This year’s NCAA Football season has had its share of highlights, disappointments, and surprises. Florida State and Auburn are the two top teams, sitting atop the BCS Standings and the AP Top 25. Both are slated to play in the 2013 National Championship game, the last BCS Bowl Game before the new playoff system is instituted next season.
Florida State is the only remaining undefeated from a major conference. They have the Heisman winner in quarterback Jameis Winston. He played well in a 45-7 win over Duke for the ACC Championship—a game in which he posted 3 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown.”
Anytime that you have a Heisman winner on your team, you have a chance. Winston is one of the better Heisman winners in recent years, ” commented junior Justin Raman.
Others see the Seminoles’ success as more of a team effort. Freshman Marco Terron-Barreto attributed the Seminoles’ success largely to their “good coaching.”
Auburn also made the title game after big wins over Alabama (characterized by a miracle missed field goal return) and Missouri in the SEC championship game. Senior Aldwin De Guzman saw the Tigers as the best candidate outside of Florida State, claiming that Auburn’s one loss campaign is more “impressive” than other teams’ one loss campaigns in other “weaker” conferences.
Ohio State was also in the mix for a BCS National Championship game berth, until a loss to Michigan State knocked them to seventh in both the BCS Standings and the AP Top 25. Senior Ryan Alt thought that the Ohio State Buckeyes should be playing in the title game as “they have had a completely unstoppable offense all season.” He pointed out that the Buckeyes “have played more quality opponents than Florida State has.”
The Buckeyes’ offense is led by junior quarterback Braxton Miller. Miller has passed for 22 touchdowns on the season while adding 10 rushing scores–a viable dual-threat QB who has over 1000 yards through the air and on the ground. Miller was a Heisman candidate, although the loss to Michigan State hurt his case. The defense had struggled, though, giving up 41 and 34 to Michigan and Michigan State, respectively, in consecutive games.
“From what I have seen of college football, any of the top teams could be justified in making it to the [BCS National Championship],” remarked senior Sruthi Selvakumar.
Michigan State is a member of the same conference as Ohio State, and the Spartans’ win over the Buckeyes helped vault them to top four in the nation and a matchup in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Alabama will match up with Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, while Ohio State and Clemson will battle in the Orange Bowl. Baylor and UCF round out the BCS qualifiers in the Fiesta Bowl.