In perhaps the most exciting BCS Championship game every played, there were peaks and valleys for both Auburn and Florida State throughout the course of the game. At the end of the day, it was the perseverance of the Seminoles that served as a bookend for the end of the BCS era.
Even after Jekyll and Hyde type game from his Heisman quarterback, where Jameis Winston finished 20/35 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, struggling to find open receivers, and enough time against the blitz's that Eliis Johnson was dialing up for the Auburn defense, Jimbo Fisher was convinced that Winston played his best game of the year. Not because of his stat line, but because of how he responded to adversity.
"It's the best football game he played all year, and I'll tell you why." Fisher told reporters. "For three quarters he was up and down, and he fought and he fought, and like any great player, some nights you just don't have it. But when you can go back and, like the great ones do, say 'It's not my night, but we can come back and win this in the fourth quarter because I've got one or two touches left,' and you can go and take your team down the field and lead them to victory, that's what a great player is to me."
"Anyone can do it when it's their A-game night. A lot of guys can do that. Very few can do it when it's not their night, and to pull it out in the atmosphere and environment, and with what was on the line tonight...if that's not a great player, then I don't know what one is."
Fisher also talked about his decision to go for it on fourth down, trailing 21-3 before the end of the first half. Any coach watching the game recognized that moment as great opportunity for a fake punt with the ball near midfield, but it was Fisher that had the guts to pull the trigger, and he explained why that moment was so important to the final outcome.
"We had lost the momentum of the game, we were down 21-3 with five minutes to go, and if they got it back and scored, the game could have been over right there before the half, and I knew we had the ball to start the second half, and we're here to win this thing. We weren't here just to show up and try to play well."
"I thought that's what we had to do to gain the momentum of the game back, and it worked, and we got it and got down and got the drive and got back in the ball game, and hopefully that's what changed the momentum and got our confidence back."
Asked to reflect on what the win means for him and Florida State, Fisher responded in typical Jimbo fashion.
"I'll think about that later, I'm just happy right now for our players, assistant coaches, and fans. I don't try to live like that."
"In two days, I'm going to try to go out there and go win another one. I want to get ready to go win one next year. We'll reflect when we're done."
Congrats to Fisher and his staff on the outstanding season, and taking home the last crystal ball.