DeSantis Unleashes on College Football Playoff Committee After Florida State Snub
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the College Football Playoff committee on social media Sunday after the undefeated Florida State Seminoles were left out of this year’s four-team bracket.
Despite winning each of its regular season games and grabbing an ACC Championship on Saturday night against Louisville, the committee dropped 13-0 Florida State out of the top four on Sunday afternoon.
Michigan will play Alabama in the Rose Bowl while Washington will face Texas in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. One of those four teams will be crowned this year’s national champion in January.
THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS ARE SET 🏆
(1) Michigan
(2) Washington
(3) Texas
(4) AlabamaWho’s winning it all? 👀 pic.twitter.com/SQaESN4YvC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 3, 2023
The controversial decision was met with shock immediately after it was announced on ESPN.
ESPN’s Booger McFarland goes off on the CFB Playoff committee for leaving out #FSU.
“To me, this is a travesty to the sport… One team has a loss, and that’s Alabama. One doesn’t in Florida State.” #Noles pic.twitter.com/tnKr5jMb41
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) December 3, 2023
The argument for leaving the Seminoles out of the playoff from the committee was that quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury in a Week 11 blowout win at North Alabama.
Florida State went on to defeat the University of Florida during rivalry week seven days later and won the ACC Saturday night while mostly relying on a stout defensive performance.
The Seminoles are the first power five team in the 10 years of the four-team playoff to be left out of the party while one-loss teams Texas and Alabama moved up after the latter defeated undefeated Georgia in the SEC Championship game.
Texas’ argument, in spite of an October loss to Oklahoma on a neutral field, was a conference championship and a 10-point win in Tuscaloosa in September.
As a small consolation, the Seminoles will play the Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl.
That was not enough for DeSantis, who ripped the CPF committee on X.
“What we learned today is that you can go undefeated and win your conference championship game, but the College Football Playoff committee will ignore these results,” DeSantis stated.
He added, “Congratulations to @FSUFootball on an outstanding season and winning the ACC championship!”
What we learned today is that you can go undefeated and win your conference championship game, but the College Football Playoff committee will ignore these results.
Congratulations to @FSUFootball on an outstanding season and winning the ACC championship!
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 3, 2023
The governor was not the only elected Sunshine State official to rip into the committee.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Byron Donalds also tore into the committee over the stunning decision.
Like millions of college football fans, I was infuriated by the illogical decision to rob @FSUFootball of the chance to play in the @CFBPlayoff.
I’ll be demanding the committee answer as to how this decision was made and what led to this outcome.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 3, 2023
The CFP committee is trash!
1. @FSUFootball is undefeated.
2. FSU won the conference championship with a 3rd string QB.
3. Texas was never ranked ahead of FSU all year.
4. FSU didn’t need a hailmary to survive rivalry week, like Alabama did. Plus we won with the 2nd string QB!— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) December 3, 2023
Florida State coach Mike Norvell also ripped the 13-member committee’s decision in a statement.
“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,” Norvell said. “What is the point of playing games?”
Mike Norvell’s statement: (2/2) pic.twitter.com/8tZ6x766EK
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 3, 2023
The Orange Bowl will kick off on Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. ET in Miami.
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