Florida State was left disappointed as they weren’t chosen for the CFP, even though they didn’t lose any games throughout the season. Even after winning the ACC title, they were ignored, marking the first time an unbeaten Power 5 conference winner missed the national championship since the college playoffs began in 2014.
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The main reason they were left out was because the Seminoles’ quarterback, Jordan Travis, got a season-ending leg injury in the game against North Alabama on November 18th. Travis in a post on X (formerly Twitter) expressed his disbelief, mentioning that he wished his injury had occurred earlier in the season. He believed this would have shown that the team’s success wasn’t only based on him as a quarterback.
devastated. heartbroken. In so much disbelief rn, 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!
— Jordan Travis (@jordantrav13) December 3, 2023
Travis expressed his frustration for not being included in the playoffs despite the team’s impressive 13-0 record, two wins coming without Travis as starter. Travis believed that Florida State’s roster matched the level of the top-4 ranked teams and deserved a chance in the playoffs. The Seminoles lost their CFP spot to Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama.
Boo Corrigan, who leads the CFP committee, said that Florida State’s team changed after their starting QB Jordan Travis got injured. They felt that without Travis, who was important for their offense, the team wasn’t the same. Because of this change, the committee decided to rank Alabama fourth and Florida State fifth, looking at how both teams played in the later part of the season.
Head Coach Mike Norvell voices outrage over FSU’s Playoff snub
FSU head coach Mike Norvell expressed shock at the committee’s decision and criticized them. Coach Mike expressed his disappointment following his team’s exclusion from the playoffs. He thinks the committee ignored their achievements on the field because a few people had different opinions.
“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.”
Mike Norvell’s statement on FSU not making the College Football Playoff:
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/Zi9BQFQEyl
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 3, 2023
Norvell wondered why teams play games if the committee doesn’t respect the results and highlighted the team’s unbeaten Power Five conference championship. He also mentioned their tough wins in away games outside their conference.
He stated he feels for his players who worked hard throughout the season and disagreed strongly with the committee’s decision, saying it goes against what sports should stand for. Despite the setback, he remains proud of his team’s efforts and looks forward to coming back stronger in the Orange Bowl.
