mariota doesn’t: an unblemished record. Mariota has thrown for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns with just two interceptions. But statistics can pretty much be thrown out the window with these two. They’re gamers playing on the biggest stage in college football. With a spot in the national title game on the line and two Heisman winners commanding their offenses, this is going to be a matchup not to miss.
2. Freshman running backs. It’s not just the quarterback position with an interesting battle brewing. Florida State and Oregon feature true freshman running backs who’ve absolutely torn up the competition this year. Florida State freshman Dalvin Cook came on late after the Seminoles lost Karlos Williams and Mario Pender to injury, but he has accounted for 905 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 155 carries. Oregon freshman Royce Freeman took the Ducks’ starting spot more quickly and has compiled 1,299 yards (the Ducks’ first 1,000-yard freshman) and 16 touchdowns on 230 carries. Cook, who has averaged 5.8 yards per carry, will be facing a Duck rushing defense that has given up just 4.1 yards per rush. On the other side, Freeman, who has averaged 5.6 yards per carry, will attack an FSU defense that has allowed 4.0 yards per rush this year.
3. Can Oregon do what no other team has done in two years? Or does FSU continue its streak? People can say what they want about the way Florida State has gone about collecting its 29-0 record over the past two seasons, but at the end of the day the Seminoles did the only thing that matters -- they won. No team has been able to stop them yet, and even when the Seminoles face a late-game deficit, no opponent has been able to keep its foot on FSU’s jugular. The Oregon defense has made major strides this season and is playing its best ball of the year, but the Ducks lost Jim Thorpe Award finalist Ifo Ekpre-Olomu during bowl practices to a season-ending injury. Chances are the Ducks will have Chris Seisay step into Ekpre-Olomu’s role, but the redshirt freshman has accounted for only 20 tackles this season and it leaves a mark in the Oregon secondary that Winston -- especially in late-game situations -- would likely attack.
4. In the trenches. The Ducks’ O-line has been a patchwork unit all season, suffering what seemed like a new injury every weekend. Blame for the Ducks’ one loss this season can be placed at the feet of the offensive line, which started a true freshman and a former walk-on at each tackle position. Mariota was sacked five times in the loss to Arizona and the Ducks averaged only 3.5 yards per carry, two yards less than their season average. But center Hroniss Grasu is expected to make his return for the Rose Bowl, bringing new life to a line that has held it together despite the injuries throughout the season. FSU has one of the stronger D-lines Oregon has seen all season. With Mario Edwards Jr., DeMarcus Walker, Eddie Goldman and Desmond Hollin up front, the Seminoles likely feel that there are a few matchups they can exploit along the offensive line. Though Florida State rarely sends more than four pass-rushers, if the Seminoles can get to Mariota, that will disrupt the Ducks offense. But even if FSU continues to send four or fewer, it’ll still be a huge battle to watch as the Seminoles rush defense matches up with Freeman & Co. This would force Mariota to rely more on his weapons downfield, where the Seminoles feel they have a big advantage.
