College Football Playoff: All Eyes on QBs in Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl, the ‘Granddaddy of them all’, is set to kick off the first College Football Playoff and provide a glimpse into the future (potentially a big one) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two Heisman Trophy winners, two teams that have been dominant over the last couple of seasons, and a lot of NFL intrigue fill the air in Pasadena as college football bowl season nears its climax.

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota have won the last two Heisman Trophies, and one of those two young men could be the next quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who hold the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. This game is huge not only for these two teams in terms of getting to and potentially winning a National Championship, but it’s also huge for the future of a lot of individual players.

How huge, you ask? Well, the Buccaneers are sending GM Jason Licht to go and watch the prospects in this game. Lovie Smith sort of hinted at the team’s draft plans even as early in the process as we are by talking about how attractive the Bucs’ offensive coordinator position should be given the fact that they currently possess the number one overall pick.

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It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Bucs will take a quarterback with the top pick, and at this point it looks like that quarterback will be Marcus Mariota. Jameis Winston might not have to wait much longer on draft day, even though recently I projected a Manziel-type fall for Mariota on draft night, Mariota and Winston could possibly go 1-2 in the draft, maybe even switching up the order.

Winston has had a horrible follow-up season to his Heisman campaign a year ago, but the Seminoles have remained undefeated with him as the starting quarterback, somewhat remarkably. Winston has all the talent in the world, but too many off-field issues are raising red flags for NFL scouts and decision makers that possibly gives Mariota the biggest edge of all — trust.

The question of what happens in this game could very well come down to the quarterback that has the biggest impact, but that should come as no shock. Both teams have great supporting casts around their star quarterbacks, and other big time talent that will draw the eye of NFL scouts as well.

Both players have very contrasting leadership styles. Mariota is cool, calm, and collected. Winston is fiery, very animated, very loud. This game promises to be interesting not just for the quarterbacks, but that’s where all the attention will go until someone takes it for themselves.