Talking Points: He is Johnny Football

What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:

1

Not only did Johnny Manziel win the Heisman Trophy this year, but Friday’s bowl performance propelled him into the pantheon of the all-time exciting college football players. The Texas A&M quarterback torched Oklahoma for 287 passing yards and 229 rushing yards in a 41-13 victory over the Sooners.

Manziel just missed joining former Washington QB Marques Tuiasosopo as the only players in FBS history to go for 300/200 in one game. And he did it with style, averaging 13.5 yards per carry.

For a sport in which marquee players rarely are in the spotlight for more than one season, Manziel is a godsend. He’s already well-known to the general public; he’s exciting enough to draw viewers by himself; and he’s going to be in college football for anywhere from one to three more years. Johnny Football, indeed.

2

Given the Seattle Seahawks’ dreadful history in the Eastern time zone, things do not bode well for today’s playoff game at Washington. Yet, there is reason for hope — they are three-point favorites today.

A victory likely would send them to Atlanta, which had the best record in the NFC but isn’t exactly unbeatable. Then, Seattle likely would play at San Francisco for a trip to the Super Bowl.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s the playoffs. Anything can happen when everybody starts out 0-0.

3

Here’s something to make all college football coaches pause when they become the next big thing and the NFL comes calling. The Cleveland Browns went 5-11 this year — four more losses than Chip Kelly had in FOUR years at Oregon.

For more Talking Points, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/talkpoints360