Sports

Buckeyes Won Title Behind Line Play, Elliott and Jones

Published

11 years ago

January 13, 2015

Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates after a nine-yard touchdown run during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Oregon Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writers
RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Coming into the national championship game, there was a school of thought behind picking the best team to win.

Those who favored Oregon said that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota was too skilled, his team was too quick and played too fast, the offense was too polished and deep and the defense too pliable for them to lose.

The backers of Ohio State figured the Buckeyes were more physical on both sides of the ball, had a horse of a running back in Ezekiel Elliott and a quarterback who seemed not just unflappable but unbeatable.

Before a crowd of 85,689 at AT&T Stadium, things couldn’t have more closely followed Ohio State’s template. The Buckeyes’ big guys up front dominated, Elliott rumbled for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries and Cardale Jones continually came up with big plays with his legs and his arm.

The result was a surprisingly easy 42-20 victory for the Buckeyes (14-1), who cashed in on their first national championship since 2002. It was a bitter defeat for Mariota and the Ducks (13-2), thwarted once again from winning their first national title.

Here’s what to know about how the Buckeyes won and why the Ducks lost:

TROUBLE ON THIRD DOWN: Oregon had trouble on third down, converting just two of 12 chances. The Ducks were 0 for 2 on fourth down, including a goal-line attempt that they couldn’t punch in. That was uncharacteristic for a team that went into the game ranked fourth in the nation for third-down conversions, at 51.6 percent.

“Third down was a big deal. And part of that was precipitated by not being good on first and second down,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said.

BRONZE STATUETTE: When Oregon was up 7-0 early and the Buckeyes were on their heels, it was Elliott — and Ohio State’s overpowering offensive line — which took over the game. The sophomore’s 33-yard burst seemed to jump start the Buckeyes and their fans.

He doesn’t shirk from talk that he might just be the front-runner for the Heisman next year.

“Just thinking that I’m going to have the opportunity next year to compete for the Heisman, it means everything,” he said. “I’m not going to change. I’m going to keep grinding. I’m going to do all I can to win it.”

RUN DEFENSE: Oregon’s run defense was mediocre this season, allowing opponents an average of 156.1 yards per game to rank 49th in the nation. Ohio State was averaging 262 rushing yards a game going in. In the end, Ohio State rushed for 296 yards against Oregon, and Ezekiel Elliott led the way with 246 yards and four scores.

“When you have him being as fast and physical as he is and then you trump that with a 200 and-whatever-he-is 55 or 60 quarterback, those are three pretty good hammers when you add the fly sweep game and some of the other stuff that they’re able to do,” Helfrich said.

OVERCOMING TURNOVERS: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said despite the 538 yards his offense amassed, it was the defense cleaning up after the offense that won the game. The Buckeyes turned the ball over four times — three fumbles and a bobbled interception — but those gaffes didn’t hurt them badly.

The first two turnovers resulted in zero points for Oregon. The second two turned into 10 points, but Ohio State had built an 11-point lead to maintain its advantage. Then Elliott closed out the scoring with three more touchdown runs.

“Defense won the game,” Meyer said. “We lose that game if we don’t stop them after our turnovers.”

NO MARIOTA MAGIC: Known for his ability to create plays when it appears none exist, Oregon quarterback Mariota was stymied by Ohio State’s defense. He had two touchdown passes, one on the opening drive to Keanon Lowe and a stunning 70-yard scoring pass to Byron Marshall that pulled the Ducks within 21-17 in the third quarter. In the end, this season’s Heisman Trophy winner completed 24 of 37 passes for 333 yards. He was sacked twice and intercepted once — on his final pass of the game.

“It hurts. I can’t really put it into words much more than that,” Mariota said.

WHY STOP AT ONE? Meyer conceded that he thought next year was Ohio State’s year. After all, the Buckeyes are very young — half the starters are freshmen or sophomores.

“To say we had this vision back in September or even August, no not a chance,” he said. “I thought this was a team that could battle and battle and find a way to win a bunch of games and then a year later go make a run at it.”

Remember, though, that there are three top-quality quarterbacks, Elliott and two-thirds of the starters coming back.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas cautioned Ohio State fans to save their money.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “We’ll be back.”

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP

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Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 16, 2026

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The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

‘This is on the precipice of actually occurring,’ said Ray Bobbitt, buyers’ representative

By Post Staff

After many months of complex negotiations, the Oakland Coliseum development deal is finally nearing an agreement that will open the way for new owners – the African Americans Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – to revitalize the sports complex and the Hegenberger Corridor in East Oakland.

On May 28, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a non-binding agreement to dispose of the County’s portion of the complex for $115 million in a deal with AASEG, with a closing date set for June 30.

“People are seeing that this is on the precipice of actually occurring,” said Ray Bobbitt, founder of the AASEG and an East Oakland native. “People feel that this needs to happen for Oakland, for East Oakland in particular,” Bobbitt said, as reported in the East Bay Times.

The agreement would transfer ownership of the 112-acre Coliseum complex property, which was owned 50-50 by Alameda County and the City of Oakland, to Oakland Acquisition Company, which is AASEG’s real estate wing.

The County’s approval marks an important step in the sale of the property, even though concerns about environmental liability remain. Under the terms of the non-binding agreement, the county will pay $115 million to Coliseum Way Partners, the corporate entity of the Oakland Athletics that had previously purchased the county’s half of the property for $85 million.

AASEG will then pay $115 million to the County in three annual payments, with 5% annual interest paid on any outstanding balance, according to the term sheet.

AASEG already negotiated a purchase of the city’s half of the property for $125 million in 2025, awaiting the sale of the county’s half.

A strong supporter of the sale, Supervisor Nate Miley said he was not “breaking out the champagne” until the sale was final. This is not perfect, but it is good.

“It’s good because the County ends up with more money,” Miley continued. “It’s good because an African American team takes ownership of the property, and they’ve got a lot of potential in terms of what they want to do with the property.”

A remaining disagreement between Alameda County and the AASEG involves environmental concerns.

AASEG wanted a “carve-out” for environmental concerns so that it would not face liability for the release of groundwater into San Francisco Bay without a permit. Obtaining a permit could be time-consuming and expensive, requiring the need for consultants, studies, and an oversight process by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

County supervisors unanimously supported the non-binding agreement without the carve-out, though Bobbitt said delaying or excluding the carve-out creates timing risks for the project.

“The motion is to accept the terms as presented, excluding the carve-out,” Board of Supervisors President David Haubert said. “Noting that it’s a non-binding term sheet and terms can always be discussed going forward. It’s been pointed out that that could affect the deal, timing, which we’ve been at this for nine years, but what’s a little more time?”

“The arena represents an anchor of the site,” said Babbitt. “This arena … has become a pop culture mecca, and the opportunity to enhance that and expand that is critical to the overall process.”

Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Miley explained the County’s reasoning behind some of the complex negotiations. He asked interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle:

“In layman’s term’s who’s on the hook for the environmental (cleanup)” under the current deal with the Oakland A’s?

“When the county with a former board entered in the deal with the (A’s), we took on all of the environmental obligations,” Miley said. “Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the environmental conditions of the Coliseum.”

“If we do a deal with Coliseum Way Partners (the A’s), we remain on the hook,” she said. “If we do a deal as we’ve currently structured with OAC (AASEG), we have eliminated some or hopefully all (or) as much as we can of that liability and aligned our deal with the terms of the city.”

Bobbitt, despite his concerns, supported the nonbinding agreement. He said the public has waited nearly a decade to come to this point.

“The community support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of P-words: patience, perseverance, persistence. And we’ve just had to do it, and we understand how complex this has been.”

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Alameda County

Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

7 months ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

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Barbara Lee

WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

1 year ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.