Winston said: “This game could have went either way, if you want to be — if everybody in this room just want to be real with themselves, this game could have went either way.”
What you said:
***That game was a blowout only in the last quarter and a half...***
Great observation. You reinforced my point. A game that is a blowout, ESPECIALLY for a quarter and a half, is not one that could’ve gone either way. Disrespect to the opponent duly noted.
In your earlier post, you had asked about all the hate directed at FSU and Winston in particular. The above is one of my exhibits for that point of view. I’ll go a step further, and say that in my opinion, the arrogant attitude is systemic at FSU, and it began a long time ago. The poor sportsmanship by FSU, which you mentioned, has been par for the course for years. Year in and year out, it’s the way they behave, on the field and off of it. It’s more than pride in themselves that they have, which I don’t have a problem with. It is their condescension for others that irks me. Reminds me of Obama and his regime, with that same attitude towards many Americans. Maybe it’s something in the water in Tallahassee.
Contrast that attitude with the one displayed by Blake Sims after Alabama’s loss to Ohio State. He expressed gratitude in his statement, for God, for his university, and for his teammates. He took responsibility for the loss himself. Here’s what Sims said after the game, “It hurts. It hurts a lot. Not for myself, but for my teammates because I know how hard they work in practice, I know how hard they work in the offseason and I went out there and had a game like I did. I take full responsibility for this and maybe if I had played better, we’d have had an opportunity to win.”
Now that’s class. Nick Saban was also classy in his remarks. He spoke with humility, respect, and pride in what they had accomplished, not what they hadn’t. That’s the kind of attitude I don’t see at FSU. Sorry, but that’s just how I view it.
To your other point, I am in agreement. I always hope for these collegiate athletes to stay in school and finish their education first. I want each of them to walk away with a degree, even if they are almost meaningless these days. To me, it still shows character to finish what you started. We never really know what curves life will throw us, and getting your degree versus not is a step towards handling those curves. So, like you, I hope Winston stays another year, and earns a degree before he moves on.
With all due respect, a game can end up very one sided a the end, even if it is a close match. FSU was moving down the field when the freshman back fumbled starting the 2nd half. That turnover resulted in a quick score. Then, it happened again with another quick score. From there, it was desperation mode, and when that failed, the team pretty much quit.
The defense absolutely failed in the 2nd half to quell the situation that were placed in. The offense made three critical turnovers, but otherwise was moving the ball. The score got got out of hand once all of those things compounded. Sometimes, things just go horribly wrong in a game. There are countless examples of better teams getting beat big, or competitive teams having a one sided outcome. It’s just one game, though.
I think 3/4 times these team play, it would be fairly matched. I’d give the Ducks an edge based on what we saw last week because I think FSU’s defense just wasn’t nearly as good this year as last. They assembled a lot of great 2nd halves this season that kept them undefeated, but the Oregon offense was better than most they faced. The FSU offense would perform better than that most days. Oregon’s defense played very well on that day, but I think most days, the offense would score more and have less turnovers. The Ducks probably are slightly better this year. The game next Monday will be interesting with a more defense minded opponent, and see if Meyer can game plan to slow them down. I have no idea what to expect, other than seeing a Heisman winner on one side and a 3rd stringer on the other making his 3rd start. So far, he’s held his own, but the pressure may be on if Oregon can put points on the board.