Well, here we are. The last of the BCS title games. This is a tale of two quarterbacks vying for the BCS National Championship. It pits two college football powers: No. 1 Florida State against No. 2 Auburn. The game features the Heisman Trophy winner in FSU quarterback Jameis Winston matching up with the vastly underrated Nick Marshall, the jet-speed signal-caller for Auburn.
Power. Speed. Intrigue. Drama. Controversy. And a whole of intangibles to go with it…that’s what makes this national championship game must-see television.
All eyes are all on Winston, just the second freshman in college football history to win the most coveted player of the year award for a student-athlete playing on the gridiron. Unfortunately, not all the attention will shine the spotlight on the 19-year-old redshirt frosh sensation in a positive light. That’s because Winston was recently cleared of any wrongdoing in regards to an alleged sexual assault case that was filed back in late 2012.
The bungled PR handling of the situation created almost a nightmare for Winston and the Florida State family for the past three months as the case lingered in and out the public eyes, as well with Florida state prosecutors. Through it all, though, Winston remained steadfast in innocence-FSU didn’t waiver throughout the legal process.
Winston kept performing at a high level, bringing his team to the Big Dance with an undefeated mark, all the while holding on to his innocence. That faith paid off for Winston, his family and Florida State as state prosecutors cleared his name by not filing any charges against him.
For many people, it was as if a cloud had been lifted off from over Winston and his accomplishments on the football, which he performed magnificently during the 2013 college football campaign.
What a campaign it was. Winston threw for 3,820 yards and completed 38 touchdowns through the air. A sure-fire dual threat quarterback, Winston also caused havoc for opponents with his crafty scrambling and running ability, enough so to add another Heisman Trophy to the school’s hardware showcase.
During the BCS title game Media Day in Newport Beach, California, Winston was smiling and looked like he was having a lot of fun, stating the obvious of his confidence in the ability of his team in capturing another national title. On the flip side of the ball, Marshall, possess a quiet confidence that suggests he doesn’t really need all the attention that Winston has received, not it appears that he cares too much about it as well.
All Marshall has done is lead his Tigers to the championship game, which is pretty much all you can ask of your quarterback. However, Florida State defensive back LaMarcus Joyner calls Marshall ” a nightmare: because of his speed to get out on the perimeter and his overlooked throwing ability. This game game will feature the known and the unknown. And that is what college football is all about.
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.