Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Darren Carrington (87) celebrates making a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl.
Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Darren Carrington (87) celebrates making a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. REUTERS

Oregon will be playing in its first college playoff title game and will be down by two main players as its wide receiver in Darren Carrington and running back Ayele Ford have tested positive in the mandatory NCAA drug testing. Carrington tested positive for marijuana use while Ford's situation has not yet been made public by the team. Under the NCAA rules, any player who testes positive for marijuana will have to sit out half a season.

Both players did not travel with the team for Monday's game against Ohio State and Oregon is left scrambling to fill up the roles given that it is already without its other key players such as Devon Allen, who went down with an injury during the opening kickoff of the Rose Bowl, tight end Pharoah Brown who is sidelined since November and Bralon Addision who has missed the whole season due to a torn ACL.

''Unfortunately, we've been tested in the realm of guys not being available for whatever reason all season long,'' Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said per Yahoo Sports. ''And our guys have stepped up.''

While Helfrich has remained positive that his team will step up to the challenge, the loss of their wide receiver is a big blow to the team's prospects of bringing home the trophy. The freshman Carrington was instrumental in the last playoff game of the Ducks. And the talented young receiver is hoping to parlay his last game into the title match which as it stand, can no longer come to fruition.

Carrington caught seven passes for 167 yards and added two touchdowns in the demolition of Florida State. He had a nice two-game performance by following that up with another seven catches good for 126 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win during the title game against Arizona. Unfortunately, the freshman cannot make it three in a row due to the failed test.

The Ducks will have to make do without four of their tested warriors as they try to take home the title. They still have Heisman trophy winner and quarterback Marcus Mariota but the rock of the team will have to be creative in finding the prospective receivers of those complicated passes. The team is looking into slotting Bryan Marshall, Charles Nelson or Keanon Lowe and is hoping that the troika will complete the task by committee. Still the job that the 6'2" Carrington will leave behind will be sorely missed by the squad given his ncie combination of swiftness and length.

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