ARLINGTON, Texas – Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell was standing next to the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy at media day on Saturday. He looked out past the cameras staring him in the face and saw fellow safety Vonn Bell walking by himself trying to escape the media frenzy.
“Hey Vonn,” Powell yelled. “Come take a picture with me and the trophy.”
Bell stopped, turned to Powell and then kept walking.
“There’s no time,” Bell said, continuing his trek to the bus. “I’ll take a photo with the trophy when we win.”
Take your time with the trophy, Vonn. You and the Buckeyes are national champions.
Behind the rushing performance of running back Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State pounded Oregon in the Inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship 42-20.
“I’m going to take a photo with that trophy now,” Bell said with golden confetti splashed on the shoulders of his scarlett jersey. “I told them I wasn’t going to do it until I won it. Hats off to the team and now I’m going to take my time with it.”
Meanwhile, through the tunnel and down the hall at AT&T Stadium, Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich was choking up. While delivering his heartfelt opening statement, he rubbed the top of the white and silver Ducks helmet in front of him trying his hardest not to take his eyes off of it.
“We’ve unfortunately had some experience in this spot, and it’s not much fun because these guys had a great season, not a good season, a great season,” Helfrich said, “and to end it like this is certainly not the way we wanted to do that. But again, could not be prouder to be associated with these guys.”
For the game itself, Oregon linebacker Rodney Hardrick compared it to a street fight. “You’re going to take some punches and give out some punches,” he said.
In the end, the Ducks were dealt way more blows than they were issuing to the Buckeyes. The Oregon defense was hit with a consistent jab from the Ohio State backfield. Elliot averaged 6.8 yards per carry as he sliced through the Oregon defense for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries.
When it wasn’t Elliot running past Oregon defenders, it was redshirt quarterback Cardale Jones dominating through the air and ground. Jones – who was making his third career start for Ohio State – proved that his first two performances weren’t flukes, but a foreshadowing of things to come. Jones finished 16-of-23 passing for 242 yards and one touchdown. He added 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
“I’ve never met a third-string quarterback before,” head coach Urban Meyer said of Jones, “and he’s 3-0.”
After Oregon had closed its locker room doors, and after Ohio State had finished celebrating its seventh football national title, coach Meyer, Jones and Elliot entered the same press conference room that Helfrich, quarterback Marcus Mariota and Byron Marshall had occupied earlier.
At one point, Meyer was asked about the possibilities of next season. He looked down the table, saw Elliot – the offensive MVP of the game – and told him they’d have to get back to work soon.
“The chase is on,” Elliot yelled excitedly.
Meyer looked back at him and put a close on the 2014-15 college football season.
“No,” he said. “The chase is complete.”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt