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Chicago's Oregon, Ohio State Fans Prepare for Championship Game Showdown

By Justin Breen | January 12, 2015 5:29am
 Chris Schroeder and Jasmin Jenkins, respective presidents of the Chicago chapters of the Oregon and Ohio State alumni associations, are pumped for Monday's championship game between the Buckeyes and Ducks.
Chris Schroeder and Jasmin Jenkins, respective presidents of the Chicago chapters of the Oregon and Ohio State alumni associations, are pumped for Monday's championship game between the Buckeyes and Ducks.
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Chris Schroeder; Jasmin Jenkins

LINCOLN PARK — Chicago's Bucks and Ducks likely will be passing each other before, during and after Monday night's college football national championship game between Ohio State and Oregon.

While their campuses are 2,450 miles apart, watch parties for the schools' respective Chicago alumni associations are within a few buildings of each other. The OSU Alumni Club of Chicago — 8,000 members strong — will be hosting two watch parties, including one at McGee's Tavern and Grille, 950 W. Webster Ave. in Lincoln Park. Meanwhile, Oregon's Chicago Ducks group has its watch party a few doors down at Homeslice Chicago, 938 W. Webster Ave.

"Those two bars, people tend to roam around, so I'm sure people will run into each other," said OSU Alumni Club of Chicago president Jasmin Jenkins, of Hyde Park. "I'm sure people will see other outside those places, so that should make for an interesting night."

Justin Breen says only the L tracks separate the opposing watch parties:

In the first college football playoff, No. 4 Ohio State (13-1) upset No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, while No. 2 Oregon (13-1) crushed No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl to set up the 7:30 p.m. Monday matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on ESPN.

Although Oregon, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, is about a six-point favorite, the Ducks are 0-8 all-time against the Buckeyes. But Chicago Ducks president Chris Schroeder countered that Oregon beat Ohio State in the first men's basketball title game in 1939.

"So in championship games, technically we are undefeated," said Schroeder, of Lincoln Park. "And we've got to stop the [football] streak sometime."

Schroeder said there are about 1,300 Oregon graduates living in Chicago and its suburbs. His organization recently awarded a $2,100 scholarship to a Chicago-area high school graduate who's attending Oregon next school year.

Ohio State's local alumni group, which also is having a watch party at Woodie's Flat, 1535 N. Wells St., also provides scholarships to area high school graduates who will be attending Ohio State.

As far as predictions, Jenkins and Schroeder believe the game will go right down to the wire. Jenkins said the Buckeyes will prevail 30-24; Schroeder, who has tickets for Monday's game, has his Ducks winning 38-28.

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