Dominate the Super Bowl

"Lamar, you didn't dream of Li Wei, did you?"

"Ha ha ha, haha..."

It was all in jest, of course, just a lighthearted taunt to ease the tension because Jackson had startled everyone by leaping up from sleep in an outburst, scaring all the students studying in the library. They needed a change of atmosphere, so someone cracked a joke.

The tall boy who spoke wore a satisfied grin, thoroughly pleased with his own wit, his face practically begging:

Come on, praise me; come on, praise me.

But when he looked up, he saw Jackson's furious gaze akin to a wrathful King Kong, the murderous aura in his eyes seemingly leaping out at him.

The laughter was snuffed out immediately.

Watching Jackson charge toward him with anger, one moment standing yards away and in the next face-to-face, eye-to-eye.

Belch.

So frightened was the boy that he didn't even have time to tremble; instead, he let out a burp and froze, unable to move.

Jackson was like a lion fixated on its prey.

"No one is allowed to mention that name again. No one!"

He squeezed out every word through clenched teeth.

Then, with a spin, Jackson stormed out like a tornado.

From outside the library, a roar could be heard.

"Ah! Aahh!"

The entire space seemed to shake, individuals within sight hunched their shoulders and exchanged glances, yet no one dared to speak.

Even without Jackson's warning, one could feel the pressure throughout the campus of the University of Louisville—

The University of Louisville wasn't considered a traditional powerhouse but wasn't too bad either, having topped their division eight times in history, yet they had never won a league championship or even made it to the national championship game, nor had they ever produced a Heisman Trophy winner.

A team typically strong in interdivision games but weak in interleague play.

That was until this year when things started to change. Under the leadership of sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson, they were basking in unprecedented attention.

Not only were they advancing victoriously, breaking NCAA records left and right; Jackson was also leading the odds for the Heisman Trophy, with a very good chance of becoming the team's first player to win the NCAA's top honor.

Despite a sobering loss to the Clemson Tigers in a direct confrontation, they quickly regained their footing and returned to the path of victory.

Following an expected triumph over the underdogs of Wake Forest University the week before last, the Louisville Cardinals were back at position three in the NCAA rankings.

The current NCAA team rankings are:

First, Alabama Crimson Tide Storm.

Second, Clemson Tigers.

Third, Louisville Cardinals.

Conveniently, the top three contenders for the Heisman Trophy—Jackson, Li Wei, and Watson—also came from these three teams, making the competition fiercer than ever.

All indications pointed to this being the perfect opportunity for the Louisville Cardinals to make history, whether it be the national championship or the Heisman Trophy.

However.

Three days ago, the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm was tested and emerged victorious from a fierce battle against the Louisiana State University Tigers, continuing their undefeated season.

Similarly, the Clemson Tigers refused to be outdone and secured another resounding victory in their quest to follow in the Crimson Tide's undefeated footsteps.

Meanwhile, the Louisville Cardinals suffered an upset loss to the unranked Houston Jaguars, becoming the first of the championship favorites to fall behind.

Losing the game was bad; but what was worse, Jackson had a mediocre performance, practically invisible throughout the game.

"36:10".

That was the final score of the game, a scoreline very familiar to the University of Louisville Cardinals this season, but unfortunately, this time they were not the side with more points. The score set a new season low for them, and Jackson's stats plummeted across the board, with hardly any impact in the first half.

It wasn't until the latter half of the game that Jackson seemed to wake up from a dream and regain some form, but it was too late.

Thus, a question concerning running quarterbacks—especially Jackson—surfaced once again:

With Jackson exhausting himself in such a playing style, how long can he last?

How long can he maintain a high frequency of performance in a game? What about over a season? The playoffs? Or his entire career?

After the game, Jackson became a target of public scrutiny, as the media, already in the spirit of an early Christmas celebration, went for the jugular.

Especially compared with Li Wei, whose comeback king performance against the Louisiana State University Tigers stood out starkly. Li Wei hadn't managed to break through the defense in the first half either, but in the second half, he didn't just score two rushing touchdowns; he fought a hard battle and managed to lift the team spirit.

Without comparison, there would be no hurt—

By contrast, this seems to be Jackson's pattern all season, only performing well in the first half and then losing steam in the second.

So, how did the man himself respond?

At first, Jackson tried to deflect the topic, but in the end, the conversation always circled back to Li Wei, and eventually, Jackson lost his cool.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I will defeat him."

Jackson made his declaration.

The reporters, like sharks smelling blood, swarmed him and asked, "Do you mean the nationwide championship game, or the Heisman Trophy selection?"

During the regular season, Alabama and Louisville had no chance to meet and were unlikely to encounter each other in the bowl games; the only possibility remained the nationwide championship game. Including their two teams along with Clemson, these were likely the main contenders for this season's nationwide championship.

Jackson, "Both."

The reporters got excited all at once, "What?"

Jackson answered almost with a roar, "We will have the last laugh in both the nationwide championship and the Heisman Trophy. Believe me, we are the true champions."

Finally, after dropping several bombshells, Jackson managed to extricate himself.

Later, eager to stir the pot, reporters conveyed Jackson's words to Li Wei, hoping for a response.

Continue your saga on empire

"Oh."

The reporters doubted their hearing, but they had not misheard; Li Wei simply nodded, indicating that he understood.

Waiting for the reporters to follow up, Li Wei explained, "What we need to consider now isn't the nationwide championship or the bowl games, but our next opponent, Mississippi State University."

"As for the nationwide championship, we can think about that when our opponents are determined and the game approaches. We need to prepare for each game with our feet firmly on the ground. After all, the regular season has three more weeks, and anything can happen. The situation could be completely overturned, and no team can afford to relax and bask in the sun."

This was a traditional virtue from the ancient East: humility.

In fact, the underlying reason was that Saban had called an internal team meeting to sound the alarm—

With numerous strong teams in the NCAA, a single game could disrupt the rankings, bowl matchups, and qualifying for the nationwide championship, among others.

Even with Crimson Tide Storm's nine-game winning streak, complacency was forbidden, otherwise, last season's Clemson served as a cautionary tale.

When Li Wei's words reached Jackson's ears through the reporters, they took on an entirely different meaning.

"Li Wei doesn't take Lamar Jackson seriously. Let's see if the Louisville Cardinals make it to the nationwide championship game."

No further words were needed; Jackson was already seething:

Argh! Aargh!