What defines a winner for the coveted Heisman Memorial Trophy? Obviously, tons of factors play into the decision such as a player’s character on and off the field. For the third time in college football history, two winners of the Heisman Trophy will face one another in hopes of earning a spot in the National Championship Game.
The 101st edition of the Rose Bowl will feature 2013 Heisman winner QB Jameis Winston and 2014 Heisman winner QB Marcus Mariota in an epic match-up that will surely be a nail-biter from beginning to end. As it’s evident that all aspects of each team are going to be major influences in the game, the performance of both superstars will determine the winner of this year’s Rose Bowl. Here’s a glimpse at these two dynamic quarterbacks.
The inconsistency of Jameis Winston’s throws makes him vulnerable to interceptions.
“Famous” Jameis Winston
So far this year, the 2013 Heisman winner has completed roughly around 65% of his passes for 3,599 yards. On top of that, he has thrown 24 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. Without a doubt, these numbers are outstanding, especially after winning national title last season. However, the most important number to know about Jameis Winston is his 27-0 record. The ability for Winston to lead his team down the field when games are close is very impressive to say the least. Going into this game, Oregon’s defense has a lot of momentum after annihilating the Wildcats 51-13 in one of the best defensive performances from the Ducks. Sadly, with the loss of All-American CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, the Ducks defensive will certainty have their hands full come January 1. Regardless, Oregon still needs to address tons of questions. The most important being “How do we stop Winston from being clutch down the stretch in close games?”
Marcus Mariota has what it takes to venture off to the next level in the NFL.
“SuperMariota” Marcus Mariota
Undoubtedly, he’s the best player in college football this year. Mariota has put up even better numbers than Winston as shown by him completing nearly 68% of his passes for 3,783 yards. Additionally, the 6’4 dual-threat quarterback has completed 38 touchdowns with only two interceptions. The biggest aspect that everyone should be cognizant of is that Mariota is able to utilize his legs and create plays even if the defense is able to cover up all receivers. All in all, if there were a five-word memoir of this stud, it would be “Mariota can do it all.”
At the end of the day, the match-up between the two most recent Heisman Trophy winners is indeed the “Granddaddy of Them All.” Who will perform better? Who will lead his team to victory? These questions will remain up in the air until game day.
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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Hey! My name is Austin Willhoft and I’m currently a freshman at the University of Oregon studying Journalism. I lived my whole life down in sunny and beautiful Laguna Beach, CA where I completed all of my prior education. I always have been into sports writing/reporting mostly due to the fact that I love watching, analyzing, and playing all kinds of sports. However, if I were to narrow it down between two sports, it would be basketball and football, both of which I played heavily in high school. I’m thrilled to be working for FishDuck.com and most importantly being a third generation to attend the UO. Sko Ducks!