The test has not yet been passed. The critics are not quite convinced. The barn, as they say, remains hayless.
For Chris Rix, and for those who watch him play quarterback for FSU, the riddle has not yet been solved.
On the other hand, the kid was terrific on Saturday.
For FSU, for now, that's a bit of a grin.
This was the prospect as advertised. This was Rix-as-in-Six, spreading the ball all over the field, slicing up a secondary, running up the score and the statistics as he went. Finally.
This was what Rix was supposed to do from the moment word of his ability arrived oncampus. All those wobbly decisions, all those rolled eyes ago, this was what Rix was supposed to be.
In front of Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, two men who played his position before him, two men who brought Heisman Trophies as dates to Saturday's game, Rix looked every bit the heir apparent in a 47-7 victory over Colorado.
Just think of it.
Chris Rix, Buffalo hunter.
Playing only three quarters, Rix set personal bests for completions (30) and yardage (394). If the Seminoles hadn't pulled him from the game - for his protection, this time - Rix might have ended up with 500 yards.
On the other hand, it is fair to note, none of this was against Miami. Nor was it against Notre Dame or Florida or North Carolina State or a bowl game.
When it comes to Rix, when it comes to FSU, the questions linger. Neither player nor team is granted absolution against Colorado, no matter how impressive the results. A full pardon is only granted against the name-brand schools yet to come.
So reserve your judgment. Hold off on your decision. Wait and see.
Still, the kid was pretty good, wasn't he?
The poor Buffaloes were buffaloed. Rix might as well have been Ward or Weinke or, for that matter, Joe Montana. He threw for 98 yards in the first quarter, 129 in the second, 167 in the third. He was calm. He was patient. He was wise.
Yes, he was that Chris Rix.
Who would have thought it?
Less than a year ago, Rix was the outcast quarterback, benched and bashed, sleepy-eyed and suspended. No one had any idea about his future.
"It wouldn't have surprised me (if Rix had transferred)," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "With the modern athlete, I think 50 percent of them would have changed schools. That shows a lot of stuff to me. It shows a guy who is willing to be embarrassed, having his position taken away from him and not leaving, not transferring, not running away from his problems."
Give Rix credit for resiliency, then. He says he never gave a thought to leaving. Instead, he remained on campus, restored his reputation and reclaimed his huddle.
Over the last two games, Rix has played well enough for a fresh look. He led FSU to its fourth-quarter victory against Georgia Tech. He shredded Colorado.
So has he won over the fans yet? Or is everyone waiting to see what happens against Miami?
"I'm not in that frame of mind," Rix said. "I'm trying to do my job and score touchdowns. Everyone is going to have an opinion, positive or negative."
If FSU's latest victory tells you nothing else, it screams of how much more confidence FSU coaches have in Rix. Last season, coaches spent hours trying to figure out how to keep the game out of his hands; this time, they put it there. Bowden was fed up with teams stacking the line of scrimmage against his offense, and he decided to come out with Rix throwing every down from the no-huddle offense.
Much of Rix's improvement, Bowden said, is merely a product of his growing up. Rix is a redshirt junior now, the age when Bowden prefers to turn an offense over to a quarterback.
"He's a lot more patient now," receiver Craphonso Thorpe said. "Last year, he was nervous. If someone made a mistake, or if he made one, he would take it to heart. He'd be angry for the next three of four series. Now, it just rolls off him."
It's odd. Every time a teammate praises how good Rix is this year, he seems to point out how bad Rix was last year. From the sounds of it, Rix is lucky his teammates didn't give him Dan Kendra's old chemistry set.
"Remember this," Bowden said. "When your team fails, they're going to blame it on somebody. Chris was a pretty good guy to blame. A lot of the blame he got wasn't his fault."
Two nights before the Colorado game, Rix sat in a lecture room with Ward and talked for a half an hour. It seems to have helped.
"One thing I do like about Chris is that he's bounced back from all the things people have said about him, all the things he's done to make people say things about him," Ward said. "That shows me a lot of character."
For now, other FSU fans may look at Rix as if he is a rickety bridge. With each step, they move cautiously, hoping the rope will hold and the planks will not give.
No, Rix hasn't made it across the ravine yet.
He has, however, shown that he's worth following across.
