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Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork. Curtis McClinton Jersey .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. The Ohio State Buckeyes are back on top. They can thank the inaugural College Football Playoff for that. Elliott ran for 246 yards, totaling over 200 for a third straight game, and Ohio State won its first national championship since 2002 with a 42-20 victory over Oregon in the CFP National Championship Game on Monday night. The Buckeyes snuck into the final four of the CFP committees final rankings on Dec. 7 after not being included in any of their previous unveilings. Their vaulting into the No. 4 spot came a day after Elliott gained 220 yards and two scores in Ohio States 59-0 shutout win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes then went out and silenced their critics in the Sugar Bowl when Elliott ran for 230 yards and two more touchdowns in their 42-35 win over top- seeded Alabama. Elliott put the final stamp on the stunning title run Monday night. After the Ducks pulled within a point in the third quarter, Elliott ran for a trio of scores to lift Ohio State to its sixth national championship. The emergence of the sophomore Elliott took the pressure off Cardale Jones, who was making his third career start. Jones, of course, took over at quarterback following the injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Jones was 16-of-23 for 242 yards with a touchdown and an interception and added 38 yards rushing and a score for Ohio State, which won despite turning the ball over four times. Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota was 24-of-37 for 333 yards and two touchdowns to go with a pick for the No. 2 Ducks, who routed Florida State 59-20 in the Rose Bowl to reach the title game. Mariota also carried the ball 10 times for 39 yards, Byron Marshall caught eight passes for 169 yards and a score and Thomas Tyner ran for 62 yards on 12 totes in defeat. After failing to capitalize on a pair of Ohio State miscues in the first half, the Ducks were able to post 10 points on the Buckeyes first two turnovers of the third quarter. The Buckeyes committed their third turnover on their opening series of the second half. The ball popped off the hands of Jalin Marshall after Ohio State moved the ball into Oregon territory, and an alert Danny Mattingly was there to pick it off. Mariota fired a 70-yard TD pass to a wide-open Byron Marshall on the very next play to trim the gap to 21-17. Elliott darted up the middle for two yards to move the chains on a 4th-and-1, but Jones lost the ball on the next snap when the ball slipped out of his hand as he rolled right. Aidan Schneider hit a 23-yard field goal to whittle the deficit to 21-20 midway through the third quarter. Ohio State, though, responded by pounding the ball with Elliott. He carried it six times for 44 yards on its ensuing touch, finishing off the 12-play sequence with a bruising 9-yard TD run off the left edge to up the Buckeyes margin to 28-20 on the final play of the third. The Buckeyes defense then forced a three-and-out and Elliott was back at it again. Jones zipped a 19-yard completion to Jalin Marshall over the middle and Elliott barreled in from two yards out to make it 35-20 at the 9:44 mark of the fourth. Joey Bosa drove Mariotas shoulder to the turf on a first down play and the signal caller had to exit for a snap. Jake Fisher was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Tyrell Crosby was whistled for a false start to make matters worse. It was 3rd-and-26 when Mariota re-entered the game and he hit Dwayne Stanford for a pickup of 19 yards, and Oregon coach Mark Helfrich elected to punt. Mariotas 4th-and-11 pass fell incomplete on the Ducks next touch and Elliott powered in from a yard out with 28 ticks on the clock to cap the scoring. Earlier, the Buckeyes put up 21 straight points after Oregon scored a touchdown on its opening drive. Ohio State found the end zone on consecutive possessions late in the first quarter after punting on its initial series. Jones fired a 26-yard strike on a 3rd-and-8 to Corey Smith, then rolled left and tossed another 26-yard completion to Jalin Marshall. Jalin Marshall prolonged the drive when he fought for the first-down marker after going in motion and receiving a pop pass from Jones on a 4th-and-2. Elliott then zoomed through the secondary off the left side of the line for a 33-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7-7. Marshall returned a punt 17 yards to the Oregon 46 and Elliott later barreled to the 1 following a 17-yard run. Jones flipped a 1-yard TD pass to Nick Vannett in the left flat with 1:08 left in the first quarter. After a rolling Jones lofted a 43-yard completion to Devin Smith on a 3rd- and-12 in the second quarter, he snuck in from a yard out three plays later for a 21-7 Buckeyes advantage with 4:49 to go in the half. Schneider nailed a 28-yard field goal in the final minute to get the Ducks within 21-10. The Ducks, who turned the ball over just 10 times during the regular season, had a pair of close calls on their opening drive. Tyner lost the football after dashing through a huge hole off right guard, but it bounced right back to him and he gained 12 yards. Mariota later fumbled when he picked his way for seven yards on a scramble, but a replay showed that his knee was down. Mariota then capped the initial 11-play, 75-yard march when he eluded pressure, stepped up in the pocket and hit Keanon Lowe for a 7-yard score. Oregons first half was defined by miscues. Mariotas first two incompletions were third-down drops and the Ducks were not able to capitalize on a pair of Ohio State fumbles. The aggressive Ducks elected to go for it on a 4th-and-goal from the OSU 3 following a fumbled exchange between Jones and Elliott, but the Buckeyes stuffed Tyner at the 1. Oregon then went three-and-out after recovering a Corey Smith fumble following a 47-yard reception. Game Notes Ohio State coach Urban Meyer won his third national title and first with the Buckeyes. He became the second head coach to win national championships at two different schools, joining Nick Saban ... Elliott carried the ball 36 times, averaging 6.8 yards per carry ... Oregon was without freshman receiver Darren Carrington, who failed an NCAA administered drug test prior to the game ... Ohio State outgained Oregon 538-465 ... The Buckeyes were 8-of-15 on third down, while the Ducks finished 2-of-12. Stone Johnson Jersey . The 22-year-old Spanish midfielder recently signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea, and after spending last season on loan with Valencia in La Liga, Romeu will move to the Bundesliga for the 2014-15 campaign. Khalen Saunders Jersey . DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1:00 PM (ET) Detroit - G Rodney Austin, WR Ryan Broyles, DT Nick Fairley, QB Kellen Moore, DT Caraun Reid, CB Mohammed Seisay, DE Larry Webster Chicago - S Chris Conte, DT Brandon Dunn, QB David Fales, K Robbie Gould, CB Terrance Mitchell, OT Michael Ola, DE Trevor Scott GREEN BAY PACKERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Green Bay - LB Carl Bradford, DT Bruce Gaston, C Garth Gerhart, CB Davon House, WR Jeff Janis, TE Justin Perillo, QB Scott Tolzien Tampa Bay - OT Anthony Collins, CB Isaiah Frey, WR Robert Herron, RB Mike James, WR Solomon Patton, FB/TE Evan Rodriguez, LB Lawrence Sidbury KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Kansas City - WR Donnie Avery, CB Marcus Cooper, OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL Eric Kush, QB Aaron Murray, RB Charcandrick West, DT Nick Williams Pittsburgh - WR Justin Brown, DE Clifton Geathers, G Chris Hubbard, QB Landry Jones, S Troy Polamalu, TE Matt Spaeth, CB Ike Taylor MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1:00 PM (ET) Minnesota - LB Anthony Barr, OT Carter Bykowski, DB Ahmad Dixon, OT Charlie Johnson, FB Zach Line, CB Shaun Prater, TE Kyle Rudolph Miami - G Nate Garner, WR Matt Hazel, S Don Jones, WR Rishard Matthews, LB Chris McCain, G Dallas Thomas, RB Daniel Thomas NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT NEW YORK JETS, 1:00 PM (ET) New England - CB Kyle Arrington, RB LeGarrette Blount, OL Dan Connolly, CB Alfonzo Dennard, OT Jordan Devey, WR Julian Edelman, RB James White NY Jets - DT T.TORONTO – At a sprite 19 years of age, Morgan Rielly hasnt much minded spending the past few weeks living in a downtown Toronto hotel. “Its not so bad,” said Rielly with some glee on Saturday morning. “Im a teenager still so I like to get room service and order movies and stuff … Hopefully Ill get a few more weeks in the hotel. Ill have to wait and see.” Randy Carlyle wouldnt tip his hand on the organizations immediate plans for Rielly, whether to keep him with the Leafs in Toronto or send him back to the junior ranks in Moose Jaw for one more season. “I think Morgan Rielly is very close,” Carlyle said, questioned on whether he believed Rielly was ready to play in the NHL. “To say that unequivocally hes ready to play in the NHL is a tough question to ask and a tougher question to answer at this point.” Rielly didnt look out of place over the course of the exhibition schedule – he played in six of the eight games – but whether hes ready to step in and become a regular contributor in the NHL this season is the “tough question” that Carlyle and the Leafs will have to answer in the hours ahead. At the outset of training camp, Carlyle stated that the decision would lie in whether it was best for Rielly to offer 12-15 minutes nightly in the NHL – when he does play – or return to the Warriors for a year of likely domination, additionally suiting up for Team Canada at the World Juniors. “I feel like I am there,” Rielly said of his readiness play in the NHL. “But thats up to the coaches, if they want me to play this year or not. They have a team to play and a goal to reach, which is to play in the playoffs again; thats what they ultimately want. If they choose to keep me or to put me back to junior obviously Ill understand. Have to wait and see though.” The Leafs can keep Rielly in the fold just a little longer if theyd like – which seems likely at this point – with nine regular season games at their disposal to make a further assessment. Anything beyond that and they will exercise the first year of his entry-level contract, a fact they cant erase if his game slips at any point later in the season. With Cody Franson back on board following a lengthy contract dispute, the organization would appear to have six defenders ahead of Rielly on the depth chart, but still able to keep the B.C. native as a seventh option if they so choose. “We know hes played very well for our hockey club,” Carlyle said on Saturday evening, following a 3-1 win in the exhibition finale against Detroit. “Hes a talented young man and hes only going to get better. Those are the tough decisions that youre faced with.” Rielly for one, understood the difficulty of such a decision. “Absolutely I can [understand],” he said sincerely. “Thats why I say if I end up going back to junior I wont have any complaints. “I can obviously understand if thats what they choose.” Five Points 1. ‘Toughest decision Outside of the impending decision with Rielly, perhaps the most difficult choice Carlyle faces in the coming days is which goaltender to start in the opener in Montreal on Tuesday. “That probably is going to be the toughest decision,” he said. “[But] those are good decisions. Its tough on coaches and management to pick one guy when both have played well. But the underlying fact is its a great decision because we have 1-A and 1-B quality goaltenders, both guys can start.” For what its worth, James Reimer held the advantage statistically during training camp, boasting a .923 save percentage in four exhibition starts to that of Jonathan Bernier, who registered an .891 mark in four starts of his own. 2. Reimer ready to go Reimmer was hopeful that hed earned that opening night start following a solid exhibition showing. Willie Roaf Jersey. “Obviously the starting job is what you want and hopefully thats the case,” he said. “But its obviously going to be Randys decision, what he feels is best for the team. I feel Ive worked hard and done what I needed to do.”In his final exhibition start on Saturday, Reimer allowed just one goal on 25 shots, albeit against a mostly AHL-laden Red Wings roster. Of his training camp in general, the 25-year-old was pleased. “Results have been good,” said Reimer before the game, “but those are, in essence, secondary. Its about getting ready and feeling good out there and feeling comfortable. And so far, Ive felt that way. I felt that with every game that I felt more and more comfortable and there have been fewer situations where I was not ready or was taken by surprise. Thats what exhibition is really about, just getting ready.” Reimer said he typically feels ready for the regular season after 2-4 starts in the exhibition. “Thats when youve pretty much faced probably 90 per cent of the chances that youll ever face during a season,” he noted. Carlyle has already declared that Reimer and Bernier will split the first two games with one to play in the opener against the Canadiens and the other to follow the next night against the Flyers. 3. Liles future lingers John-Michael Liles faces an uncertain future as training camp concludes; the 32-year-old on the outside of a secure roster spot following just three exhibition games. In the finale against the Wings on Saturday, Liles scored once and added an assist in nearly 19 minutes. “I think every time you step on the ice youre trying to build towards something,” Liles said afterward. “For me, this was my third preseason game, youre trying to build toward the regular season. I dont think it was necessarily a conscious thing to say I need to go out there and assert myself. Thats all you can do as a player and Im no different than any other guy.” Miscast for a role on a Carlyle defence, Liles situation is further complicated by a burdensome contract, which carries three more years at a cap hit of $3.8 million annually. Considering their cap crunch, the most likely scenario would see Liles placed on waivers in the days ahead. If he cleared, the club would save $925,000, unable to bury the full cap hit as in years past. 4. Preseason Schedule The Leafs concluded their eight-game exhibition schedule with their second back-to-back set, a Friday-Saturday affair with their new division rivals from Detroit. With a back-to-back, additionally on the road, to begin the regular season, Carlyle opted to dress a lineup Saturday chalk full of youth and very few regulars. “Its not something that you would say would be ideal when you have to finish on a Friday-Saturday back-to-back and then play your first two games of the season on Tuesday-Wednesday and open two buildings,” Carlyle said. “I dont think that is really ideal. I think it puts us somewhat at a competitive disadvantage.” 5. One last opportunity In light of the hectic exhibition schedule and need to keep regulars rested was an opportunity for one last impression before most of those dressing Saturday returned to the Marlies. “Its another opportunity to show the organization and the coaching staff that if need be they can be called upon to make a contribution to our lineup,” Carlyle said. The player who stood out most in that regard against the Wings was Josh Leivo, the 20-year-old scoring twice, including a laser beyond Jared Coreau in the final frame. Andrew MacWilliam additionally demonstrated the raw truculence that made him noticeable in the early days of camp, delivering eight hits against the Wings. Up Next The Leafs open the regular season in Montreal on Tuesday. ' ' '