Ducks back where they belong - title bound

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Oregon's vaunted offense took a back seat to its defense Thursday, and the Ducks' offense carried its weight enough so that the drama of a Texas Tech comeback never materialized and the outcome of the second quarterfinal of the College Football Playoffs was the predicted upset by the No. 5 seeds.

Oregon beat Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl powered by four turnovers and three field goals. The Ducks, though rated as underdogs by the seeding system, were favored by oddsmakers and became the sixth team to move from a first round victory to a win over a team with a bye, something Oregon had last year.

Oregon outgained the Big 12 champions 309-215, and held the ball for 38 minutes. The Red Raiders had two plays account for 74 of their yards and were inside the Oregon 10 only once, a drive that ended with an interception.

Freshman Brandon Finney, Jr., had two interceptions and recovered a fumble and junior Matayo Uiagalelei's key forced fumble and recovery set-up Oregon's first touchdown with 11:20 left in the third quarter. Freshman Jordan Davidson ran six yards for the score to boost the Ducks' 6-0 halftime lead to 13-0.

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