In the final year of the College Football Playoff’s controversial four-team system, the selection of Alabama (and Texas) over undefeated Florida State has ignited a firestorm of criticism and debate across the nation.
The ACC champion Seminoles did everything that was asked of them as they ran the table and capped off a stellar undefeated season.
However, when the music stopped, they were left without a chair.
The main reason why is the unfortunate season-ending injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the controversy and had a very polarizing take on the matter.
“I bet if Prime Time Deion Sanders was the coach, they wouldn’t have gotten left out,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“Why do I bring him up? Because if Prime Time had an undefeated team, the sizzle he brings to the sport matters. We want to act like it doesn’t matter, but it matters because it is a business.”
Stephen A. Smith said Florida State would be in the Playoff if Deion Sanders were the head coach.
Because like it or not, college football is a business.
WATCH: https://t.co/7DkOFOFoil pic.twitter.com/MXeGI0Wpe7
— OutKick (@Outkick) December 4, 2023
Smith is probably correct … It’s hard to imagine the committee leaving an undefeated Sanders-led Florida State team out of the Playoff – even with Travis’ injury.
(It’s also hard to imagine Sanders actually coaching the Noles to an undefeated record, but that’s a story for a different day.)
They wouldn’t have been undefeated with primetime
— Third man🏏 (@bilal_kashaff) December 4, 2023
The fact of the matter is, without Travis, Florida State is not one of the four best teams in the country.
They wouldn’t beat Michigan.
They wouldn’t beat Washington.
They wouldn’t beat Texas.
They wouldn’t beat Alabama.
Also, we both know they wouldn’t beat Georgia, Ohio State or Oregon either…
Stephen A. Smith just said if Deion Sanders was our coach we would've made the playoff. pic.twitter.com/WlFT6vpCSr
— Big FSU football guy (@Speedraycer93) December 4, 2023
Regardless, you have to feel terrible for Mike Norvell and the Noles.
It’s not their fault their best player got hurt … And to their credit, they still finished off the season as undefeated ACC champs.
But be honest, did you really think the committee was going to put Florida State in the Playoff???
Sure, they “deserved” to make it … But as we all know, deserving something and actually getting something are two completely different things.
Thankfully, the Playoff field expands to 12 next season … It’s about damn time.