FLORIDA — The Florida State Seminoles are the talk of the town but not for good cause.
The undefeated Atlantic Coast Conference champs were left out of the College Football Playoffs Sunday, much to the dismay of supporters who say the team was snubbed.
The ‘Noles landed at No. 5 in the rankings with a 13-0 record, one drop from its previous ranking. Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama all claimed the top 4 spots in the playoffs.
The news came after the ‘Noles defeated the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 for the conference title Saturday.
Needless to say, head football coach Mike Norvell was assuredly not pleased with the CFP committee rankings.
“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Norvell said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday.
“What is the point of playing games? Do you tell players it is okay to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury? Where is the motivation to schedule challenging non-conference games? We are not only an undefeated P5 conference champion, but we also played two P5 non-conference games away from home and won both of them. I don’t understand how we are supposed to think this is an acceptable way to evaluate a team.”
Norvell went on to say he hurts for his team, which he said remained resilient throughout the season.
“What happened today goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated today. It’s a sad day for college football,” he said.
“I’m proud of the work we have put in and the players I have the privilege to coach. We have one more opportunity to define this 2023 team in the Orange Bowl, and I believe in how our team will respond.”
According to ESPN, if selected, the ‘Noles would have to go after the national title without their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis. The QB suffered a leg injury against North Alabama in week 12, the outlet reported.
In a statement on X, Travis said he is both devastated and heartbroken and in disbelief.
“I wish my leg broke earlier in the season so y’all could see this team is much more than the quarterback. I thought results matter. 13-0 and this roster matches up across any team in those top 4 rankings. I am so sorry. Go Noles,” he said in the statement.
ESPN staff writer David Hale said the CFP committee ignored certain victories to focus one particular stat.
“The committee cared about one stat when making this decision: FSU’s 55 passing yards against Louisville,” Hale wrote.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott penned a letter Monday to Selection Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan, requesting the committee’s transparency in its choice to exclude the Noles from the playoffs.
Scott added Florida State and the ACC have been denied $2 million in revenue distribution from the CFP due to the decision.
“While this is a significant amount of money, it is just a fraction of the total economic impact that playoff contention would have created for FSU,” he said in the letter, shared on X. “Beyond the benefit to the university and its athletic program, the committee’s decision will also likely have profound impacts on the future earnings and opportunities for the players.”
Scott acknowledged Travis’ injury but questioned why it was not factored into the previous week’s rankings. He noted the Noles were able to defeat the Florida Gators in Gainesville after Travis got injured.
He said the committee’s choice to snub the Noles is the result of an unfair system.
“There are hopes, dreams and billions of dollars in economic activity that hinge on the decisions made by the 13-member group you lead,” Scott said. “Given the unprecedented nature of your recent decision, an unprecedented commitment to transparency is required.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis also weighed in on the committee’s rankings while congratulating the Noles on their “outstanding season” and its title win.
“What we learned today is that you can go undefeated and win your conference championship game, but the College Football Playoff committee will ignore these results,” DeSantis said on Facebook.
Travis said the Noles are not finished after a great season. Rather than focusing on the playoff standings, he chose to take in the moment of being a conference champion.
“Thank you to the fans for a great season. We are not done yet, and let’s control what we can control. The journey has been so great, and today we are ACC champions. Let’s not let the opinions of others affect how we feel about being champions of this conference. Proud of this team,” he said in the statement.
The Noles will take on the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs, also left out of the playoffs after a title loss to Alabama, at the Orange Bowl. The game, happening at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, will air at 4 p.m., Dec. 30, on ESPN.
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