LOS ANGELES >> Defensive end DeForest Buckner of Waianae and Punahou School told media Sunday that he and the rest of the Oregon defense is ready for a stern test from Florida State’s offense in Thursday’s Rose Bowl.

The ability of Buckner and the rest of the Ducks defensive front to pressure Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston could be a big key in the College Football Playoff seminal game.

"They’re a big, athletic offensive line," Buckner said at a press conference Sunday morning prior to Oregon’s practice. "They don’t really have a lot of tendencies as a line and as an offense as a whole, so we’ve just got to … prepare for everything. They do a really good job with protecting Jameis (Winston) in the pass protection and it should be a good one on Thursday."

Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum said Buckner, a fourth-year junior, developed as a leader this season.

"I think he grew into it, but we forced the issue," Pellum said. "I mean, like "’D-Fo, we need to get this done. OK, Coach.’ Let me put it this way. We put more responsibility on him and he handled it well."

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner who led the Seminoles to last year’s national championship, also spoke to reporters Sunday. He said it doesn’t matter that Oregon’s All-American cornerback, Ifo Epkre-Olomu, is injured and out for the game.

"I said a lot of times, and I don’t mean to come off as arrogant, but we don’t discriminate. Even if he was on the field, we were looking forward to playing him," Winston said. "We don’t fear nobody. (NFL star) Richard Sherman get out there and line up against us, we wouldn’t throw away from him neither."