On this day 7 years ago, Jameis Winson broke the hearts of Auburn football

On this day in 2014, Florida State defeated Auburn football in the Vizio BCS National Championship Game in the Rose Bowl.

I was going about my day, scouring Tigers Twitter for scoops on Auburn football and even the potential debut of Sharife Cooper, who could be nearing being granted eligibility when Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer had to bring back memories of what could have been on this day in 2014 for Auburn football:

We all remember the feeling that Tre Mason’s 37-yard touchdown run gave the world with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were seemingly on the doorstep of their second National Championship in five years.

That’s Alabama s***.

Then, that creeping feeling of inevitability crept in. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, who ended up becoming the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, engineered a comeback for the ages. Completing a 49-yard bomb to Rashad Greene, Winston got the Seminoles to the red zone and capped off one of college football’s greatest drives with a 2-yard touchdown throw to Kelvin Benjamin–another FSU weapon that ended up in the NFL.

Florida State was a team of destiny that year, just as Alabama appears to be a team of destiny in 2020-21. In 2020, neither the Seminoles nor the Auburn football Tigers could be given such a title–unless going 3-6 and having your bowl game canceled or going 6-5 and being rocked in the Citrus Bowl is the destiny you so dearly desire.

Moving forward, both teams have a tough road to climb to reach the same heights they were at seven years ago. Mike Norvell is attempting to continue the rebuild that started in 2017 when he took over, while Bryan Harsin has a talented roster but weak 2020 recruiting class to nurture into a player on the Plains.

Tough times are ahead, and as tough as the ending of the 2014 National Championship Game was, those days are brighter than the dying days of Gus Malzahn’s run.

Here’s to an appearance in the College Football Playoff under Harsin. War Eagle!