You can call me a believer, now.

Florida State has been gaining steam and popularity all season long, drawing attention from analysts and fans alike. Then things culminated in one mighty bang last Saturday when quarterback “Famous” Jameis Winston led the 6-0 Seminoles to a 56-14 win in Clemson.

Clemson quarterback Taj Boyd couldn’t handle the pressure, and his team, now 6-1, quietly whimpered into their locker room once the clock hit zero. All attention was on Winston, collected and calm in the center of roaring media crowd.

“Florida State is bringing that swag back,” he said grinning from ear to ear.

After their performance in Death Valley, that much seems very clear.

Rumor has it Alabama head coach Nick Saban denied Winston a position on the Crimson Tide because he didn’t like his players also playing baseball in the spring. The kid’s a multitalented, redshirt freshman powerhouse

As a disappointed Georgia Bulldog fan (I’d rather not talk about all the things that went wrong this season), my attention has shifted to those Seminoles down in Tallahassee. Being in Bainbridge, close to FSU, amps up the excitement even more.

The ACC used to be jokingly called the “Almost Competitive Conference.” I’m not so sure about that anymore with this animal on the loose.

Covering the Bainbridge eighth grade football games, something occurred to me. I see similarities between Jameis Winston and a certain Bearcat: Damian Pierce.

Pierce is a ferocious running back. A knock or two won’t bring him down; players have to pile onto him before his churning legs give. He’s diligent, and most importantly, he’s humble. He can’t mention his success without noting it was the team’s hard work that put him there.

Winston was the same way during his post-game interview last Saturday in Death Valley. It’s a team game with many moving parts. They all have to be working together to get the ball across the goal line. Winston knows it, Pierce knows it, and they both will become incredible players because of it.