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Florida State Looks to Clean Up at Awards Ceremony

The 2013 Home Depot College Football Awards airs tonight on ESPN with Florida State and the ACC well represented.

By RaysnNoles
Streeter Lecka

Date: Thursday, Dec. 12

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Tonight in Orlando there will be a collection of 23 players from 17 different schools as 9 of the most prestigious awards in the country are handed out. Florida State has three players represented tonight, second to only Texas A&M who has four. The ACC is also represented well with players from 4 different schools, same as the SEC and also has a finalist in 8 of the 9 awards.

Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year)

Anthony Barr (UCLA)

Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh)

C.J. Mosley (Alabama)

Biletnikoff Award (Nation's Outstanding Receiver)

Brandin Cooks (Oregon State)

Mike Evans (Texas A&M)

Sammy Watkins (Clemson)

Ray Guy Award (Punter of the Year)

Tom Hornsey (Memphis)

Drew Kaser (Texas A&M)

Cody Webster (Purdue)

Outland Trophy (Nation's Most Outstanding Interior Lineman)

Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh)

Jake Matthews (Texas A&M)

Cyril Richardson (Baylor)

Doak Walker Award (Nation's Premier Running Back)

Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona)

Bishop Sankey (Washington)

Andre Williams (Boston College)

Jim Thorpe Award (Nation's Best Defensive Back)

Lamarcus Joyner (Florida State) - 2 INT 43 Solo/21 Asst 6.5 TFL 5 Sacks 4 PBU 3 FF

Darqueze Dennard (Michigan State) - 4 INT 33 Solos/26 Asst 2.5 TFL 0 Sacks 10 PBU 2 FF

Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State) - 6 INT 35 Solos/5 Asst 0 TFL 0 Sacks 7 PBU 0 FF

This seems to be one of more difficult decisions that voters have to make. Joyner plays a different position than the other two which is why he doesn't have the interception numbers that you would expect from the best DB in the country. With his position though he makes up for it with other defensive numbers, his versatility and the fact that his team has been in the spotlight most of the season gives him a good chance at this award. If he is to win he will be the third defensive back in Seminoles' history to have this award joining Deion Sanders (88') and Terrell Buckley ('91).

Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (Nation's Outstanding Placekicker)

Roberto Aguayo (Florida State) - FG - 19/20 (95%) XP - 90/90 (100%)

Anthony Fera (Texas) - FG - 20/22 (91%) XP - 44/45 (98%)

Marvin Kloss (South Florida) - FG - 18/23 (78%) XP - 15/15 (100%) Yes that stat is correct, USF scored only 16 TD all year, 12 on offense.

Voters will probably write off Kloss due to his low success rate but 3 of his 5 misses did come from 50+ yards. My guess is that it will come down to the senior versus the freshman. Fera's only misses this season came from 44 and 45 yards while Aguayo's one miss came against Wake Forest from 43 yards. I am going to go complete homer on this one and say this is the first of Roberto's 3 straight Groza awards. A win tonight would make Aguayo the 3rd FSU kicker to win the award, Janikowski ('98,'99) and Graham Gano ('08).

Maxwell Award (Player of the Year)

Jameis Winston (Florida State) - 237/349 (67.9%) 10.9 Y/A 38TD/10INT : 77 ATT 2.5 YPC 4TD

Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) - 270/391 (69.1%) 9.5 Y/A 33TD/13INT : 133 ATT 5.2 YPC 8TD

AJ McCarron (Alabama) - 207/306 (67.6%) 8.7 Y/A 26TD/5INT : 24 ATT 0.8 YPC 0 TD

McCarron being a finalist for Player of the Year is silly. If he wins he is being rewarded for being a good QB surrounded by some of the most talented and successful teams in college football history. Manziel had another great season but at the end of the day his numbers do not compare to Winston's and on a 4 loss team it would be a big surprise if he won. Jameis Winston has already won the Heisman and should be the favorite here, of the 8 quarterbacks who have won the Heisman in the last decade 4 of them didn't win the Maxwell. But of those four none lost to another quarterback. Winston would join Charlie Ward ('93) as the only other Seminole to win this award.

Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (Nation's Best Quarterback)

Jameis Winston (Florida State) - 237/349 (67.9%) 10.9 Y/A 38TD/10INT : 77 ATT 2.5 YPC 4TD

Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) - 270/391 (69.1%) 9.5 Y/A 33TD/13INT : 133 ATT 5.2 YPC 8TD

AJ McCarron (Alabama) - 207/306 (67.6%) 8.7 Y/A 26TD/5INT : 24 ATT 0.8 YPC 0 TD

Only once in the last decade has the Heisman winner not also won the O'Brien award, in 2004 Jason White won over Matt Leinart. That won't happen tonight and Jameis Winston will join Charlie Ward ('93) and Chris Weinke ('00) as other FSU signal callers to win this award.

Join your fellow Noles tonight as we watch Florida State be recognized for having some of the best football players in the country.

UPDATE: Already one in the bag for the Noles.

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