Despite college football’s Playoff Selection Day being a month ago, the fallout of the Florida State football program’s exclusion from the CFP continues to be a hot topic. In an unprecedented move, the College Football Playoff committee opted for the one-loss Alabama Crimson Tide over the undefeated Florida State Seminoles for the final spot in the four-team postseason field. With nobody short on an opinion revolving around FSU’s exclusion, former Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher has finally shared his take.
On Friday, Fisher took to the airwaves, joining Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take. The school’s former bench boss did not mince words when pressed about Florida State’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff.
I have never said a bad word about Jimbo Fisher. pic.twitter.com/ykCHXyCfn3
— FSU Plays Daily (@FSUplays) January 5, 2024
Jimbo Fisher: Disgusted with the CFP’s Exclusion of the Florida State Football Program
On Friday, Fisher joined the podcast Pardon My Take, saying, “Florida State should have been in the playoff. I’m an advocate of ‘they went undefeated, they deserve it.”’
The Florida State football program became the first Power Five team in the College Football Playoff era to go undefeated and win their conference title to not be among the four-team postseason field. The CFP committee’s decision to withhold the Seminoles gained significant backlash, including politicians and other coaches speaking on the matter.
Fisher continued, “It’s about what you do between the white lines. In sports, it’s about overcoming whatever you got to overcome. They did that. They outta got bonus points for it, not taken away. This isn’t figure skating. It’s not judgmental. If you want to judge it, I think Georgia is one.”
Florida State’s season took a massive hit late in the season, with star quarterback Jordan Travis suffering a gruesome leg injury against North Alabama. In relief, the Seminoles turned to longtime backup Tate Rodemaker, with the veteran throwing for 217 yards and two scores. Rodemaker started in the regular season finale against the Florida Gators but suffered a concussion late in the contest. Head coach Mike Norvell had to start true freshman Brock Glenn in the ACC Championship, and although he struggled mightily, FSU won 16-6. Despite winning with a third-string quarterback, the committee left Florida State out of the CFP.
“You put two one-loss teams ahead of them. Not just one, you put two one-loss teams ahead of an undefeated team, an ACC Champion. Whether they won or not, they deserve the right to be in it. That is the thing about sports, what you do between the white lines.”
Florida State got destroyed in the Orange Bowl, 63-3, to the Georgia Bulldogs. However, the Seminoles operated without 29 scholarship players due to opt-outs and the transfer portal. They played down nine starters on defense and nearly all their top offensive skill players.
Jimbo Fisher: Florida State Seminoles Head Coach from 2010-2017
Jimbo Fisher coached the Florida State football program from 2010 to 2017. He led the Seminoles to an undefeated record in 2013, beating Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game. Fisher won double-digit games every season until 2017, his last with the program. Fisher took over at Texas A&M the following season, winning nine games. However, the former three-time ACC Champion failed to eclipse nine wins in any of his six seasons, resulting in his firing last November.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @alec_musa. You can also reach out to me via email at musaalec@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest college and NFL news, click here!
