Oregon, Ohio State Face Off in College Football’s Championship Game

— -- College football’s champion will be decided tonight, when Oregon and Ohio State face off for the title.

The championship game airs at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. This is the first year for the College Football Playoff, a four-team tournament featuring the country’s top teams.

The playoff format replaces the BCS system, which ran from 1998 to 2013. Under the BCS format, Oregon and Ohio State might have both been skipped for the national championship game – with the teams they defeated, Florida State and Alabama, likely selected instead.

Ohio State and Oregon last played against each other in the 2010 Rose Bowl, when the Buckeyes topped the Ducks 26-17. OSU is 8-0 all-time against Oregon.

Here’s a look at the two teams vying for the national championship:

Oregon Ducks
Rank: No. 2
Record: 13-1
Last Game: Defeated No. 3 Florida State to reach the title game
Coach: Mark Helfrich
Key Player: Junior quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota earned the Heisman Trophy as this season’s best collegiate player, with 40 touchdown passes, 15 rushing TDs and 1 receiving touchdown in 2014.
National Championships: 0

Ohio State Buckeyes
Rank: No. 4
Record: 13-1
Last Game: Defeated No. 1 Alabama to reach the title game
Coach: Urban Meyer
Key Player: Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott rushed for 230 yards in Ohio State’s Sugar Bowl victory against Alabama.
National Championships: 7 – 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002