(1) Florida State Seminoles 34 vs (2) Auburn Tigers 31
It is Déjà vu all over again. 8 years after the epic Championship between the USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns that only half happened as only one team was officially in the game [USC subsequently vacated all its wins in the season due to NCAA violations related to Reggie Bush], the BCS Championship returned to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It was the best college football championship game since USC vs Texas in 2006 as there have been one sided affairs since then. Similar to Vince Young’s final drive to win the 2006 BCS Championship, freshman Heisman trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston led the Florida State Seminoles down the field in the final drive of the game to score the game winning touchdown in the same endzone that Vince Young ran for the game winning touchdown 8 years ago. The game was incredible and had everything you would want in a great championship game.
The Seminoles steamrolled and bulldozed the regular season. As a result, it was shocking to see them utterly dominated in the first half. The Auburn Tigers pass rush completely threw Jameis Winston off rhythm and the Tigers built a 21-3 lead near the end of the 1st half. However, the Seminoles scored an important touchdown before the half ended to cut the lead to 21-10. It was sparked by a gutsy call from head coach Jimbo Fischer for a fake punt. It definitely built some momentum going into the second half. Fischer also made a smart adjustment coming out of halftime to run the ball more to take some of the pressure off Winston. Moreover, Winston was able to get the ball out of his hands quicker and played better in the second half. Although the Seminoles continued to chip at a tough Tigers defense, they were unable to really breakthrough in the second half until cornerback P.J. Williams intercepted Tiger quarterback Nick Marshall to set up the Seminoles offense in great field position. It was definitely one of the key game changing plays as Florida State converted it for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-20. Nevertheless, Nick Marshall showed resolve by driving his team right back down the field to increase Auburn’s lead back up to 24-20.
At that point, it began one of the greatest finishes to any football game I have ever watched. On the ensuing kick-off, Florida State kick returner took it to the house for a touchdown that gave the Seminoles the lead for the first time since the first quarter, 27-24. I thought the play would win the Seminoles the National Championship. Auburn played great and its defense dominated the game. As a result, I thought giving up a special teams touchdown and a big lead would have crushed their spirits. Moreover, I started thinking it was ironic that Auburn propelled itself to the National Championship game with a historic return for a touchdown against Alabama with no time left but would lose the Championship on a kick return. The Florida State defense was playing great and was harassing Nick Marshall the entire second half. I expected the Seminoles defense to finish the job and close the game out. However, I need to give credit again to Auburn for their resilience. They drove down the field. On a 2nd and 15, Tre Mason broke a monster 37 yard run to put the Tigers up again at 31-27 with 1:19 left. Mason was great all night with 195 rushing yards and the go ahead touchdown.
For almost 59 minutes, the Tigers were definitely the better football team on the field. However, the final minute is when legends are made. The Seminoles did not play a close game all season and had not been punched in the gut until the Championship Game. As a result, the Seminoles needed to answer whether they and their freshman quarterback could win a nail biter against top competition. We got our answer on the final drive. It seemed almost too easy and fast how Jameis Winston was able to hit two passes to get to the Auburn 23 yard line. However, I have seen many NFL teams easily drive down the field in a comeback attempt then get stalled in the red zone as those final 20 yards into the endzone are the toughest yards. It appeared that the Tigers had a chance to stop the Seminoles after a delay of game set them back to 3rd and 8. However, Winston finished the drive with a game winning touchdown pass. Winston was clearly the best college football player this season. He is the first freshman to win the Heisman trophy and the National Championship in the same season. It was a story book ending as he engineered a historic drive and moment that legendary quarterbacks such as John Elway and Joe Montana have had. Similar to Andrew Luck showing the national audience he is a rising superstar in the NFl, Winston showed us that he will be the superstar in college and a top NFL prospect. He will be followed with a lot of fanfare the rest of his college career and tremendous hype going into the NFL draft. Nevertheless, it is all deserved.
The Auburn Tigers almost completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in history. After going 3-9 (0-8 in the SEC) last year, they were a minute from going from last place to champions. They showed resilience all season and showed it again during the Championship Game. While it is heart breaking to lose this game, there is no shame in losing to the best player on the field. The Tigers should hold their heads up high for a great season. While a part of me wanted to see the Tigers complete their historic worst to first story, I am sick of the SEC winning every season and pumping their chests as the best Conference. Nevertheless, they clearly are the best conference despite the loss. Speaking of things I am sick of, it is the final season of the BCS system. I still do not understand nor do I care to understand how the system works. I am ready to see the new playoff system. However, the BCS went out in style with one of the greatest college football games in history. It is also the first time in the BCS era that a team trailing at halftime came back to win the Championship Game.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.