The College Football Playoff field was announced on Sunday afternoon by the selection committee. Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama will all compete for the national championship. Michigan will play Alabama in the Rose Bowl, while Texas will take on Washington in the Sugar Bowl.
The committee’s top four came with some controversy as undefeated Florida State was not selected to the top four despite their 13-0 record with an ACC Championship on their resume.
With Alabama and Texas both suffering a loss, many believe Florida State should be in over the Crimson Tide and Longhorns. Alabama jumped from 8th to 4th following their win over top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship game, while Texas moved from 7th to 3rd after they secured the Big 12 title over Oklahoma State. Here’s where the College Football Playoff selection committee messed up:
The College Football Playoff Committee Selects Texas Over Florida State
The College Football Playoff committee voted the Texas Longhorns to the 3rd spot in the top four over Florida State.
The Florida State Seminoles won 13 games, going 13-0 despite losing star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending leg injury in Florida State’s Week 12 win over North Alabama. The Seminoles won both of their final games without Travis, including a win over 14th-ranked Louisville in the ACC championship.
The Texas Longhorns defeated 18th-ranked Oklahoma State to advance to 12-1 and win the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns faced some adversity late in the season, barely staying alive in matchups versus TCU and Iowa State.
Texas lost their only game to an eventual two-loss Oklahoma team in the Red River Rivalry game. The Longhorns managed their most complete win of the season in their conference championship victory but still had a tough loss compared to Florida State’s undefeated record.
The College Football Playoff Committee has a history of prioritizing teams with undefeated records and conference championship wins, a mold this Florida State team fits perfectly.
Social Media Reacts To Florida State Snub
Florida State’s missed playoff birth caused a social media outrage from fans, players and media personnel alike.
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Seminoles’ head coach Mike Norvell had this to say on his squad missing the playoff:
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Texas vs. Florida State: Resume Stack-up
Florida State boasts three top 25 wins on the season, with one being a top ten win over 8th-ranked LSU in the Seminoles’ season opener. Texas managed four top 25 wins, without any top ten wins, a statistic the committee also takes into consideration when casting their votes.
Texas beat Alabama for Alabama’s only loss on the season but the Crimson Tide posted possibly the biggest win of any team on the season with their SEC Championship win over top-ranked Georgia. The Longhorns managed a complete-looking win but struggled mightily down the stretch of the season.
There is an argument to be made for Florida State to be ranked 3rd over Alabama but the real question lies why Texas made it in over the Seminoles with loss and streaky play late in the season. The vote is one that largely goes against past tendencies of the conmittee’s voters.
The Florida State Seminoles battled adversity all season and put themselves in a great position to make the College Football Playoff despite losing their star quarterback. This team is one of the top four teams in the country and will get their opportunity to prove so versus 6th-ranked Georgia. The Bulldogs finished the year 12-1, suffering their only loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. The Seminoles will look to avenge their College Football Playoff snub and walk away with an Orange Bowl victory.