Florida State fans stand by their embarrassing man Jameis Winston

Chris Dufresne takes time out each Friday during the season to answer questions on college football. This week’s topics: Jameis Winston’s ongoing problems, Ohio State’s key game, plus Brigham Young’s and USC’s schedules.

Unbuckling the mailbag:

Question: The attempt at trying to draw a parallel between David Ash’s concussions, Jameis Winston, and “fairness” has me mesmerized

@CampbellSoop

Answer: I understand your partisanship as a Florida State alumnus (at least according to your Twitter account)

Here is my Thursday tweet that has outraged so many Seminoles fans.

“Life’s not fair. David Ash must give up the game he loves and Jameis Winston gets to keep playing a game he embarrasses.”

For this I have been deemed pond scum, and worse, because I felt bad that Texas quarterback David Ash was forced to retire because of concussion syndrome. Ash would do anything to play but can’t, was my point, yet Winston doesn’t seem to get how lucky he is.

I do believe Winston has embarrassed the game and his school, and I’m surprised so many Florida State fans defend his indefensible behavior.

Is it just because he’s a great football player? Nah, I’d hate to be that cynical.

I’m sure you would all feel the same if the backup guard had been charged with sexual assault, stolen crab legs from a supermarket, been stopped for carrying a loaded BB gun near campus and shouted a vulgarity from a tabletop at the student union.

I’m sure you’d defend Florida’s quarterback for the same kind of behavior and wouldn’t bring derogatory signs if ESPN GameDay decided to cover the in-state battle in Tallahassee on Nov. 29.

This isn’t about winning, at all, right Florida State fans? It’s about defending the honor of a good guy you see as being wronged by media?

Wait, though, it was the school that suspended Winston, not the media. And the school that has opened a Title IX investigation into Winston’s alleged sexual complaint against a former female student.

Q: What was your opinion on Manziel? Just be consistent…

@CriticJudge

A: Well, for starters, the headline on a Johnny Manziel column I wrote last September was “Manziel Has Been Coddled, but Now It’s Time to Grow Up.”

I wrote:

— “We handed him the Heisman Trophy at age 20 and now wonder what went wrong?”

— “Texas A&M seems only interested in keeping Manziel eligible enough to fill seats at Kyle Stadium”

— “The half-game punishment negotiated by lawyers was an insult to everyone who otherwise has a clue.”

Is that being consistent, or did I let Johnny off the hook and pile on poor Jameis?

Q: Someone needs to suspend @DufresneLATimes. Egregious

@DoakSCampbell

A: Thanks, but I’ve already suspended myself from tweeting any more about Jameis Winston until the second half of Saturday’s game against Clemson.

Q: In view of how much you hate the Big Ten you should make plans to cover the Ohio State vs. Cincinnati football game in Columbus on Sept. 27. The game could make history. The Buckeyes have not lost to instate rival since maybe 1921 (Oberlin). But the Bearcats, quarterbacked by the sensational Gunner Kiel, have a real puncher’s chance to beat an Ohio State team with its usual horrible pass defense.

Gib Gildea

A: You know your history, Gib. Last week’s 66-0 squeaker over Kent State was Ohio State’s 39th straight against state teams dating to a 7-6 loss to Oberlin in 1921.

A Cincinnati win definitely would count as a win for the state of Ohio, even if its airport is in Kentucky.

Cincinnati nearly defeated Ohio State in September 2002, losing a 23-19 game in Columbus. Cincinnati receivers dropped two touchdown passes in the final minute.

It was important only because Ohio State went on to win the BCS championship.

Q: I’m not a Cougar fan or alum or even a Mormon, but your comment about the piecing together of an annual schedule worthy of title contention is curious.

In 2015, BYU opens at Nebraska, Boise State, at UCLA, at Michigan, then play Connecticut, East Carolina. Sure they have a couple of cream puffs in Idaho State and UNLV, but its schedule is hardly unworthy next year.

Steve Archer

La Canada

A: Good points Steve, I probably should have said BYU would have trouble piecing together a worthy schedule “most” years.

I still think BYU is going to have trouble as an independent as long as Notre Dame remains one. And even Notre Dame has more stability because the Irish have half-joined the ACC in football and also have access tie-ins to the Orange Bowl.

BYU is really on an island, without a conference and without Notre Dame’s powerful brand.

I really like BYU this year with quarterback Taysom Hill, understanding the Cougars have no real shot at the playoff.

Also, College Football Playoff rules stipulate the top-ranked champion of the “Group of Five” leagues will get a spot in a major bowl. BYU, though, does not qualify because it is not in a conference.

Q: You have BYU in your top 16 — in fact in your top 10! Apparently you have not looked at their schedule.

Kevin Bischoff

A: I did look at the schedule and decided to toss Provo a Cougar Cookie.

Why should UCLA have a higher ranking? BYU is 3-0 with a crushing win at Texas. UCLA is 3-0 with three shaky wins — one of those against Texas.

BYU’s schedule won’t hold up over time. If UCLA keeps winning it will deserve to pass BYU, but why now?

Q: When did SC begin to adopt schedules akin to SEC teams? Is there some NE/SE/NW/SW or Coastal California that they can schedule soon?

Howard P. Cohen

Q: USC tried to get a home-and-home game with Coastal California but discovered it was actually a winery. Actually, USC, UCLA and Notre Dame are the only remaining schools that have never played a 1-AA school.

You are obviously poking fun at USC’s nonconference schedule in 2015, which includes Arkansas State and Idaho.

Not too strong next year, for sure, although both are major level schools from the Sun Belt Conference. And it’s really hard to knock USC’s scheduling philosophy. The Trojans play Notre Dame every year and most years have a second quality game.

In 2016, USC plays Alabama and Notre Dame plus, oh yeah, a nine-game Pac-12 schedule. In 2017, USC plays Texas and Notre Dame.

Q: You forgot to report your Trojans lost! Thanks for all of your unbiased reporting! Go Bruins!!!!!!

@novabruin

A: Oh, jeez, how embarrassing. Man, my bad. Boston College 37, USC 31.