The Journey Isn't Over

(Brad Nessler) — CBS Play-by-Play

"Oh — it's incredible!! What a night for Georgia! ... By Dwayne Moi Stone — a quarterback who's been through SEC Championship Games and National Championship Games year after year is showing Jayden Daniels exactly how big games are supposed to be played!!"

(Gary Danielson) — CBS Analyst

"All season long, every single D1 football team in the country has tried to stop this kid. Nobody has managed it — and LSU, at least so far, hasn't come anywhere close to containing him."

(Brad Nessler)

"He's already thrown for 304 passing yards before halftime even arrives. Four touchdowns. Zero interceptions. All season long, not one pass out of Dwayne Moi Stone's hand has ever been picked off."

The early going, to be fair, had held real promise for LSU.

A chance to seize the momentum.

On the opening drive, the ball moving from Jayden Daniels to Malik Nabers looked for a moment like it might shred the Spy scheme we'd built against him.

But LSU lacked the killer instinct to squeeze points out of the red zone, and the drive stalled into a field goal situation instead.

Even if it wouldn't have satisfied them, they still could have struck first — and that was exactly when the special teams did something stupid.

A botched punt clipped Nazir's hand and dropped loose onto the field, and in that instant, the LSU players judged that possession had changed hands.

But the ball was still live — very much in play — and Christopher, who'd been watching it the whole time, snatched it up without hesitation and sprinted untouched into a stunned LSU end zone. Ninety-five yards. Touchdown.

That was the exact moment the momentum flipped.

From there on out, the game never left our hands.

"We bury them into the ground until the very end! Got it?!"

Having demanded relentless focus from my receivers, I came back to the bench and settled into my spot.

Strictly speaking, there's no such thing as a reserved seat on the quarterback bench, but since last year, that particular spot had somehow always been left empty for me.

I draped my jacket loosely over my shoulders, glanced back, and hunted for something to refuel on.

"Got any apple jam?"

"Here."

"Thanks."

Taking the spoon Juwan Taylor handed me, I scooped up a heaping bite of apple jam and pushed it into my mouth.

The football team's bench always stocked things that could dump quick energy into a player — beyond the jam, there was chocolate, energy bars, Pop-Tarts, all piled inside a big cardboard box.

After reviewing a few plays from the first quarter on the tablet, I set it down carefully beside me and stepped forward.

The LSU boys had already grown desperate.

The snap to Jayden Daniels.

The pass arrived — and slipped right out of the receiver's hands.

The offensive scheme that had seemed to solve us early on was now being swallowed whole by our defense.

I feel it every time, but the way Coach assembles a defense is something else.

At the NCAA level, nobody comes close.

I'm not trying to dismiss the effort or the recruiting — but even after legions of our defenders left for the NFL, the reason our defense can still call itself the best in D1 this year is coaching, plain and simple.

Right now LSU was struggling mightily to move the ball at all, and with the half winding down, they attempted a 54-yard field goal — and came away with nothing.

Halftime.

I bolted immediately for the locker room.

#. Same Moment

#-1. Renton, Washington, USA

#-2. Seattle Seahawks Front Office

With their Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams just one day away, the Seattle Seahawks' front office had every TV scattered around the building tuned to the SEC Championship Game.

As a team that had chosen tanking for the privilege of drafting Dwayne Moi Stone, their interest in the player was, naturally, considerable.

And the GM's office?

Same picture here.

"How many guys could do that?"

"Sir?"

"How many NFL quarterbacks could play like that kid?"

"…."

Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider began drifting into his own imagination.

Today, LSU had come with an openly aggressive strategy aimed at Dwayne Moi Stone, winning pressure on the quarterback on nearly every snap.

And yet the sum total of LSU's first-half haul was one Sack and four passes batted off target.

Under Center.

Shotgun.

Pistol.

Dwayne Moi Stone devoured every form of snap with total fluency, shattering every last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one of LSU's efforts and making the gulf in class unmistakably, physically felt.

Particularly the final drive of the second quarter — slipping the sack, escaping the line of scrimmage, and finding McConkey downfield. That throw was the best of the bunch.

Extreme, almost hypersensitive pocket presence.

The art of using his body in tight spaces.

The vision and decisiveness to find the open lane and run.

And finally, situational judgment built on a flawless understanding of the field — every single one of them on display in a single play.

"If some no-name quarterback had made the play Moi just made, he'd have shot straight up draft boards as a locked-in prospect. That's the kind of play it was. Every ounce of talent he has, spent in one moment."

"We have to get him, sir."

"First, we deal with the Rams. Two games left against them — and the season finale is them too. Stay careful."

Having already burned through their bye week, Seattle sat at 1-10, half a game behind the leaders of the TFM race.

But of course — once the other teams took their byes, the records would level ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out or Seattle would fall even further behind, so the Seahawks could keep devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the noble art of losing.

Still, one single thing worried the Seahawks' senior front-office brass: those two games against the Rams.

Los Angeles, the defending Super Bowl champions of just one year ago, were collapsing as if that title had all been a dream.

At 4-9 with playoff elimination already mathematically sealed, they now stood at a crossroads — and there was more than enough reason to fear they might simply keep losing on purpose in pursuit of a top draft pick.

Matthew Stafford, for that matter, had been ruled out for the season since Week 9 with a neck injury, which meant the quality of play on the field was guaranteed to be lopsided and unpredictable.

And yet Seattle absolutely had to pull this off.

How could anyone in their right mind pass on talent like that?

"We trust the team we built. That's all."

In a season where so many phrases coming out of executives' mouths carried entirely different meanings than usual, the Seattle Seahawks were straining every nerve to control every last variable.

(Brad Nessler)

"Since the SEC Championship Game was born in 1992, only two schools have ever won three or more consecutive SEC titles. And now, there's about to be a third. The game is over! For 2020 and 2021 — and now again — Georgia stands at the very top of the SEC!"

We knew better than anyone that this game was not the end, and standing before newly made history, proud of it, we lifted the SEC Championship trophy high for all to see.

Confetti and interviews.

Roaring cheers layered over it all like a blanket.

No matter how many times I see this scene, it never gets old.

"How's the first one feel?"

"It's incredible."

"Wager everything on it, then. Make the National Championship even better than this."

"That's exactly what I want to feel."

"Soon enough you will."

"Haha."

After trading a hug with Raki, giddy over his first championship at the college level, I made my rounds checking in on the freshmen here and there.

These were the guys who would have to carry this team going forward, and I hoped they'd hold on to the feeling of today and pour it into the National Championship Game and every big one that came after.

The broadcast cameras trailing me behaved as if they intended to capture every last moment before I left the field.

When I asked how long they planned to keep following me around, the cameraman apparently took it as a joke, laughed, and gave me a thumbs-up.

No, buddy. I'm serious.

"I'm dead serious, man. How long are you planning to stick around?"

"Haha. Forever."

"Damn— can I sue you for stalking?"

"Hahaha."

Having concluded that shaking the cameras was physically impossible, I switched my brain off from them and got on with what needed doing.

(Gary Danielson)

"He's all but finished a perfect narrative. In all the history of this sport, no player has ever gone through an entire college career and entered the NFL undefeated. Of course, it's something the whole team accomplished, and a handful of other guys will be walking that same road alongside him — but it's only natural that this kid draws the most attention."

(Brad Nessler)

"Kirby Smart described Dwayne Moi Stone as a Great Quarterback, But Better Person. There's been plenty of talk about his leadership as well."

(Gary Danielson)

"A New Type quarterback with an Old School mind. If I were in their shoes, I'd love this kid too. Obviously."

(Brad Nessler)

"And now, Georgia heads to the bowl games! Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State — and Texas Christian University, the program that has shocked college football more than anyone this year — will collide across two bowl games. And the winners of those two games will meet in the 2022/23 National Championship!"

Back in the locker room, before the celebrations kicked off in earnest, I stepped up in front of my teammates and shouted this:

The same words I'd said last year.

Being SEC Champions lasts only until today.

Starting tomorrow, we go again.

"We're the challengers!!"

We would become challengers and underdogs chasing the National Championship, seizing the right to roar at the sky with everything we had.

The journey wasn't over.

Not yet. Two games still remained.

"BUUUUUL DAAAWWWGS-!!!"

And with that final roar of mine, we sprayed champagne and beer all over the locker room, celebrating a third straight SEC title.

(Samantha Ponder) — NFL Sunday Countdown Host

"It feels like we keep ending up talking about this man lately. Georgia's Dwayne Moi Stone. Did you catch the SEC Championship Game yesterday?"

(Randy Moss) — NFL Sunday Countdown Panel

"Of course. I watched every snap."

(Alex Smith) — NFL Sunday Countdown Panel

"He's crazy."

(Samantha Ponder)

"Yesterday, Dwayne Moi Stone rewrote every quarterback metric in SEC Championship Game history. 591 passing yards — on an 84.1 percent completion rate, no less — and seven touchdowns…"

(Rex Ryan) — NFL Sunday Countdown Panel

"Heh heh."

(Samantha Ponder)

"And that's not all. Toss in the rushing and he finished with 641 total yards. All of it — the best in SEC history. Randy, one question for you. You're one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play, and you caught passes from Tom Brady himself. So tell me — does Dwayne Moi Stone succeed in the NFL?"

(Randy Moss)

"Now, that's impossible to say. Predicting whether a college star makes it — not just quarterbacks, any college star — is an awfully hard problem. But what I can tell you is this kid is different from the stars who came before him. The numbers just jump off the page. This season alone, he's thrown for a thousand to two thousand more yards than the greatest college quarterbacks in history managed. Ten to thirty more touchdown passes, too. What I'm saying is… numbers like that have to mean something. Nobody can ignore a stat line that loud. Sometimes, the numbers are everything."

#. December 4, 2022

#-1. Tampa, Florida, USA

#-2. Raymond James Stadium

Across the thirteen Sunday games that came before, thirteen teams had taken losses — and four of them were teams running the TFM.

That meant no meaningful change in the TFM race, and at the same time, that the clock allotted to the New Orleans Saints was running dangerously short.

First priority: Moi.

Otherwise, Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.

But as things stood, drafting any of the elite-potential quarterbacks in next April's draft had become impossible.

Joining the TFM in the first place was, after all, a declaration that you wanted a quarterback — meaning within the top four picks at minimum, all three of those quarterbacks, Moi included, would be gone.

And if it played out that way, New Orleans would have to consider trading the pick instead of drafting a rookie.

The right move would be selling the selection to a team desperate for elite talent at another position, recouping a bundle of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lower-round picks, and filling the roster with quantity over quality.

Which was why, a little earlier, Saints GM Mickey Loomis had reached out to Tampa's Jason Licht to sound out a trade.

The answer that came back: we'll think about it.

That, for now, was the best he could get.

"…."

Watching the players loosen up for the game from a spot near the field, Mickey Loomis slowly steeled himself to pull out.

New Orleans had their bye next week, then three of their final four games against teams with sub-.400 records — win even one of those, and last place was effectively gone for good.

Having realized he would never again wrap his hands around the quarterback he might have claimed, Mickey Loomis bowed his head, bitter.

Well. These things happen.

He knew it was nothing more than self-consolation to soothe a sour stomach — but the best Mickey Loomis could do right now was read reality coldly and make the right choice for the future.

The New Orleans Saints.

They were leaving the TFM.

#. December 6, 2022

#-1. Nashville, Tennessee, USA

#-2. Tennessee Titans Front Office

#-3. Conference Room

New Orleans' win was welcome news for the Tennessee Titans — and yet, at the same time, it was also true that the gap they still couldn't close was gnawing at them.

Cracking the Top 3 already looked like a long shot.

"The Bears don't need a quarterback."

"There's always the chance they trade the pick."

"Right. They've got no future, after all. But unless they're taking Dwayne Moi Stone, the draft assets they could actually command won't be as rich as you'd think."

"…."

From dream, back to reality.

The Titans' front office, General Manager Jon Robinson included, was chasing the long-shot possibility of landing C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young — a bird in the hand being worth two in the bush.

Of course, that meant getting past Houston first.

But a few hours later, Tennessee took down the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16 at their home stadium.

Fourth win of the season.

Into the office of a stone-faced Jon Robinson, slumped in his chair, walked the team's CEO, Burke Nihill.

"Jon? Got a minute?"

"Sir? Oh — yes. Of course."

"I see."

Taking a seat with a grave, solemn expression, Burke Nihill stayed a few minutes — then patted Jon Robinson on the shoulder and left the GM's office.

What Nihill had just delivered was a termination notice.

With any realistic chance of winning the TFM gone, the Titans' ownership group had decided to hold someone accountable for the failed season — and Jon Robinson was the one they chose.

The truth was, Robinson had been out of the ownership group's favor from the start, and it was precisely the TFM that had made his incompetence useful, allowing him to keep his post this long.

But now that possibility was dead, Jon Robinson was no longer needed — and the Titans intended to build a new future.

The end of the wave the TFM had summoned.

The heavy two syllables of a word called responsibility.