LOS ANGELES >> Let’s face it. Those of us from Hawaii (and a lot of other folks) are biased. And there’s nothing wrong with that, just understand that it might cloud reality a bit. And maybe cost you a couple of shekels if you like to wager.

Or, yes, maybe Oregon will beat Florida State by more than a touchdown, because the Seminoles have never seen anything like Marcus Mariota, not even in practice against their own Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston.

Our Guy is The Good Guy, he really is. Pretty much everyone outside of Tallahassee believes it, not just the folks from the corner of Waialae and 3rd.

Mariota is the real deal, as a person and a player. His only flaw right now is that his soccer video game skills are a bit off because he’s been distracted by a month of crossing the country to pick up awards and prepping for the Rose Bowl.

And because Our Guy is The Good Guy, Oregon was still an 8-point favorite in its national semifinal game last I checked Wednesday afternoon … the betting line often has a lot to do with who the public wants to see win. That’s how Vegas gets enough money on both sides of the equation to pay for all those bright lights.

You have to bribe most people with a generous point spread to bet on Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles. They’re the Oakland Raiders of college football — except that they still do just win, baby.

The last time Florida State lost a football game, Marcus Mariota was a freshman.  It was Nov. 24, 2012 — the same day Manti Te’o intercepted his seventh pass of the season against USC, punching his ticket to New York as a Heisman finalist and helping Notre Dame reach 12-0 and secure its spot in the BCS national championship game against Alabama.

People talked about Notre Dame the way they do Florida State now … lucky, weak schedule, doesn’t belong.

As it turned out with the Fighting Irish, that was very true. It was wrong side of 42-14 true.

But now? Some similarities. Many of the experts will tell you the Seminoles just do not pass the eyeball test, and if they were to play anyone good they would get crushed.

So, we will find out for sure now in Pasadena … in the same stadium, oh, by the way, where FSU beat Auburn last year for the national championship.

But Florida State lost a lot of its best players from the 2013 team. Its superstar quarterback returned, though, and although he didn’t have as good a season as the previous year he led his team to an unbeaten record with a lot of late-game rallies.

That sounds familiar, right UH fans?

When Hawaii and Colt Brennan won all those close games against lousy opponents it was "magic, from a team of destiny." When Florida State does it, it’s "the ball bouncing their way and luck."

It’s funny … if there were a four-team playoff in 2007 and the 12-0 Warriors were not included, could you imagine the outrage from the islands (and even some others)? But, as we saw against Georgia, being undefeated doesn’t mean you belong on the field with the best.

Even a program with the long-term credentials of Florida State — and, did I mention, defending national champions? — gets heat for a weak schedule.

Whether these Seminoles prove to be of another supreme vintage, or just lousy leftovers, their situation is a great example of why a playoff system is just in time (or, if you’re Auburn 2004, for example, long overdue).

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.