Why Florida State won’t play for a National Championship

By Zachary Howard

Florida State’s football team has been dominant this year.  They are undefeated at 11-0 and sit comfortably at #2 in the BCS standings.  They will almost certainly win their last two games to finish 13-0 before the final BCS rankings come out.  But they won’t play for a National Championship.  Jameis Winston has been superb at QB for the Seminoles this season.  He is widely considered the frontrunner for the Heisman award.  And he may very well be the most outstanding player in college football this year.  But he won’t win it.

When voters fill out their Heisman ballots and make their final BCS selections, the issue that will be on people’s minds will have nothing to do with football, when it comes to Winston and Florida State.  The factor that will keep Winston from winning the Heisman and stop Florida State from reaching the National Championship will be allegations against Winston from something that happened off the field last December.  The reality is that he is being accused of rape, a very serious matter which obviously transcends football, championships, and trophies.  The problem is that when voters need to make a decision about Winston and the Seminoles, there will be no clarity on the rape case.  It is unlikely that Winston will be charged before the final BCS standings come, if at all.  Same for when the Heisman ballots are due.  Without knowing how all of this will play out, voters in both cases will have a hard time keeping their choice really just about the football, and the question is: should they?  The Heisman Trophy’s mission statement is to recognize the “outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.”  The last part is key.  Has Jameis Winston shown integrity?  It’s entirely possible that he didn’t do anything wrong and will never even be charged with a crime.  On the other hand, he may have committed rape.  Whether he is charged or not, the truth may never be known.  The only two people who know for certain are Winston and the accuser, making it his word against hers.  While it would be an incredible injustice to Winston if he really is innocent, and still loses out on the Heisman and a National Championship opportunity, what about the opposite possibility?  What if he is given the most prestigious individual award in college football and leads Florida State to a National Championship, and then it later comes out that he did rape this woman?  Can voters really put his name first on their Heisman ballots knowing that this is a possibility?  Likewise, can voters send a Winston-lead Florida State team to the National Championship, ignoring the moral implications if Winston is later found to be guilty?  Especially if Alabama and Ohio State win out, it will be easier to put those two ahead of Florida State and avoid this dilemma altogether.

They will also need to consider the possibility of Winston being charged and then suspended after the final BCS standings are released, but before the championship game.  A Winston-less Florida State team will not be considered a major contender, and will decrease the quality of the National Championship game.  Worst-case scenario, Alabama and Florida State finish the season in the top two spots, but Jameis Winston is charged and can’t play.  If Alabama blows out Florida State, the victory will be not be given credibility as a matchup of the top two teams in the country.  It will cheapen the win for Alabama and leave everyone with a sour taste in their mouths at the end of the season, forcing the question: “What if?”  While the moral issues weigh more heavily in my mind, I think this will be a major factor for many voters.  A combination of the two will be enough, in my opinion, to keep Florida State out of the championship and prevent Winston from winning the Heisman.  And this should be a reminder to players, fans, coaches, and pundits that sometimes, it’s about more than just the football.