SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Despite an upcoming disciplinary hearing, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston
and head coach Jimbo Fisher said they fully expect the redshirt
sophomore to participate in next Saturday's game against No. 6 Notre
Dame.
"Of course," Winston said after the 38-20 win over Syracuse.
As reported by ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach, Winston was notified Friday he will face a disciplinary hearing
from an alleged sexual assault in December 2012. He has five school
days to schedule an information hearing -- in which he'll be advised
about his rights -- and a student conduct hearing will be held soon
thereafter.
At issue is whether Winston violated the university's student conduct
code. The reigning Heisman winner could reportedly be charged with as
many as four violations.
On Friday, reports began circulating that tied Winston to the same autograph authenticator involving Georgia running back Todd Gurley,
who was suspended indefinitely for allegedly accepting payment for his
signatures. Winston has not been directly accused of accepting money,
but the implication is out there. Fisher said there's nothing to it.
"Kids sign things all the time," Fisher said. "So what do you want
them to do -- stop signing stuff? We could make them not have any fans
from that standpoint and not sign for anybody. That's what it's going to
come to, and that's a shame for college football that we can't take a
kid, somebody exploits a kid. Now, if they're getting paid for it, then I
don't have any knowledge of that. I don't believe Jameis did."
Winston, the past year's Heisman winner, has been in the spotlight
for the wrong reasons a lot this year. In May, he missed time from the
baseball team and was sentenced to community service after stealing crab
legs from a local supermarket. The past month, he was suspended against
Clemson after yelling an obscene phrase on campus.
The off-the-field incidents don't appear to have impacted his
performance. In five games this season, Winston has thrown for 1,605
yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is 19-0 as the
Seminoles' starting quarterback.
"It's not about distractions -- it's about playing Florida State
football," Winston said when asked how he has thrived under so many
distractions. "It's about going out there every day in practice, doing
our school work, making sure we're being a great student-athlete. And
like I said, being on the field, it's a sanctuary. You get between those
lines, all the cameras are on you, and we're out there playing
football."
With the win, the Seminoles appear to control their own destiny in
the College Football Playoff. They're the top-ranked team in the nation,
and they have a chance next Saturday against No. 6 Notre Dame to
further prove their case to the playoff committee. The Irish are the
highest-ranked team on the Seminoles' regular-season schedule.

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