The Rundown

So, the undefeated Florida State Seminoles and the 12-1 Georgia Bulldogs have been eliminated from the college football playoffs. Let’s talk about it. 

The college football playoff selection committee announced yesterday that Michigan (13-0, Big 10 champion), Alabama (12-1, SEC champion), Washington (13-0, Pac-12 champion) and Texas (12-1, Big 12 champion) will be facing off for a chance at the national title. The announcement left the Seminoles and Bulldogs reeling, and rightfully so. 

Michigan; alright, they beat Ohio State and won the Big 10. That checks out. Washington; same thing. Texas; a little more questionable, but not the biggest concern. What really sticks out as an egregious misrepresentation of college football is the Crimson Tide vying for yet another national championship after their 12-1 season. Now, as an SEC fan (and Gator fan) myself, I can’t deny the skepticism I hold for the committee’s decision to include Alabama over Florida State, or even Georgia. 

The committee’s reasoning for disallowing the Seminoles into the playoffs rested on the absence of quarterback Jordan Travis, yielding an overall weaker roster in comparison to the other three selected teams, and ultimately, the Crimson Tide. See, the selection committee prides itself on considering a holistic view of each team in its deliberation. As it states in its terms, it evaluates “conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparison of results against common opponents to decide among teams that are comparable.” With these criteria in mind, let’s take a look at Florida State and Georgia in comparison to Alabama. 

Right off the bat, Florida State has a perfect record and a conference championship. Two points: Seminoles. Alabama has a conference championship. Point: Crimson Tide. Comparatively, Alabama also had a slightly (emphasis on slightly) harder schedule than Georgia, despite having the same record. But, because their record is the same, you have to consider the nature of the losses. Alabama lost by 10 points to a team ranked (at the time) at #11, while Georgia lost to #8 Alabama by the equivalent of a field goal. Do with that information what you will, but I think that this point in particular constitutes an oversight on the committee’s behalf when considering the strength of this matchup.

With that said, the argument for Florida State also remains strong. Despite playing with second-string QB Tate Rodemaker against SEC rival Florida, the Seminoles came out on top, and finished their regular season with the ACC title under third-string QB Brock Glenn. Injuries aside, this team did everything they needed to do, under unprecedented circumstances, and arguably levels better than other perfectly healthy powerhouse teams. Not to mention the fact that this year’s playoff selection marks the first time in college football history that an undefeated Power-5 team has been left out of the running for the national title. This begs the question– can you confidently say that Florida State doesn’t have the roster power to compete with the likes of Michigan, Washington, and Texas? Where can the committee draw the line between this nuanced consideration, and what the team actually does on the field?

The Seminoles and Bulldogs will face off in the Orange Bowl December 30th, with both teams harboring anger– and a point to prove.

What are your thoughts? Let me know down below.