The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State, 11-0, 1
2.     Alabama, 10-1, 2
3.     Oregon, 10-1, 3
4.     Mississippi State, 10-1, 4
5.     Baylor, 9-1, 5
6.     Texas Christian, 9-1, 6
7.     Ohio State, 10-1, 7
8.     Georgia, 9-2, 9
9.     UCLA, 9-2, 10
10.   Michigan State, 9-2, 12
11.   Kansas State, 8-2, 11
12.   Arizona, 9-2, 14
13.   Wisconsin, 9-2, 13
14.   Auburn, 8-3, 15
15.   Georgia Tech, 9-2, 16
16.   Arizona State, 9-2, 17
17.   Missouri, 9-2, 21
18.   Louisville, 8-3, 20
19.   Oklahoma, 8-3,19
20.   Arkansas, 6-5, NR
21.   Ole Miss, 8-3, 8
22.   Minnesota, 8-3, 25
23.   Clemson, 8-3, NR
24.   Colorado State, 10-1, NR
25.   Marshall, 11-0, NR

OUT:  Nebraska (18), Utah (22), USC (23) and Duke (24).

VOTES:  Utah, LSU, Iowa, Nebraska, USC, Boise State, Texas A&M, Duke, West Virginia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Washington, Stanford, Boston College, Virginia, North Carolina and Miami.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Duke needed to beat North Carolina at home on Thursday to get the ACC Coastal, but the Tar Heel team many of us expected to see in 2015 showed up in Durham and blasted the Blue Devils, handing the Coastal to Georgia Tech and making the Heels bowl eligible....K State defeated West Virginia in a cold night in Morgantown....Florida dismantled Eastern Kentucky to give Coach Will Muschamp a final home victory before he coaches his last game as head Gator at FSU on Saturday.....Georgia and South Carolina bombed overmatched opponents....Northwestern has come together in recent weeks and whipped an improved but injured Purdue team....Sparty rolled, and after some early issues, so did Ohio State, who dumped Indiana....UCF bombed winless SMU, who should be inking Mack Brown as their new head coach....Arizona State faced some legit offense by Washington State, but overpowered the Cougars in the end....Illinois upset Penn State....Incredibly, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech played a scoreless game, which ended when the Deacons prevailed 6-3 in double overtime.  It is puzzling what has happened to Frank Beamer's Hokies, who soundly defeated Ohio State in Columbus only to become the doormat of the ACC; Wow!......The rushing record Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set last week running roughshod over Nebraska incredibly lasted only one week, as Oklahoma freshman running back Samaje Preine, unheard of until this day, ran for 427 yards against Kansas, who had been playing better in recent weeks...Utah had been having a good year, but it is seemingly unraveling as Arizona came to town and dominated the second half en route to a convincing win, and the Cats are playing quite well under Rich Rod....In the last several weeks, Arkansas has risen the level of their game, shutting out LSU last week. This week, Ole Miss came to town and the Hogs jumped on the Rebels early and continued the assault late in blanking eighth ranked Ole Miss 30-0, shutting out a ranked opponent two weeks in row, which has not happened in decades of moons if at all post WWII.  Nobody wants any part of the Hogs right now, unless starting quarterback Brandon Allen's injury is more serious than first thought...Melvin Gordon helped Wisconsin hold on to win at Iowa...Maryland won at Michigan, and the Wolverines, having had to kick off the  team their best defender, is a dumpster fire who at some point will begin a coaching search as soon as they shore up their sports administration.....Louisville won at Notre Dame while Clemson beat up on lowly Georgia State...Stanford shut down high powered Cal in The Big Game....BAMA staked their claim as the top ranked team bombing Western Carolina.... Oregon routed an improved Colorado team in Eugene with Marcus Mariota running wild...Mizzou won at Rocky Top, and has chance to win the SEC East....Miss. State routed Vandy and Baylor outlasted Okie State....UCLA flexed muscle and won the at home against Southern Cal, with three in a row now for the battle of Los Angeles....Washington got a sound victory over Oregon State.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

After the demoralizing debacle last week at Wisconsin, seemingly with jobs on the line, the Cornhuskers had an opportunity to show the home crowd, as they say goodbye to a senior class inclusive of record players Kenny Bell and Ameer Abdullah, that that game was not representative of their level and that the program is in a state of ascension.  A decent Minnesota team was in town, but this is a game that the Cornhuskers should win, particularly at home.  For once, the Big Red got decent play out of quarterback Tommy Armstrong, but they failed to win the game anyhow.  Offensively, the O-line was average at best, and while a injury riddled Abdullah performed admirably, he was not in position to carry the team on his back.  Sadly, Mark Pelini was lost for the game on the first play, although Ryne Reeves, the better player, filled in without hiccup.  Kenny Bell hauled in a huge gain off a broken play, but got knocked silly as his head hit the field turf, and sadly Bell was lost in his final home game due to concussion.  Demornay Pierson-El , Alonzo Moore and Jordan Westercamp tried to pick up the slack, but they could not produce enough. A healthy Cethan Carter at tight end was rarely targeted, if ever.  On defense, the line was ok, but did not seize and opportunity to dominate.  They defense adequately slowed David Cobb, the Gophers talented running back, but failed miserably to account for quarterback Mitch Leidner, who ran basic backside scrambles for over 100 yards total on the day.  That the staff could not adjust to stop that play all day is indicative of the lack of coaching acumen on the sideline.  Linebackers and the secondary again failed to make extra ordinary plays, displaying another dismal tackling effort.  Randy Gregory, who should come back as his play, although stellar in flashes, is not dominant, blocked a field goal attempt which Nate Gerry returned for a score giving the Big Red a 21-7 lead.  Nebraska was not playing a high powered offensive outfit, but still was unable to protect the lead; at home.  Sadly, this has become a pattern for Nebraska.  The Big Red are mentally weak, with penalties, a lack of execution and turnovers regular occurrences.  Horrible play calling offensively gives credence that an identity is lacking.  Defensively, the calling card of the staff, tackling is very poor, and the failure to make plays on the back end allows opponents to extend drives.  I wanted Bo Pelini to succeed, and the first post of this blog was complimenting his hire.  But, it is now reality that Nebraska is no longer in the company of championship teams, having not taken out a top ranked opponent in many a moon.  By any reasonable assessment, the program is slightly above average. If the fan base is comfortable with that, then we have lost our identity as Nebraskans.  I think Pelini is a good man, and he forgot more about football last week than I know, but from my perspective as a Cornhusker is that we should demand more out of our traditionally proud football program than the company we are currently keeping, such as toss up games with Minnesota and Iowa.  I refuse to accept the new normal. Nebraska used to be a toss up against Florida State. It is time to take the necessary steps to get back to that level.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

"We're undefeated. We finish every game. Everybody else in the country has not finished at least one game. We've finished every one of them." -- Jimbo Fisher

Although the Florida State Seminoles jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead over a tough Boston College team, the Seminoles found a way, along with some spirited Eagle play, to find themselves fighting for the win at the games end.  With each team having missed field goals late, Jameis Winston led the Seminoles on a game winning drive, with Roberto Aguayo connecting on a 27 yards field goal with just three seconds left to give the 'Noles the win on a cold, rainy late afternoon.

Before the kickoff, a special event occurred as Burt Reynolds, the famed actor and former Florida State halfback, planted the spear received from Chief Osceola at midfield.  It was great to see Burt, whom I affectionately refer to as The Bandit.  Burt has always been a great ambassador for Florida State.

Burt Reynolds

While there are some outstanding seniors well worth recognizing, as FSU did prior to kickoff on Senior Day, perhaps the most notable was record breaking receiver Rashad Greene.  Greene has been stellar performer on the field since he arrived on campus, and will go down as one of the greatest players at FSU.

FSU Wide Receiver Rashad Greene

Like Miami a week earlier, Boston College brought a great game plan to Tallahassee, using a bruising running game with misdirection to eat clock and physically wear down the Seminoles. Behind their solid offensive line and some stout quarterback play, the Eagles forced the Seminoles to play their game.  The conditions did not help the Seminoles, as the final three quarters were played in a driving rain, with temps in the 50's.  I think I am still wet.  But, the Seminoles defense stepped up when necessary, and Winston and the offense drove the field as time was expiring to win the dadgum ball game.  We all know these types of heroics will eventually doom the Seminoles, but for now, FSU remains the unconquered.  Off a fierce road trip against the Miami Hurricanes and before a visit from the arch rival Florida Gators, FSU was in perfect position to get tripped up by a physical well coached team off a bye week in Boston College.  But FSU found a way, again, to win.  Florida is up and down, but they will be playing hard for fired head coach Will Muschamp, whom the players adore.  The Gator team that walloped Georgia will be the team that shows up at DOAK Saturday, so FSU should have notice served that they will have to be at their best to secure victory.  The last time UF showed up in Tally after firing their coach, the Gators won one for the Zooker. The Seminoles have yet to come close to fully reaching their potential by playing their best game.  Saturday against the Gators seems like the perfect time to break loose.  East bound and down, watch ole Bandit run!

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!

Huskies Harnessed

EJ Manuel (Photo/SunTimes)

The current BCS criteria served up cold fish for supper as BCS buster Northern Illinois, MAC Champion, found themselves in the 2012 Fed-Ex Orange Bowl to face ACC Champion Florida State.  Debate all over the place about whether UNI deserved to be in the game raged on for weeks, with ESPN's Kirk Herbstriet calling their presence a "joke".

Northern Illinois did deserve to be there due to the criteria previously set forth, but there were at least a dozen teams clearly superior to the Huskies which could have been in Miami.  As such, that left the Seminoles in a lose lose situation.

Crush UNI, and of course they did not deserve to be in the game.  Win a tight one, and UNI is considered a fair team and Florida State is the one who is questioned.  God forbid the Seminoles, unfortunately known for playing down to the level of inferior opponents, snatches defeat from victory.

Husky signal caller Jordan Lynch, a dynamic player who had offensive yardage totals which garnered him Heisman Trophy and All America consideration, mouthed off prior to the game that "We plan on wearing them down. In the fourth quarter, we plan to have them on their knees, and then just keep pounding away." Lynch said. "They're just like us. They're human, too. If you cut them, they bleed."

The comments appeared to motivate the Seminoles, who smothered the Husky offense early and often.  FSU defenders dominated the line of scrimmage and were swarming to the ball.

On offense, FSU was accumulating furlongs of real estate without much to show for it, which is par for the course.  The Seminoles offensively resemble Jimmie Johnson wheeling his #48 Lowes Chevy around a parking garage, as top level talent seems to get hardly anywhere.

Then came versatile running back Lonnie Pryor, a favorite of Seminole Nation, who busted loose for 60 yards and a touchdown.  EJ Manuel controlled the game, connecting on short throws the UNI defense was giving.  Manuel hit Rashad Greene right before the half for a score, and the 'Noles were in control.

Lonnie Pryor (Photo/Boston Herald)

FSU had trouble putting the game away, keeping it close, which is sadly customary.  However, Pryor struck paydirt again, as did EJ on a quarterback draw, and it was night night for the Huskies. Florida State owned the line of scrimmage and pounded Lynch all night.  UNI was successful on some trickery, but outside of one second half drive, they were handcuffed.  Lynch said after the game "They were fast, physical and well-coached. Definitely the best defense we've played all year." Imagine that!

While FSU left a lot of opportunities on the field, the Seminoles got the win, and the importance of this win, the first BCS win since 2000, cannot be understated.  As Coach Fisher said, this is a big step in the process of building a team who expects to win championships, both conference and national.  The Seminoles won 12 games, and the contributions of this senior class should be properly recognized.

EJ Manuel, who is far from the best FSU signal caller to hit the gridiron, has won four bowl games in a row and displayed outstanding leadership during his career, on and off the field.  With talent few have, perhaps he can improve and sharpen his game, which may actually be better suited for the next level.  We wish him the best of luck!

Florida State is primed for additional accomplishments in 2013. The Seminoles must replace Manuel and Xavier Rhodes, who is off the NFL. Bjoern Werner may jump also, but even still, FSU is loaded for bear and should be preseason top ten and then some.