The college football playoff semi-final between Oregon and Florida State was a battle for a trip to the national championship game and a shot at No1. But with the top two quarterbacks at the college level on the field, the game was also an opportunity to see if Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston is more deserving to go in the NFL draft at No1.

Oregon’s 59-20 destruction of the Seminoles left no doubt about which team deserves to play in the title game later this month, but did we get an equally clear result on whose name will be called first on 30 April at the draft by Tampa Bay?

Not so much.

Let’s break down the Rose Bowl performances by the last two Heisman Trophy winners.

The good

Mariota’s stat line was outstanding: 26-for-36 passing, 400 yards of total offense, two passing touchdowns and another on the ground. He was flawlessly efficient in the second half as Oregon stretched a 25-20 lead to 59-20 in 12 minutes and 54 seconds – a time period that also saw social media explode into Schadenfreude-fueled delight over the downfall of Florida State. Oregon’s 59 points were a Rose Bowl record besting the 49 USC put up on Illinois in 2008. (Yes. Illinois were in a Rose Bowl as recently as 2008. No. Really. They were. I checked and double-checked.)

Winston went 29-for-45 for 348 yards and a score and repeatedly made strong, accurate throws down the field while under heavy pressure. Several of his best throws were dropped by his receivers and his only interception was the result of a tip. At times it appeared he was one of the only players on his team who deserved to be playing on such a stage, something he’ll need to get used to if he’s drafted by the Buccaneers or Titans.

The bad

Despite the 39-point victory, Mariota easily had the two worst throws of the game. Early in the second quarter on 2nd-and-1, just 20 yards from the end zone, he threw across his body and delivered the ball directly into the hands of FSU’s Jalen Ramsey … but the sure interception was dropped. (Dropping the football would become a theme of the game for Florida State. Literary folks would refer to this play as “foreshadowing.”) Then before the half he threw an ugly pick at midfield that gave the Seminoles an opportunity to put points on the board … but FSU failed to capitalize and missed a long field goal try.

But two bad passes out of 36 is nothing to be ashamed of, and let’s be glad Mariota saw any receivers to throw to at all. Imagine what the final score could have been if Oregon hadn’t dressed in uniforms the exact same color as the grass. They should probably go away from camouflage for the championship game.

While Mariota had two bad plays, Winston had just one. One that was almost instantly captured in endless memes, Vines and gifs (good job, people of the internet!) and will forever be treasured by all those who proudly identify as Jameis Winston haters.



Down 39-20 late in the third quarter and facing a desperate 4th-and-5 at midfield, Winston dropped back, bought time, avoided the rush and then – to use a fancy football analysis term – just kind of fell over backwards. The ball flipped into the air, Oregon’s Tony Washington scooped it up and ran 58 yards – past a falling-over referee for bonus laughs – for a the game-clinching score.

“It kind of looked like [Winston] slipped on a banana, like in cartoons,” Oregon linebacker Torrodney Prevot mused after the game. Well said. You have to trust Oregon on their cartoon references. They’ve got a cartoon duck on their uniforms.

The nitpicking

Again, Mariota’s stat line looks great. And it is. But Oregon’s offensive system doesn’t require him to make many, quote-unquote, “NFL throws”. In the first half he went 18-for-26, but 10-of-10 of that was on screen passes. His 56-yard TD pass to Darren Carrington in the second half included 40 yards after the catch and was off of a fake screen. Oregon’s system isn’t Mariota’s fault, but it still raises questions about his NFL readiness. Questions the Buccaneers will have to answer with tens of millions of dollars on the line. Questions people like me don’t have to answer, but get to criticize everyone for a few years from now if they come up with the wrong answers. (Blessed.)

As for nitpicking Winston? There wasn’t much there to rip apart and overanalyze. He made plenty of NFL throws.

So instead let’s nitpick the social media response to his fumble. Still with the Lance Stephenson blowing meme? It’s 2015 now. It might be time for new material, internet.

The postgame

Mariota said all the right things after the game. This is code for: “He was fairly boring, which is what NFL teams want.” Good job, Marcus!

And no one really cares much about Mariota’s off-the-field behavior anyway. Winston is the one with a … uh … “track record” there.

So how did he do at the Rose Bowl? Well, he didn’t do anything that would cause an NFL team who wants to draft him to not draft him. Florida State’s 26-game win streak ended in a blowout loss, but he was one of the Seminoles who stuck around on the field in the postgame to shake hands and wish Oregon well. He also comported himself well in his postgame interviews.

Maybe he’s maturing? Sure. Why not. He can throw a football very far and with accuracy. That will be enough for some NFL team. Of course, he also said this after the game: “It still ain’t over yet. We can go and play again, honest.”

Huh? What? No. That’s confusing. As confusing as the question of whether Mariota or Winston will be the better NFL quarterback? No. But pretty confusing.