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Two words: Jameis Winston.

25/27 with 4 passing scores and a rushing touchdown. Granted, Pitt's secondary left receivers wide open all over the field, but it was hard for a QB to be more accurate than Winston was tonight. I did the silly thing and took Pitt because I felt Winston would struggle a little out of the gate and that Pitt had a lot to play for. But he completely proved me wrong, and I'm a believer in FSU now.

I also liked Syracuse a little more than Penn State on Saturday, but Hackenberg lifted Penn State to a victory. Winston is a redshirt freshman so he has a year of practice on Hackenberg, but he did what he had to do in this one. He looks like a four-year starter and a program centerpiece.

Baker Mayfield was a true freshman and I believe he wasn't even on scholarship for Texas Tech. He ran the offense as smooth as possible against SMU. I think he had five touchdowns.

Goff from Cal didn't look as sharp, but he proved more than capable of managing that Sonny Dykes offense. He threw two pick sixes that weren't really his fault, but he did toss a costly interception because he didn't read the safety. He displayed a good arm though, so he should be the guy at the trigger for the next few years. He's a name to remember for down the road.

I didn't watch a nanosecond of the Oklahoma game so I don't know how Knight looked, but the guy is starting for Oklahoma. I'm sure he'll be alright in the near future.

Re Winston at QB..

A lot of betting Seminoles made some money on the Pitt game.

With a line of -10.5, most of us who had watched Winston in the spring game against the #1 defense (80% completions, 0 INTs, a 58 yard bomb for a TD on his first snap) and in fall practice....we knew that if folks were betting on Pitt because of a new QB taking his first snaps, they would be making the wrong bet.

The speed of Pitt's defensive backfield vs FSU's receivers dictated a soft scheme where Pitt decided to keep everything in front of them. Not a bad idea with a young QB who they hope would miss passes and third downs. When it doesn't happen, and you don't adjust the scheme, you die a death of 1,000 cuts.

Even though FSU's receivers were open, I've never heard of anybody throwing 27 passes without a drop or one hitting the ground (two were ruled caught out of bounds).

Do any of you know the back story about Jameis and Texas? Apparently he or his coach said he wanted to go to Texas, and like every Freshman QB that has a great game, a firestorm came from the media about how Mack sucks for not recruiting him.

I can give you the true story...from his father...

"Warchant.com's Michael Langston spoke to Jameis' father, Antonor "Ant" Winston, to get some clarity on the reports coming out about his son and Texas.


How interested was Jameis in Texas during the recruiting process?

"Yes it was clear he was intrigued and interested in Texas but it was not a lock he would go there if Texas offered. Jameis called them (Texas) a few times in December to see how interested they were (to gauge interest) because they were one of the few teams that hadn't offered him. We didn't hear back from them or get the impression they were interested."


Why didn't Texas recruit him harder earlier in the process?

"Texas (staff) didn't feel they had much of a shot (When we talked to them) so they didn't push that hard for Jameis. But then in January and later in the recruiting process they started recruiting him pretty hard but we (Jameis and Winston family) told them it was too late and that he was set on FSU."


Why was he interested in Texas?

"He (Jameis) had interest in them because his girlfriend is in Texas and at the time we knew the Texas Rangers were there so there was interest there. He also liked the tradition of football and baseball there at Texas. I guess that staff got some bad intel that he wasn't interested at all. Jameis was pretty sure on FSU though regardless but there was intrigue about Texas because of what it offered"

That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

I hope you have your next Charlie Ward...unless of course you play Texas.