Saturday, 4 a.m.
Before Sunday's game, in those idle moments before his latest re-start, Jameis Winston should take a minute for himself.
He should stand in the middle of the still empty Nissan Stadium, and he should look across the field. There he should find his old rival Marcus Mariota. He should exhale.
There, but for the grace of circumstance, it could be him.
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Winston should realize this. He isn't the Bucs' starter because he has played so darned well. He is the Bucs' quarterback because his backup has never taken an NFL snap. He is the Bucs' starter because Bruce Arians was brought in to straighten out his career. He is the Bucs' starter because there is a slightly better chance the Bucs' win with him than without him.
But the fuse is burning.
The Bucs should struggle some against a good Titans' defense. They're still wounded on the offensive line, and they still haven't mastered the art of running the ball, and tight end O.J. Howard is out. Still, wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are a lot for a defense to handle.
Defensively, the Bucs excel against the run. But look for them to make Ryan Tannehill look like a decent NFL quarterback.
Prediction: Tampa Bay 28, Tennessee 27.
The NFL games:
New Orleans 30, Arizona 24.
Green Bay 28, Kansas City 17.
Detroit 24, New York Giants 14.
Colleges
USF at East Carolina: Quarterback? Anyone? Anyone?
USF goes into a road game against East Carolina hoping that starter Jordan McCloud can play instead of walk-on Kirk Rygol.
Either way, USF will have to score to beat the Pirates, who lost a close game against UCF last week.
Quarterback Holton Ahlers threw for 300 yards last week and figures to have a good day against a weak USF defense.
Prediction: ECU 24, USF 14.
Syracuse at FSU: The Seminoles have struggled most of the year, but they should still have enough firepower to beat the Orangemen at home.
Syracuse has allowed 35 sacks this season, most in the nation.
Look for Cam Akers to have a big game for the Seminoles.
Prediction: FSU 24, Syracuse 17.
UM at Pitt: The Hurricanes have struggled most of the season, especially at the quarterback position. On the road, Miami doesn't figure to make enough plays to beat the Panthers.
Prediction: Pitt 30, Miami 20.
Other games:
LSU 30, Auburn 24.
Ohio State 35, Wisconsin 30.
UCF 31, Temple 28.
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