ICYMI: Oregon Blows out Florida State in Rose Bowl

((ht: espn.com))

It was a close game at the half.

The Oregon Ducks went into the locker room at halftime with an 18-13 lead over the undefeated Florida State Seminoles with a berth in the National Championship game on the line.

And no, even the Ducks couldn't have imagined what would happen next.

The once-invincible Florida State team, winners of their past 29 games started making mistakes.

Four straight Seminoles turnovers led to Oregon points.

The Ducks scored 27 points in the third quarter. And the game was over.

A 41 point 2nd half gave Oregon the statement win they were looking for, their first over a Top 2 team ever. The Ducks beat the Seminoles 59-20. And it could have been worse.

QB Marcus Mariota threw for 338 yards and 2 TD's and ran for 62 yards and another score, leading his team to the win.

As for FSU star Jameis Winston, he had a tough day. He threw for a lot of yards, but had an interception and perhaps one of the ugliest fumbles you'll ever see.

Oregon moves on to the National Title game versus Ohio State in Dallas.

Notes:

--Many of the FSU players left the field before shaking hands with the Oregon players and coaches. A big breach of sportsmanship that should be addressed. (Winston and several others stayed for a long time to congratulate the Ducks)

---Several Oregon players may--and should be in trouble for what they did after the game. A video showing them on the podium mocking the FSU Tomahawk chop and chanting "No means no" has been making the rounds. Once made aware of it, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said they players involved will be disciplined.

Here's the video from Fox Sports West producer Bear Heiser:

Jameis Winston Almost Answers Questions In FSU Hearing

((HT: WCTV))

But, instead, he chose to read from a prepared statement and then invoke the Code of Conduct hearing equivalent of the 5th Amendment.

When asked if he would go any further, he volunteered his version of verbal and physical agreement and stated the sex he had with his accuser two years ago was consensual.

Major Harding wrote in his letter to Winston when the proceeding was all over: "I do not find the credibility of one story substantially stronger than that of the other."

So, technically, the ploy worked even if it wasn't all that believable.

Andy Alcock sits down with another lawyer to discuss the case


Winston's accuser could appeal or file a lawsuit and that may be the only way Winston would be compelled to answer any kind of question about the matter.

Mark Schlabach views the issues more in depth hyah...

And you yourself can view the Harding decision hyah...

DEVELOPING: Winston Cleared In FSU Conduct Case

((HT: CBS Sports/Fornelli))

Of course, he was...

Florida State QB Jameis Winston was cleared on sexual assault allegations in his Code of Conduct hearing on campus.

Winston's attorney, David Cornwell, announced the decision on his Twitter account Sunday afternoon:

"In sum, the preponderance of the evidence has not shown that you are responsible for ANY of the charged violations of the Code."

This does not mean that the accuser in the case is locked out of options. She and her legal representation could pursue a civil case- which is highly likely. But had Winston's Code of Conduct case come back with a decision against him, he could have been expelled (among other things you can to to a student in an evidentiary hearing setting).

And, to no one's surprise, the way the university handled the Winston case might have been a little different than the others the school has handled in the past that were similar in charge and scope.

Andy Alcock examines...
((HT: WCTV))

"Automatic" Aquayo Saves Florida State's Season.

FSU's Roberto Aquayo's Game Winner

Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo is known in Tallahassee as "Automatic Aquayo".


He had to be on a rainy afternoon at Doak Campbell Stadium kicking his first game - winning field goal of his career.  A 26 yard field goal that sailed through the uprights and saved the Seminoles defeating Boston College 20-17.



“To win a game, I’d never felt that feeling,” Aguayo said.

So the undefeated season remains intact.  The winning streak has reached 27 games but with the three point win over a pretty good Boston College team the game control wasn't there.

You got to have that to impress the College Football Playoff committee.

We're undefeated." Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said.  "We finish every game. Everybody else in the country has not finished at least one game. We've finished every one of them. Isn't that the object?"

Yes it is however game control seems to carry more weight that just winning it.

College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Jeff Long said on Tuesday night: "It's more of, the committee watches the games and then we discuss the game and we talk about whether the game was a back-and-forth contest, whether someone assumes control in the game early and keeps it throughout, (or) whether they assumed (control) in the second quarter or the third quarter or the fourth quarter and controlled it to the end."

If game control is your metric of where teams should be ranked than Florida State slipped again.

Saturday's opposing head coach, Steve Addazio sides with his conference rival.

"The object is to win football games and find a way to win and they have obviously
done an unbelievably great job of doing that, that’s what I really look at." Addazio said. "They play in a Power 5 conference, I think one of the better Power 5 conferences, and week in and week out they find a way to win."

"We were downgraded every time we blew someone out last year, so think of the irony of that." Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston said.  "If we win the game close, we're bad, when we blow someone out, we're bad."

“Florida State is the number one team in the country." Addazio said.

The bottom line is all Florida State has to do is finish in the Top four of the CFB Playoff poll and they are in.

You would think though that the only undefeated team in major college football would be the number one seed, conference affiliation be damned.

Florida and Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game remain on Florida State's schedule and both games will be difficult to control from the kickoff on.

Judging from the Seminoles past performance close games are the norm.

Not Much Love For The Seminoles

The volume of the noise surrounding Florida State continues to get ramped up.

Forget about Jameis Winston and his off the field issues.  That has been well documented.

Now Florida State is slowing dropping in the College Football Playoff Selection Rankings after being leapfrogged by one loss Oregon this week.

There are those who believe the Seminoles shouldn’teven be in the four team playoff for lack of impressing anyone.

“I thought the name of the game was to keeping winning.” Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said.  “I don’t know what they’re (the CFP Selection Committee) to send or what’s trying to go on.”

It appears that this Florida State team is a victim of their success from last season which was off the charts.  An FBS record 723 points and averaging 51.6 points per game and FSU scored less the 40 points only twice last season.

“You don’t win games like we did last year.” Fisher said. “No one had done it in 68 years.”

This season the Seminoles have scored over 40 points just three times but Florida State remains 9-0 this season.

“We win.” Fisher said. “I think we are great in our own way.  Maybe each team has a different style, but I love this team.”

It appears Florida State is a team that everyone else loves to hate.

“What somebody thinks of us – I hate to say but it’s none of my business.” Fisher said. “We just control how we play. We’ve won every conference game except one by double digits.  I’m very happy with the way we’ve played.”

Saturday Florida State takes on Miami in a rivalry game at Sun Life Stadium.

The Seminoles have won four in a row over the Hurricanes.  Since Miami made Sun Life Stadium their permanent home Florida State is a perfect 3-0 on that turf.

Should Miami prevail against Florida State Saturday, and that could happen, watch FSU free fall in the rankings.

That’s about the only way you will keep the Seminoles out of the playoffs.

“We’ve just got to keep playing well and winning.” Fisher said. “We’re going to have our hands full going to Miami.”

Yes you will.

Police: FSU RB Being Investigated for Domestic Battery

The strange world surrounding Florida State University continues to swirl on the heels of a statement by Tallahassee police that star RB Karlos Williams is being investigated for possible domestic battery.

"The Tallahassee Police Department is currently working an alleged domestic battery involving Karlos Williams. TPD received the case on Saturday night, October 25th, 2014 and it was immediately assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division. The alleged crime is an active on-going investigation and Florida Law does not allow TPD to discuss the details of any case while it is on-going.
Once the case is complete, it will be released under the guidelines of Florida Public Records Law."

You can also go to the PD's Facebook page RIGHT HERE

((Note--You should go to the Facebook page and read the comments, funny but scary sad))

We aren't exactly sure why the statement was released the way it was, but it hasn't been taken down either. To the best of ours...and everyone else's knowledge, Williams has not been arrested or charged with anything at this time (Monday afternoon)

In the meantime--A separate report from a Jacksonville, Florida Sports Talk host Fridauy afternoon stating Williams was already suspended has been denied by FSU coach Jimbo Fisher who probably has lots of experience playing whack-a-mole now.

You can read about that from the Orlando Sentinel RIGHT HERE

And raises a question...if the police report was filed Saturday, why would it be talked about on Friday?

Well, the reason is alleged photos and messages posted by Williams pregnant girlfriend on her Facebook and Twitter pages.

Police do say they are not allowed to comment on an ongoing investigation. Despite the fact the Facebook post earlier today did just that. Considering their past track record, we'll all be waiting to see how that plays out.

Jimbo Fisher is expected to have his weekly presser Monday evening as FSU prepares for their Thursday night game vs. Louisville. We can't wait to hear that one...

Williams is the leading rusher for the 7-0 Seminoles, who've been dogged all season long by the erratic behavior of star QB Jameis Winston.

The Hypocrisy Of Postgame Comments From Tallahassee

((HT: gifdsports Vine/Larry Brown Sports))

FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher is running heavy on either hubris or silliness or both these days...

After the win over Notre Dame, these were his words to Tom Rinaldi...
((HT: ESPN))


Pardon the HQ a bit if we laugh out ooud at the assessment...

But the more interesting part of the dynamic was on display before the interview itself, but the HQ is always a fan of the hot mic...

Here's the short version to Jameis beforehand...


And the translated version from FOSG Jimmy Traina
"Calm down, be very passive here. Understand what I'm saying? Humble. Humble pie."

Always coaching these days...

Always coaching...

FSU: No Evidence Winston Got Money for Autographs

While many of us were out enjoying our Friday night, Florida State University issued a statement about their "internal" investigation of Jameis Winston and his certified autographed memorabilia for sale on the Internet.

Athletic Director Stan Wilcox said, among other things; "At this time, we have no indication that he (Winston) accepted payment for items reported to bear his signature thereby compromising his athletic eligibility."

This is not a surprise. And Wilcox is correct. There's no proof Winston took money for signing the nearly 2000 items on the web with his signature. Therefore there is no reason he shouldn't be able to play.

The autograph situation is completely different than the issues facing Georgia Running Back Todd Gurley. Someone stepped up with evidence Gurley got paid. And agree or disagree, that is technically a rules violation unless proven otherwise, which it hasn't been yet.

The whole issue is stupid for the simple fact the NCAA makes millions off jersey's etc with the names of these kids and the kids see NONE of that money.

Do we think Jameis Winston got paid to sign stuff that is being sold online. Hell yeah we do. There's no logical explanation for that much signed stuff being available unless he did a mass signing for someone.

But there is no proof thus far, which means he can play, he can move forward--for now.

NOTE---Also on Friday, Winston's attorney David Cornwell confirmed the process of Winston's Student Judiciary hearing is moving forward as of now. Cornwell says while he still disagrees with the whole set-up, he's made his choice as to which of the three judges made available for the hearing that he'd like recused.

The hearing, that's a whole other issue...

While We Were Sleeping: FSU Benches Jameis Winston for Entire Game

The Lack of Self Awareness tour of Heisman Trophy Winner Jameis Winston continues.

While we were sleeping, late Friday night, Florida State University released a tersely worded statement announcing their star quarterback with judgement issues would sit out the entire game Saturday night against Clemson.

The reason, though not initially stated is that Winston wasn't totally truthful when describing what happened to Coach Jimbo Fisher or administrators earlier this week.

According to multiple witnesses and a ton of Twitter traffic, Winston inexplicable jumped on a table in the FSU Student Union and yelled out a vulgar internet meme.

That unto itself, if were a random student would not be a punishable event or even noteworthy. But when you are the defending Heisman Trophy winning quarterback on the defending National Champion football team, you are held to a bit of a different standard.

Combine that with Winston's two well documented run-ins with the law since he's been in Tallahassee and you've got a recipe for someone who needs to learn, badly, that there are repercussions for being an idiot.

We, and many others, question whether he realizes this.

That Was A Close One For #1 Florida State, Survive Over Against Oklahoma State 37-31

The opening game in college football is always a crap shoot.  No pre-season, no scrimmages against another team.  You start in the heat of battle.

Florida State was invincible last year on their way to a BCS national championship but 2014 is another story.

An inspired Oklahoma State team gave the Seminoles all they could handle but FSU prevailed 37-31.




Florida State is still a work in progress and that's not necessarily a bad thing when you can overcome adversity.

"We understand how to win games, and we're doing a good job" Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said. ." I'm proud of them for doing that."

"Oklahoma State was outstanding out there." Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston said. "You know, they played hard. They never gave up. They never gave up."

“This team won’t back down from anybody,”  Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said.

And the Pokes didn't back down on the Seminoles.

Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh was outstanding throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown and leading the Cowboys is rushing with 51 yards.

Most importantly Oklahoma State didn't fold in the spotlight on national TV after spotting Florida State with 17 unanswered points early in the game.

“We feel good about where we’re at,” Walsh said. “We’re upset about the loss, but going into film tomorrow, there’s going to be a lot of good things to build on.”

"I thought they (Oklahoma State)  did a heck of a job." Fisher said. " I told you Mike has a got a good football team, and he's a heck of a football coach."

Jameis Winston finished the game completing 25 of 40 passes for 370 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.  They weren't the gaudy numbers Winston put up in his season opener last year at Pittsburgh but his 28 yard touchdown run late in the third quarter will be stored in the memory banks.


It was also the longest run in Winston's career.

With the college football playoff a reality this is the first example of survive and advance in college football.  

Jimbo Thinks Jameis Has Suffered Enough

((HT: ESPN/ACCDN))

The explanation defies description...

Because he was suspended once already and he's really a good kid...

That's the reason that FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher gave at ACC Media Daze for not suspending (or giving any other kind of discipline for that matter) to QB Jameis Winston for his escapade at the Tallahassee Publix...

Jim Basquil and Jared Shanker discuss


Really...??? Really...???!!!

That's a fine example, sir...

The HQ's over-under for Winston getting into trouble in 2014 is Game 5- since Winston's own father has been asking for the equivalent of 24/7 supervision of HIS KID since he can't do it himself...

And, when Winston leaves FSU, it won't be soon enough...

High Bisque, Low Reward: Winston Suspended From FSU Baseball Team For Food Lift

((HT: WCTV-TV))

The jokes, memes, and stills created out of FSU QB Jameis Winston's crab leg-lifting at a Tallahassee grocery store have led to the usual, tremendous amount of jokes...

Now, the serious part for someone who really should have been keeping his slate clean with everything else swirling around the Tallahassee campus at present...

But, the Leon County (FL) Sheriff's Office held a press conference this afternoon to discuss...
((HT: Tallahassee.com))
Here's the end results for the civil citation for the $32.73 non-purchase: “As a result of his citation last night, we are suspending Jameis Winston from the baseball team,” said FSU Baseball Coach Mike Martin. “I am confident he will complete his community service obligation and the situation will be resolved soon.” “I fully support Coach Martin’s decision and will also make sure that Jameis meets all obligations, which I know he will,” said FSU Football Coach Jimbo Fisher.
He can still practice and compete since it's a violation of the FSU Code of Conduct. But that decision, ultimately, rests with each individual coach.

Winston was not arrested and will not face criminal charges if he completes the terms of the civil diversion program...

Okay, faithful reader...
What's your favorite response/pun/funny today to the Winston fiasco...???

Follow Up: Florida State Releases New Look (We reported this two weeks ago)

We first told you about this happening back on March 27th. We were one of the very first outlets to report that Florida State was about to do a major overhaul to their athletic team logos and jerseys.

A reminder RIGHT HERE

Sorry, we don't get to brag much.

Anyway, if you look at the video in that link, the release date says 4/11/14. Well, today is 4/11/14 and the new look has been revealed.

And the reviews thus far have been pretty darn good.

Take a look at the football helmets:

The actual helmets. http://t.co/iwfjLXME6l #IgnitionTradition pic.twitter.com/V5c8INsLAH
— Seminoles.com (@Seminoles_com) April 11, 2014

And the football jerseys:

 

#IgnitionTradition LAUNCHED! http://t.co/iwfjLXME6l pic.twitter.com/J5ocp5bvUK
— Seminoles.com (@Seminoles_com) April 11, 2014

The overhaul includes all the school's sports teams, but you'll have to go look those pictures up. The overahaul is courtesy of Nike, and both the school and the manufacturer are no doubt expecting a windfall in merchandise sales.

Gators And Seminoles Brawl, Jameis Winston Gets Involved

It's a fact of life in Florida, Gators and Seminoles don't get along.

Tuesday night in Jacksonville the top ranked Florida State Seminoles faced Florida in a college baseball game and the fireworks went off in the eighth inning.

FSU's D.J. Stewart collided with UF left-handed pitcher Danny Young hustling down the line.  Gator first baseman Zack Powers took exception shoving Stewart.

Then it was on.




What makes this more interesting is that Heisman Trophy winner and FSU closer Jameis Winston was involved in the brawl.

Florida ended up winning the game 4-1.

Florida State head coach Mike Martin who is known to deliver some great quotes had some good ones summing up this game for the Florida Times-Union.

There's no doubt that the testosterone and the adrenaline kicked in." Martin said. "Those men are very strong and very active.  The hands got a little quicker. The motivation rose. Just very proud of our baseball team, and the way that we fought. We certainly didn't back down from anything, and that makes every Seminole proud, because that's what we're about." 

The End Of An Era, The Beginning Of An Era...

I'll admit it...

I was walking around in 70-plus degree weather yesterday...

All day...

I have seen all the different photos on social media from all of my friends and fellow media describing something going on in most of the country, but I'm going to have to say that I have no immediate recollection of what you're talking about. I remember walking through some jet ways in Minneapolis where I felt like I was walking through that beer commercial where the spelunker is trying to save the very meal his bartenders are trying to serve by bringing the glass bottle they just carved out of the nearest, ultra-convenient mountain side with an ice pick...

And, I dropped to my knees in profound thanks when I got into the concourse where the heat was working...

I'll admit it again...

I'm a very poor responder to cold... and the epic cold the east is taking care of for me can be sent on its way, thank you, by the time I return...

I had a football game to watch...

As someone who was a victim of the "Wide Right" and "Wide Left" eras at my alma mater where your time is marked by missed field goals at the most key moment against your hated rival- and you can recite the kickers who missed them and the direction the missed kicks missed- all of this talk about shoo-in national titles came across my ears with all the smoothness of a 7-year-old kid playing the cello for the first time- because his grandmother thought it would be a good idea...

The chalk across the chalkboard feeling when the kaolin fails to do its job because it isn't pointed enough to create the quadratic equation for Geometry class...???

That feeling...

And as the point spread against an "underdog" Auburn team climbed from 8 to 10 or 10-and-a-half points (depending on the independent businessman you follow for such advice), your hands go straight into "earmuffs" mode the closer you got to kickoff. Sure, the younger generation attached to the current Heisman Trophy winner came into the Arroyo Seco with entirely too much confidence. But they will understand, some day, not necessarily this one- that when you're given all the information and get to study from all angles that nothing is as easy as it's made to look...

I'll say this without qualification...

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn is crazy...

And I don't mean that in a bad way at all...

He's the guy who works in his basement at all hours trying to figure out how to make time travel economical for the middle-class family of four. He'll be more than happy to figure out a way to make your sedan run on something that smells like cooking grease, but gets 427,000-miles per gallon. And, if there's a bomb set to go off attached to your ankle, and all he has is a plastic six-pack holder and a to-go bag from In-n-Out Burger...

He'll figure something out...

Defensive Coordinator Ellis Johnson isn't too far behind Malzahn, either... he just needs to figure out the cooking grease equations his boss has on the whiteboard...

In the first half of this title game, Malzahn ran his game that got Auburn to the last game of the year. It included a pass down the seam to a tall receiver that you had to go deep into the stat book to ask yourself who he was and did he, in fact, exist before Monday night. To even find who Melvin Ray exactly was, you had to know exactly where North Florida Christian School was and that Casey Weldon was his high school coach (Yes, the FSU Casey Weldon, but hang on to your conspiracy theories- for now).

Ray had caught only four other passes the entire season and his 6-3 height advantage was used mainly on special teams...

Until he was so blatantly ignored travelling down the seam, that it was 14-3...
((HT: ESPN))


Johnson dialed up 30 days worth of coverages that freaked out Jameis Winston and kept him in the pocket- and also kept the Seminoles from running their offense quickly enough to tire a defense that had given up yards all year...

They, simply, weren't doing it...

But football is all about adjustments... and you can talk about the fake punt Jimbo Fisher called being absolutely huge to keep his team from getting blown out of the gym...

It was...

And you can talk about how FSU pushed everything offensive from the tackle box (where Auburn likes to make it's three and four-yard gains all night if you let them) to the edges where their superior pursuit speed gave it more of a shooting gallery look going from side-to-side and gaining little yardage in the second half...

It did...

But it took a kickoff return by Levonte Whitfield...


And a 50-yard pass that set up the winning score as part of a 21-point fourth quarter to turn Auburn's last chance with the football into something that looked like a failed attempt at a Cal-Stanford play to chase one more miracle...

It took an entire half for Winston to find Kelvin Benjamin as a receiver and, doing the math, Devonta Freeman only got to run the ball 11 times in the entire game.

"Fortunate" is a word I would use as an alum to determine what happened at the Rose Bowl for Florida State fans. And with Tre Mason, Nic Marshall, and a lot of people returning, I look at Auburn to do some strong things next season...

Even if, with this new playoff system, the arguing will only escalate since more teams will be left out of the loop when you even get to choose more to be involved in a four-team playoff...

A few non-game points to close:

The Rose Bowl has no concept how to deal with incoming crowds...

The sign to your right was a microcosm of the day... they actually use it to keep some kind of control from the moment the gates allow you into the stadium proper and attempt to get to your seat. And, this "crown control" actually kept a lot of people from missing a lot of the pre-game activity on the field.

Do not misunderstand... the Rose Bowl is a gorgeous venue for football...

They just need a lot of Ess-E-Cee ushers and state troopers to get you in and out in the fashion with which the rest of the world is accustomed...

Translation: "A timely fashion..."

And, the other note...

The beauty of coming to Southern California is getting to sample some of the best food ever...

The unifier of all faiths from the Rose Bowl...
In-n-Out Burger...

This was our besieged and overrun In-n-Out across the freeway from our hotel in Universal City. They didn't think that there would be a big crowd, so they were understaffed...

Woefully so... but you notice that there are fans from both teams there- and the crew that keeps the Florida State appaloosa, Renegade, happy for his cross-country ride back to Tallahassee.

One FSU fan, obviously, dialed up on liquid courage wanted to know if there were any "National Championship winners" in the building. And yelling this question made him the envy of none...

A Seminoles fan waiting to place his own order in front of him turned and requested that he stay classy about the win...

"You don't want us compared to those 'Canes, do you?"

Eastern rivalries are never far from anyone, anywhere...
And that's football for you...

Enjoy the off-season people, National Signing Day is only a month or so away...
And it starts all over again...

The Seminoles Will Be Unconquered

Gus Malzahn and Jimbo Fisher

I see Brother Phil and Brother Jon have added their take to Monday’s BCS National Championship Game so I feel compelled to add my take.

My day job requires me to stay in tune with college football particularly with the ACC and the SEC each week so I’ve seen Auburn and Florida State on a regular basis.

To say Auburn got to the BCS National Championship Game strictly on luck is disrespect to what the Tigers accomplished this season.

Sure Ricardo Louis was in the right place at the right time when the ball deflected off Georgia’s Josh Harvey-Clemons’ shoulder pad and into his arms for the game winning touchdown.

And then Chris Davis takes an Alabama missed field goal the length of the field on the final play to win the Iron Bowl with each providing Auburn radio play-by-play voice Rod Bramblett the greatest resume reel in the business.

The point is Auburn put themselves in a position to win those games with in my mind the best running game in college football and an offensive line that has done a hell of a job run blocking.

When the season began you knew Florida State was loaded with talent and speed.  The wild card was whether redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston would live up to the hype.

Well leading the Seminoles to a 13-0 record, an ACC title and winning the Heisman Trophy means yes he did, and then some.

You thought Florida State would have been challenged by Clemson at Death Valley.  The Seminoles whooped the Tigers 51-14.

That sums up Florida State’s season, the Seminoles play at a much higher level than there opponents.

Yet I agree with Brother Jon that this will be a much closer game because of Auburn’s ability to run the ball, they’re the best in the nation at it.

Back on September 28^th Florida State defeated Boston College 48-34 in what was the Seminoles closest game. 

Andre Williams rushed for 159 yards and the Eagles as a team rushed for 210 yards, the most Florida State gave up all year.

B.C. ended up 13^th in the country rushing and Andre Williams enjoyed an over 2,000 yard season and led the nation in rushing.

Tre Mason and Nick Marshall will be the best backs Florida State has faced since the Boston College game.

That will keep the game close.

What is going to put Florida State over the top will be Jameis Winston’s ability to make plays.  He’s that good.

If you’re a Florida State fan though, you won’t be comfortable until the game is over but the Crystal Ball will return to Tallahassee.

Tallahassee: All The Pressure Is On You...

Last time out, we sat here and talked to you about how impactful Georgia kids have been in Auburn's remarkable run- and will continue to be so for quite some time as long as guys like Rodney Garner and Dell McGee are on the sidelines helping out Gus Malzahn...

Same applies for Florida State as they have made their run to the Rose Bowl...

In a conversation I had with Lowndes play-by-play voice Wes James on the GPB Sports "Football Fridays in Georgia" podcast earlier in the season, Wes talked about one of the best athletes he's ever seen in Telvin "The Terminator" Smith- who went from Lowndes to Tally and is a mean dude in their linebacking corps...

Revisit it hyah...

Smith is one of 8 kids on the current roster that are from Georgia- most from south Georgia- that are this/close to winning a national title...

Once again, following on a theme...
This may not sit well in Athens and places in the state they came from...

I saw Florida State coaches at the Georgia Dome looking at talent at the Football Championships last month- and they'll get their share of them if they can close the deal...which a national title can do very easily...

On the field, once again, I will re-emphasize that in the game coming up tomorrow the yards Florida State gets will have virtually no correlation with their effectiveness. Same goes for Auburn...

I have reminded people, in today's football, all the yards you get on offense (or, conversely, give up on defense) simply DO NOT MATTER... if you don't put the ball in the end zone, all the effort to get into a scoring situation (or allowing a scoring situation) will either be for naught (or get you a shut out)...

Auburn is playing with house money- even more so after the Alabama fold in the Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma. There is no way, now, that Auburn (who is not going to finish below the Tide in any way in any poll- barring a blowout of monumental proportions at the Rose Bowl) will end up any worse than #4.

The Tigers will give up yards- it's their way...

Just look at games against Texas A&M on the road and Missouri in the Ess-E-Cee title game...
You see what that got them...
((HT: SEC on CBS))


But they'll also get yards... it'll take them a while to figure out what they can do and what they can't against one of the fastest defenses they've played all year.

Any Florida State fan who thinks this game will spiral out of control one way or the other- especially in their favor- is sadly mistaken and dealing in false bravado. Duke hung with you too, if you remember, a few weeks back...

Remember... the Rose Bowl also swapped out their natural grass after the Michigan State-Stanford game, so the teams will be playing on a new surface... and it'll take both squads a while to get adjusted.

If FSU loses, it's another step in the "Well, you're not like what you were in the 1990's"- and you still can't close the deal. If FSU wins, all the talk will be about the 1990's and how this could be the beginning of another run like the Bowden years...

If Auburn wins, it was simply meant to be and the talk will be about dolphins, unicorns, and harmonic karmic events.
If Auburn loses, it'll be one of the biggest "atta-boys" in the modern college football era...

Here's Florida State getting ready for the title game- as one... as they always have...
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So, look for something closer than you think...

It's only your college destiny that hangs in the balance...

FSU OL Raising Money for a Cancer Patient to Attend BCS Title Game

((ht: cbssports.com))

Tis the season of giving...or at least of doing good deeds for some people.

We want to share the story of Florida State offensive lineman Mike Scheerhorn and his attempt to raise money for a child with cancer and a parent to attend the BCS Championship on January 6th.

Scheerhorn decided to take on the challenge because his brother suffered from a form of brain cancer. And he wanted to give something back to the hospital that helped his family.

That's why he undertook the challenge with the help of Children's Cancer Center and the two tickets Scheerhorn is given for the game. He started a fund raiser on the Crowdrise.com website.

If you'd like to contribute, here is a link to the site RIGHT HERE

And in case you are wondering, the cost is estimated at $5000 for a kid and a parent to get to Pasedena and tickets for the game. So far, they've raised nearly $10,000. The extra money, well all of that is going to the Cancer Center itself.

You know, whether the Seminoles win or lose, applause for young Mr. Scheerhorn for doing something good for someone and something that needs it. It may be a cliche', but he already wins.