Controlled Destiny

Florida State Seminoles 2013 BCS Champions

Oddsmakers had established the number one ranked undefeated Florida State Seminoles as a ten point favorite in the final Bowl Championship Series National Championship against the SEC Champion Auburn Tigers at the Rose Bowl on Monday night.

The smart money was placed on FSU, and with good reason, as the Seminoles ran roughshod over each of their opponents, scoring a minimum of 37 points in each game and winning by an average of over 40 points per contest, which included an eye popping 51-14 win in a clash of unbeatens at Clemson, who ended the season as Orange Bowl Champions.

However, the public embraced a perceived team of destiny in the SEC Champion Auburn Tigers, who had dethroned defending champion Alabama along the way. Auburn started out slowly, but really became a force after the offense of new head coach Gus Malzan took hold and confidence built.  Then, there was the fact that the SEC, the nations premier conference, by far, had won seven consecutive BCS titles, with Alabama or Auburn winning the previous three.

After FSU took the opening drive, with alarming difficulty, down for a field goal, Auburn took charge, announcing they had come to seal their fate of destiny. Although the Tigers failed to own the line of scrimmage, they did a wonderful job of mixing the run and pass to puzzle the Seminoles, particularly with mid range passes in the middle of the field to post three scores.

Additionally, Auburn confused FSU's Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston, with the FSU starting slow for the third consecutive game. While it does not jump out at you on the stat sheet, the Tigers punting game pinned Florida State deep on a number of occasions, forcing the Seminoles to start drives deep in their own territory, which exponentially increases the difficulty in scoring.

Florida State continued to fight, grabbing a touchdown just before the half to close the deficit to 21-10.   However, after receiving the second half kick, FSU gained nothing and had to punt. But the Seminole defense stuffed the Tigers in the third period.

Leading 21-13 to begin the fourth period, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, who had played brilliantly, forced a pass which was picked off by FSU cornerback PJ Williams, giving FSU a badly needed break.  The Seminoles responded, cutting the lead to 21-20. A potential opportunity to go for two was nullified by a mind boggling unsportsmanlike penalty on FSU running back Devonta Freeman.

The Tigers responded by scoring a field goal to take a 24-20 lead.  However, freshman Lavonte Whitfield, a world class printer from Orlando Jones HS, sprinted 100 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff to give FSU its first lead in moons, 27-24.

Auburn came to win, and trailing after the kick return, the Tigers mounted a very impressive drive, capped off by a thundering 37 touchdown run by tailback Tre Mason, a Heisman finalist who ran for 195 yards on the evening.  The Tigers were ahead 31-27, with 1:19 to play.

Jamies Winston went to work, hitting a few short passes, before connecting with Rashad Greene, who split two defenders a raced 49 yards downfield to give the Seminoles the file position to get the win.  As the degree of difficulty rose, Auburn was hit with a legitimate pass interference penalty giving FSU a first down and goal. Winston then hit Kelvin Benjamin over the middle for a touchdown, giving the Seminoles a 34-31 lead.

Kelvin Benjamin catches winning score from Jamies Winston
PHOTO/USA TODAY

Would Auburn, the team of destiny, be able to pull off yet another incredible win with 0:13 seconds remaining?

The Tigers would not.

Florida State took control of destiny on the beautiful evening at the Rose Bowl, winning the 2013 BCS National Championship. 

It seemed fitting, with FSU having lost to an SEC team in Tennessee in the first BCS Championship, to win the last BCS Championship against an SEC team in Auburn.

This game was emotionally tasking for the Seminole faithful.  FSU played tight much of the game, Winston was erratic and the receivers dropped a number of passes. FSU was the victim of many penalties and non penalties and decisively lost the field position battle. A poor punt with even worse coverage set up one Tiger score, while a Winston fumble set up another.  Auburn effectively victimized the FSU defense with mid range passes, and took it to the Seminoles in the line of scrimmage.

Auburn was completely as advertised, a very strong team clicking on all cylinders.  However, in the end, Florida State made the plays that were needed to win the game, including driving the field in less just over a minute for the winning score.  Winston hit nine of last ten passes to close the game.

FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher
PHOTO/CBS Sports

Congratulations to Coach Jimbo Fisher, the coaching staff and players for daring to be elite, keeping composure and delivering under fire when everything was on the line.  It was a great season, and the Seminoles finished the year unbeaten at 14-0 and are the 2013 National Champions, the third title for the Seminoles.

Job well done!

Top 25

College Football

Final 2012 Top 25

1.      Alabama, 13-1, 2
2.      Oregon, 12-1, 4
3.      Notre Dame, 12-1, 1
4.      Georgia, 12-2, 5
5.      Texas A&M, 11-2, 7
6.      Ohio State, 12-0, 6
7.      Stanford, 12-2, 9
8.      South Carolina, 11-2, 11
9.      Florida State, 12-2, 13
10.    Florida, 11-2, 3
11.    Clemson, 11-2, 15
12.    Kansas State, 11-2, 8
13.    Louisiana State, 10-3, 10
14.    Louisville, 11-2, 24
15.    Northwestern, 10-3, 18
16.    Oklahoma, 10-3, 12
17.    Nebraska, 10-4, 23
18.    Vanderbilt, 9-4, 21
19.    Utah State, 11-2, 22
20.    Texas, 9-4, NR
21.    Oregon State, 9-4, 15
22.    Northern Illinois, 12-2, 20
23.    Michigan, 8-5, 17
24.    Wisconsin, 8-6, 19
25.    Baylor, 8-5, NR

OUT: Southern Cal (25) and UCLA (16) 

VOTES:  Boise State, Oklahoma State, UCLA, San Jose State, Penn State, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Tulsa, Michigan State, Texas Christian and Arkansas State.

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

BAMA runs wild/Photo By MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS
 

For all the fanfare leading up to title matchup over two traditional power, the game was over almost before it began.  Alabama was able to push the Notre Dame front seven around and run the ball down the throat of the Fighting Irish, and that was the ball game.  Bama won the line of scrimmage decisively on both sides, and Notre Dame could not generate anything measurable on offense.

Yes, the officials got in the way of the Irish early, but it would not matter, thankfully.  This was a whipping, but this is not about a Notre Dame team that did not belong; this was about an Alabama team, that when focused and on game, are stout and the class of the college game.

Nick Saban and The Crimson Tide have won three of the last four titles, matching the run Nebraska had in the mid 90's.  Credit the Tide, who have earned your respect.  Sadly for the rest of us, stopping this runaway train anytime soon seems unlikely.  Sweet Home Alabama!

Oh, by the way, ESPN's Brent Musburger, who made news a few years back sounding off on the beauty of the FSU Cowgirls, got into some hot water again last night as he went off on how hot Alabama quaterback AJ McCarron's girlfriend, former Miss Alabama and Auburn alum Katherine Webb is.  In the aftermath, Miss Webb is becoming a household name, with her Twitter account growing exponentially in followers.  I have to admit, Musburger is right on target regarding Miss Webb; she is absolutely stunning.



BOWLS

Duke fumbled twice inside the Cincinnati 5, and gave the game away.....Baylor is on a winning streak and jumped all over a decent UCLA team behind Nick Florence.....Va.Tech roared back and dunked Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando..... Minnesota played well, but could not stop Texas Tech....West Virginia, a major disappointment, were physically beaten by Syracuse in a snow storm Pin Stripe Bowl... Texas unleashed Alex Okafor, got some big plays and shocked Oregon State.....Michigan State got a late kick to beat TCU...Vanderbilt controlled NC State and is a sleeper for 2013.....USC failed to show up, as many expected, and got taken out by Georgia Tech as the preseason number one Trojans limped home failing to not only finish in the final AP Top 25, but even receive votes.....In the best bowl game, Clemson got LSU at the gun.  Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney said the Tigers fought for every blade of grass out there, and he was nothing short of correct.  It was hard fought, and this much needed win for Clemson could pay later dividends.....Okie State bombed outclassed Purdue....Northwestern beat SEC Miss. State and are better than most think...Wisconsin fought hard, but could not stand up to Stanford in the end....Florida failed to take Louisville seriously and paid the price, getting stung in New Orleans which will leave a lingering bad taste in the mouth of Gator nation....Oregon ran all over K-State and smothered KSU's Collin Klein...Johnny Football and A&M bombed Oklahoma in the Cotton, and one has to wonder what has become of once powerful OU under Bob Stoops.....Ole Miss is emerging and dumped Pittsburgh.

In the Outback Bowl in Tampa, South Carolina got by a Michigan team that came to play. In a play late in the game, in perhaps the worst example of poor officiating we have sadly been witnessing recently, the officials awarded Michigan a first down when everyone but the three blind mice could see the Wolverines were short.  Take a look:




Many teams did not have the stomach to overcome a bad call late in a game, as witnessed after a Nebraska fumbled driving late in a tie ball game with Georgia over in Orlando.  But do not include the Gamecocks and Jadeveon Clowney in that discussion, because when the zebras dealt them a body blow, the Cocks took it out on their opponent.  In a truly outstanding individual play, take a look as South Carolina's Clowney take matters into his own hands.



Hope your team is not on the Gamecock schedule next fall, beacuse blocking this guy may be a mountain even Alabama cannot handle.  Needlesss to say, Clowney will be 2013 preseason All America and the favorite for the defensive player of the year, if not the Heisman Trophy.