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10 things you didn’t know about the College Football Playoff Championship Game

Noah Frank | nfrank@wtop.com

January 12, 2015, 3:15 AM

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Urban Meyer was once a minor league baseball player Yes, it’s true. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves and played two seasons in their minor league system, never advancing past rookie ball. His lifetime .182 batting average in 44 games likely had something to do with that, although the 13th-round pick did flash a decent eye, managing a .321 on-base percentage. After those two years, he was handed his release papers by the Atlanta farm director at the time, none other than Hank Aaron. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Marcus Mariota was the first Hawaiian to win the Heisman Trophy Mariota isn’t only the first Oregon player to win the Heisman; he’s the first from our 50th state, Hawaii. His victory was decisive, as he gained 90.9 percent of the possible points, the second-highest total in the past 50 years. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Mark Helfrich, the lowest-paid coach in the PAC-12, turned down Oregon As a player, that is. Helfrich, a Coos Bay, Ore., native, had the chance to walk on with the Ducks, but instead attended Southern Oregon, where he was the starting quarterback and an NAIA All-American. In 2006, he rose to the rank of offensive coordinator with Colorado at age 32, making him the youngest at the BCS level in such a position. Two years into his tenure at Oregon, the 41-year-old is the lowest-paid coach in the conference, making $1.8 million per year. Considering his 24-3 record and a possible national title on the horizon, he’s probably due for a raise. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
AP Photo/Steve Dykes
There were 96 players from Ohio State (53) and Oregon (43) on NFL rosters this year Both Ohio State and Oregon are among the 10 most represented universities in the NFL. That includes a number of starters on prominent teams, such as Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk. The top schools? Miami and USC with 57 players apiece, with SEC powers Alabama (56) and LSU (54) close behind. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The Redskins have zero former Buckeyes or Ducks on their roster While it’s true that Washington signed linebacker Austin Spitler to their future roster, there were no players from either school on their end-of-season active roster. The Baltimore Ravens have only one, but he’s had a huge impact — former Oregon Duck and five-time All Pro Haloti Ngata.   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Ohio State and Oregon also met in the first NCAA basketball championship That’s right — as unlikely as it may seem, these two schools have made major-college championship history before. All the way back in 1939, the Ducks and Buckeyes met on the hardwood in Evanston, Ill., for the first ever National Basketball Championship, which Oregon won, 46-33. Considering the Ducks are favored by about a touchdown with an over/under of 75, file that score from 76 years ago away for future reference. (GoldenRankings.com)
GoldenRankings.com
The last time Oregon lost the Rose Bowl was in 2010 — to Ohio State The Buckeyes come into the title game after their Sugar Bowl win, while the Ducks arrived via their victory in the Rose Bowl. The “Grandaddy of Them All” was traditionally a Big 10-PAC 10 matchup, but the BCS took away some of that certainty. Nevertheless, Oregon played in and won the Rose Bowl back in 2012 as well, and also made it to Pasadena in 2010, where it was upended by none other than Ohio State. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
The NCAA will pay for players’ families to travel to the game Just last week, the NCAA approved a waiver for parents or guardians of players that allows them to be reimbursed up to $1,250 per person for hotel accommodations, travel and meals. The program will also extend to both the men’s and women’s Final Four in April. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
AP Photo/Richard Vogel
Urban Meyer could become the second coach to win a national title at two different schools Meyer rose to prominence at the University of Florida, where he won two national titles in three years. But he can become just the second coach to ever win a National Championship at two different schools with a victory Monday night. The other such coach? Alabama’s Nick Saban (who also won with LSU in 2003), the man he knocked off to get to this game. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
No matter who wins, Nike has already won You might think of Oregon as “Nike U,” what with company founder Phil Knight himself being a Duck and the company headquartered in Beaverton, Ore. But the truth is, Nike has already won regardless of Monday’s result. While the apparel giant put Oregon on the map with its outrageous getups, they sponsor Ohio State as well and, actually, all four of the teams involved in the inaugural College Football Playoff. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
AP Photo/Ryan Kang
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(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WASHINGTON — By this point, you know the major storylines surrounding the inaugural College Football Playoff between Oregon and Ohio State, as it culminates in its Championship Game Monday night at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas.

But there are many other compelling storylines of which you may not be aware. Scroll through and educate yourself — if nothing else, you can impress your friends with your knowledge during the commercial breaks.

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