ESPN Analyst Goes To Bat For Florida State After College Football Playoff Snub
With the College Football Rankings being revealed for a final time, the playoffs are set. Surprisingly, the Florida State Seminoles came in at No. 5, just narrowly missing the field. This, of course, sent social media into a frenzy.
The Seminoles finished their season 13-0 win a 16-6 win over Louisville in the ACC Championship. Still, they were without Jordan Travis in doing so, as he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 12. Travis' injury led to the Seminoles eventually being edged out by Texas and Alabama, two one-loss teams.
Ahead of the rankings reveal, there were two takes different panelists had. Some of them wanted Alabama and Texas to both make the playoff, which was reasoned by having a better overall playoff product.
Other panelists and personalities, though, felt the Seminoles deserved to make the playoffs, despite being without Travis. ESPN's Booger McFarland was one of the personalities in support of Florida State being a top-four team, and he was one of them who defended the Seminoles after they were snubbed.
"To me, this is a travesty to the sport," McFarland said. "One team has a loss, and that's Alabama. One doesn't in Florida State."
One of the one-loss teams in Texas and Alabama would have been deserving. They both proved on Saturday that they were worthy of making a playoff. Still, the Seminoles were the first Power Five team in the CFP committee model, which was introduced in 2014, to be snubbed from the playoffs despite going undefeated.
Kirk Herbstreit was one of the personalities lobbying for Florida State to essentially miss the playoffs. This contradicted his statement earlier in the season that the teams should "just win out."
The Seminoles missing out on the playoff certainly sends a message across college football. Winning out, despite the circumstances, in a Power Five conference, means a little less than originally thought.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.
