Fans across the nation have been eagerly anticipating the results of the selection for this year’s Division 1 College Football Playoffs, and there were many different opinions about who should have been accepted. With a variety of strong teams to choose from, each team provided a case for why they should be chosen for the CFP. Among these teams, the College Football Committee selected the undefeated teams of Michigan and Washington to slide their way into the top two spots. However, with all the controversy about the final two spots, the committee decided that Texas and Alabama would fill in the spaces.
The inclusions of these teams received mixed reactions from fans of college football. For example, the committee’s choice to put Texas and Alabama in the playoffs, teams that have experienced one loss each, while excluding the Atlantic Coastal Conference champion and undefeated team of Florida State left many fans with their jaws on the floor. Florida State is part of the ACC conference, which is known as one of the Power Five conferences or the best conferences in college football. With these results, they became the first champion of a power five conference to get excluded from the playoffs despite being undefeated.
“I believe FSU should have been in the playoffs because theu deserved it. It wasn’t about them not being the best team at the end of the year but them going undefeated in a power five conference. This would have been there first playoff appereance in a while and I would have given them the spot,” junior Antonio Vasquez said.
According to the committee, their decision to exclude FSU from the playoffs stemmed from the injury of the Seminoles’ starting quarterback, Jordan Travis. Travis, who was injured in November during a game against North Alabama, was valued by the committee as a vital player in FSU’s success this season. Because of this, they argued that FSU’s team was not as strong without their starting quarterback, therefore removing them from contention for the playoffs.
“It’s bad for college football to tell a team that they have done everything there supposed to do and still keeping them out of the playoffs and is an insult to all the kids who worked hard. I was raised to hate FSU but if you love football then you think this is a problem. There is a lot of favoritism towards Alabama because they have been good for so long,” history teacher Mr. Miller said.
Despite their undefeated record, other factors also played a role in determining why FSU fell short of the playoffs. For instance, FSU’s strength of schedule, a measurement of the difficulty of a team’s schedule of games based on the teams they face, was ranked 55th in the nation. In contrast, Alabama and Texas were ranked 5th and 11th respectively, making their records seen as more difficult to achieve when compared to Florida State.
“It’s crazy how FSU, an undefeated team and ACC champion, got snubbed from the playoffs. I get the committee’s concern about the quarterback injury, but this is football — injuries happen. It feels like the committee prioritized money over merit, and it’s frustrating for all of us who appreciate the sport,” senior Diego Imbert said.
On the other hand, supporters of FSU have responded to this argument by making a case for the Seminoles using their strength of record, a measurement which is determined by both strength of schedule and the team’s record in the season. Among all teams, Florida State ranks third in SOR, higher than both Alabama at fourth and Texas at fifth. Going off this statistic, FSU has a strong case to be considered one of the top four best teams in college football and should therefore be in the CFP.
“While I agree that FSU should have been selected for the playoffs, that does not mean that Alabama should not be. The South Eastern Conference is one of the most difficult conferences in college football, and going 12-1 with that competition does deserve some recognition,” biology teacher Mr. Molina said.
Supporters have also criticized the committee’s statements regarding the injury of Jordan Travis. While it is true that FSU would be missing their starting quarterback, this is no reason to count them out of the playoffs. Despite Travis’s absence, Florida State were able to win their remaining games, defeating both the University of Florida and Louisville with a backup quarterback.
In the wake of the controversial CFP selections, the exclusion of the undefeated Florida State Seminoles has ignited debates among college football enthusiasts. The committee’s emphasis on strength of schedule and injuries as a decisive metric has placed Alabama and Texas in the spotlight, raising questions about the criteria used in the selection process. As the playoffs unfold, the contentious decision continues to fuel discussions about fairness in college football decision-making.
