Twistity Sports Exclusive: BOWLING FOR DOLLARS

 
The Rose Bowl game, with its increased stature as part of the College Football Playoff, is two week away. It sets up as much as a morality play as a football game.

It matches the winners the last two years of the Heisman Trophy – quarterbacks Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State. Oregon (12-1) is ranked No. 2 and FSU, the defending champion, is ranked No. 3 despite an unbeaten (13-0) mark.

Mariota, who plays in an up-tempo offense that is unlike almost any in the NFL, is now being talked up as a top five NFL draft pick. A junior of squeaky-clean repute, he has given indications he will surrender his final year of eligibility to go pro.

On Tuesday he became the first Oregon quarterback named to the Associated Press All-American team. Winston, who won the Heisman a year ago, has some former NFL personnel gurus now in the media saying they simply wouldn’t touch him in any round because of character and maturity issues.

Mariota had a hand in 53 touchdowns this year for the Ducks, throwing 38 TD passes (and only two interceptions), running for 14 and catching one TD pass.

Winston did himself no favors this season. In his Heisman season, he threw 40 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions; in 2014, those numbers narrowed to 24 and 17. Already under investigation for an alleged sexual assault, Winston had to do penance for shoplifting crab legs at a grocery store and was suspended one game for shouting obscenities in a public venue on campus. He has also had a hearing for possible violations of the student code of conduct.

Between Winston’s behavior issues, numerous narrow victories and their 29-game winning streak, the Seminoles feel as if they’ve become the villains in this meeting with the Ducks.

“It’s cool, you know, being the bad guy sometimes,” linebacker Reggie Northrup told the Orlando Sentinel.

It is rare that Heisman Trophy winners play against each other. It’s more common for two players to wind up linked in an NFL draft and through their pro careers. Mr. Mariota, meet Mr. Winston. Mr. Winston, meet Mr. Mariota. See you in P.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .