Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 82: 081 Sowing discord

The NCAA season kicked off, and with it, the Heisman Trophy competition officially began.

In the third week, Louisville Cardinals' quarterback Jackson made a name for himself in one battle, suddenly becoming the strongest contender for the Heisman Trophy and leading the pack.

In the fourth week, Crimson Tide Storm faced an unexpected tough battle against the University of Mississippi, but Li Wei remained calm in the crisis and turned the tide, once again igniting a media frenzy.

This caused Li Wei's odds in the Heisman Trophy competition to skyrocket, currently ranking fourth, only behind Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson, and Baker Mayfield—

Fourth, not very high.

But the focus is that the top three are all quarterbacks, and Li Wei, as a running back, rose to fourth place, and as the dark horse of this season, he easily attracted all firepower, with reporters nationwide watching his every move.

All eyes are on him, layer upon layer.

Naturally, as Crimson Tide Storm continued their triumphant advance, maintaining their Undefeated Golden Body, Li Wei's popularity continued to rise, and Jackson also felt the crisis.

"Lamar, people now generally think Li Wei is a more excellent and outstanding player, and his call for the Heisman Trophy seems to be catching up with you. What's your take?"

Jackson lowered his lids, glanced at the recorder pressed against his cheek, and showed a slight smile, unhurried, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

"Congratulations. I've also noticed his performance."

"However, perhaps because of position, I'm more concerned about Jalen Hurts' performance; I think Crimson Tide Storm found their quarterback."

Running back?

Please, any sane person knows that in football, you should pay attention to the quarterback, and only the quarterback. As for the running back, no matter how well they perform, they are ultimately just… a running back.

Those who know, know.

From start to finish, Jackson had never truly cared about that running back's performance. Could he surpass Derrick Henry? Last year was because he was just a freshman, not yet mature, which is why the Heisman Trophy went to Henry.

Don't even think about it this year, not to mention that the Heisman Trophy definitely won't go to a running back two years in a row, especially when there's him this year.

To Jackson, he needed to keep an eye on quarterbacks like Clemson's Watson, Oklahoma's Mayfield, and others who could really challenge him; other players weren't worth his time and energy.

Running back?

Haha, what a joke. Let's not talk about that again.

However, the reporters still caught the disdain and mockery in Jackson's words—

Hurts, from anyone's perspective, is not a top-tier quarterback; maybe with some time, he could become a good quarterback, but this freshman still seems too immature.

So, a reporter followed up immediately.

"Then what do you think about Li Wei's performance going forward, can he maintain his momentum?"

Jackson might look down on Li Wei, not really considering a running back worthy of attention, but the Crimson Tide Storm led by Saban is a different story.

Crimson Tide Storm still holds the first seed in the NCAA, undoubtedly the strongest contender for this year's nationwide championship, while the currently third-seeded Louisville Cardinals is also aiming for their first-ever nationwide championship, so Jackson keenly monitored his competitors' performances.

Jackson showed a meaningful smile, slightly schadenfreude, "Oh, for the upcoming games of Crimson Tide Storm, I sincerely wish him luck, that guy..."

A pause.

Jackson swore it wasn't intentional—he genuinely did not know the running back's name; anyway, it was a player he didn't need to bother remembering.

He felt that after this period, he might never hear that name again.

"That boy." Jackson found a name, nothing could be more precise.

The reporters looked at each other; even an idiot could taste the depth of his words, but they did not continue to pursue it and soon moved on to the next question.

"This week, first seed Alabama will face seventh seed Tennessee; at the same time, third seed Louisville will also face fifth seed Clemson. Are you confident about this game?"

The fierce battle is coming.

The Crimson Tide Storm is about to face a tough battle, and the clash between Louisville Cardinals and Clemson Tigers is the center of attention, with Heisman favorites Jackson and Watson about to meet—every media outlet is buzzing with excitement.

Unlike the just mentioned Li Wei, Jackson's spirit had obviously lifted at this moment, and from his eyes, one could feel the murderous intent surging out—

Watson, this is his real opponent.

"We will win."

Jackson looked into the reporter's eyes and expressed his confidence, word by word.

Seeing the reporter was about to ask more, Jackson repeated his statement.

"We, will, win."

Direct.

Resounding.

Then, Jackson had already walked away, no longer paying attention to the reporters.

The contrast in attitudes before and after speaks for itself.

With a turn, the reporters surrounded Li Wei at Bryant Denny Stadium, who was about to head to an away game, and quickly threw out the question.

"Li Wei, who do you think will win this week between Jackson and Watson? What will be the outcome of this direct confrontation between two Heisman favorites?"

Li Wei: Huh?

Not catching on, Li Wei couldn't keep up; who were those two again? He remembered hearing something about Heisman runners-up, so they are… quarterbacks?

Seeing Li Wei's confusion, the reporters had to explain the backstory, "Jackson thinks that the Crimson Tide Storm has been playing spectacular games continuously, but he believes Hertz's performance deserves more recognition than yours."

So that's it—

Stirring the pot.

Suddenly, Li Wei saw through these reporters' ambiguous words and realized that the media battle for the Heisman Trophy had already started, even though the season wasn't halfway over yet?

Everything, is just a game.

"They need to fight for their victory, and we also need to fight for ours. I think, games shouldn't be played with mouths, otherwise, I should be preparing for the Super Bowl right now."

Pfft.

Watching the words come out of Li Wei, confident and poised, diverting attention with a turn of phrase, his final quip caused low laughter.

However, the reporters weren't easily fooled. One fell, another stood up, immediately asking further.

"In a previous warm-up match, you faced Watson. What do you think of his level, how does he compare to Hertz? Could he contend for the Heisman Trophy? Do you think Watson could beat Jackson?"

Undoubtedly, this season's Jackson was indeed sizzling hot, exhibiting top tier capabilities in both passing and running, even surpassing last year's Watson, who led the Clemson Tigers to the nationwide championship final—countless reporters put the two quarterbacks in the same discussion.

Now, it was Li Wei's turn.

Li Wei slightly raised his eyebrows, "Hey, give me a beer and a plate of peanuts, and I'll stand on the same line with you."

Spectators united front.

With that, Li Wei had already turned and boarded the bus, leaving behind a crowd shouting "Li Wei" with no response.