Coaches speak well of opponents on Rose Bowl eve
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, left, and Oregon head coach, Mark Helfrich, right, pose with the Rose Bowl trophy during an NCAA college football news conference in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014. Florida State is scheduled to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal on New Year's Day. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
LOS ANGELES >> It’s a game within the game almost as old as sports itself. Try to sweet talk your opponent into submission. It almost never works, but the opposite can be dangerous. Bad-mouthing the other team can definitely fire them up.
On New Year’s Eve, which is also the day before the Rose Bowl, coaches Jimbo Fisher of Florida State and Mark Helfrich of Oregon continued to talk up the guys they’ll play against in Thursday’s College Football Playoff national semifinal game.
It continued a trend for both coaches — as well as the players — all week. Seldom was heard a discouraging word.
Fisher, whose team is 13-0 this year and the defending national champions after going 14-0 last season, spoke extremely highly Wednesday of 12-1 Oregon and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Marcus Mariota and his supporting cast.
“I say this. Mariota is Mariota. Marcus is tremendous, one of the best college football players ever,” Fisher said in his final pre-Rose Bowl meeting with reporters. “They have a great offensive line. They’re very dynamic in the backfield. They have great speed outside.
“On defense, those ends (including DeForest Buckner of Waianae) and defensive outside backers are long 6-6, 6-7 guys. Nose guards are very physical. Backers play downhill as far as being able to take on the run. They read very well, get back on the pass. The corners can run. There’s very few holes and weaknesses. Special teams, they cover because they’re so athletic and can run.”
Conversely, Helfrich was president of the Seminoles fan club Thursday.
“That lucky bounce thing only goes so far,” he said, referring to FSU coming up with big plays when needed in close games. ” You don’t win 29 games in a row with luck, ever. “They’re just unflappable in a lot of ways. … They get everybody’s best shot. The team that’s playing them this week has had their best week of focus, best week of preparation, trying to dethrone the champs … to be resilient enough to come back and win all those games is very, very impressive.
“They just make a ton of plays when it matters most.”
