On Sunday, December 3, 2023, the College Football Playoff selection committee made its final top 25 ranking of the four-team playoff era. Unfortunately, Florida State was left on the outside, looking in. FSU will not get a chance to play for a national title despite finishing the season 13-0 and winning the ACC championship. How could this happen? Did the committee get this wrong? The answer to the latter is a resounding yes.
I know, I know, without Jordan Travis this team does not look or feel the same. It’s definitely not sexy winning 16-6 in a defensive struggle. Sure, FSU is a much better team with Travis at the helm, and as such, a playoff team. TCU getting destroyed in the national title game a year ago was probably part of the reason the committee made this choice. I doubt they would ever admit that.
But what if… what if Florida State’s defense shuts down Michigan? What if 28 days is enough to expand the offensive playbook for Tate Rodemaker to play well? What if this could have been a story as awesome as Cardale Jones in the inaugural CFP national title game?
We will never know.
Georgia and Florida State are matched up in the Capital One Orange Bowl on December 30. This could be a statement game for the ‘Noles should FSU pull out the victory. The stakes aren’t nearly as high, however, and we may not get either team’s best effort. There may be holdouts. A win for Florida State could, and maybe should, warrant an asterisk next to its record. Self-proclaimed national champions. Who could argue that?
There isn’t much doubt that Michigan vs Alabama will be a fantastic matchup. Both teams play tough, hard-nosed defense and have very good offensive lines. Both teams love to run the ball and do it well. Neither team has an explosive wide receiver and quarterback play has been questioned at times this season. Michigan just won a huge game against its biggest rival. Alabama just took down the two-time defending champs, ending a 29-game winning streak. This matchup definitely looks sexy. This one is hard to pick, but I’ll take Michigan 23-17.
As for the other semifinal game, Washington vs Texas, this is a great matchup, as well. Both of these teams run high-powered offenses and can score in a hurry. Both teams feature fantastic quarterbacks and highly-productive receivers. Texas gets the nod for defense but the secondary is vulnerable. Should be another close game. My pick for this one is Texas 37-31.
Whichever teams survive and advance, the championship game should be a must-watch matchup, unless you are a Florida State fan. The decision to leave FSU out of the playoff has many saying the regular season means nothing now.
At least next year we have a 12-team playoff. Does that make it all better?
