LOS ANGELES -- You can ask Oregon players about defending Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston until the sun sets on the beautiful California landscape surrounding the Rose Bowl, or quiz the Seminoles on how they're going to slow down Ducks' signal-caller Marcus Mariota until your hands tire from writing down what they say.
The one thing that won't be talked about at the Rose Bowl this week, especially among underclassmen, despite being on the minds of every front office across the country? The 2015 NFL Draft.
"I don't worry about all that," Winston remarked when asked if he had even put in for an evaluation from the NFL Draft Advisory Board.
"I'm just focused on the game," defensive tackle Eddie Goldman added.
"Right now, it's not really on my mind," defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. said of the NFL. "I"m just trying to stay focused on our last two games and if we're going to Dallas. I think I'll be able to make a decision later."
"The process is stay focused on Florida State and playing the best I can for my teammates," said Ducks defensive lineman Arik Armstead. "I haven't even got my feedback (from the draft advisory board) back yet."
Nobody is that surprised that players who face draft decisions are being politically correct prior to a big game, but the absence of any speculation in a game with plenty of potential future pros has been a stark contrast to the number of other bowls. Chalk it up to good coaching by public relations officials or a realization by players of the serious task at hand -- i.e. the possibility of a national championship -- and one can understand why most are reluctant to go beyond just a polite dismissal when asked about the next level.
"I'm very superstitious, so I'm going to do the same thing I do on a weekly basis," FSU defensive coordinator Charles Kelly said. "I really haven't talked too much about it with them."
That time will soon come, however. While the players on the losing end of the New Year's Day semifinal games will have until Jan. 15 to declare for the draft if they're an underclassmen, the winner will have just three days between the title game and the deadline. One would think that would mean a serious conversation or two about one's NFL prospects, but both teams appear to be putting off such talk for another day and another time.
There is, after all, a game to play on Thursday.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
