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It felt like a nuke dropped strikin' impact on the college football world when the CFP Selection Committee announced the four teams that would make up this year's College Football Playoff. Michigan; Washington; Texas; and Alabama is in- Florida State & Georgia is not. The camp in Tallahassee unleashed outrage and anger that was heard across the NCAAF world. Rather you agree with the four selections or disagree with them, one thing is certain to the bone: having the playoff be 4 teams continues to be filthy and unacceptable.
For the first time in the 10-year history of the College Football Playoff; an undefeated Power Five conference champion has been left out of the field to play for the National Championship. Wowza. Even if you are someone like me, who deep down respects the decision purely for comp' reasonings to give the best possible matchups; you can't say the Seminoles weren't snubbed.
The committee looked at Florida State's 78th ranked strength of schedule and their QB situation to rule them out of the Playoff. I don't need to be in the room, that's what happened. This all after watching TCU get merked in the Natty last season (Notre Dame vs Bama too). That was their context- 'Noles playin' with their third-string QB in the ACC title game was the decider. Is it sh***y? Inconsistent? Unruly? Yeah, all three no doubt, but where's the line in the sand?
Seminoles gripe that they are in the same boat as the Wolverines. Michigan came into the season with the 51st ranked strength of schedule & didn't play anyone good until the final three games of the season. The wins over (10) Penn State & (2) Ohio State were massive, especially without head coach Jim Harbaugh, but they barely beat Maryland and won games in one of the worst seasons of Big-Ten comp' in some time. Ohio State had a solid defense; a star at wideout; and was ranked 2, but they had the same schedule as Michigan (outside of Notre Dame) and Kyle McCord was no scary threat at QB. I just don't see the Seminoles and Wolverines being seperated in skill by a wide margin with Florida State not having QB Jordan Travis. Not enough to bypass an undefeated season. Florida State is not TCU, that's my bottom line.
I fully understand the Seminoles frustruation and outrage. However, I am baffled with how "surprised" fans and analysts are over the snub. Ya really thought a SEC team and/or Alabama wasn't going to get in the playoff? Sh**, I had some gut feelings that they would put BOTH Alabama and Georgia in. Still quite surprised that they didn't pull that. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford had ALOT to say on the snub:
The frustration is understandable; what a joke it is to have a 4-team playoff! A line I say every damn year. Now we reach the peak of irritation. This format needs to change & STAT. My creativity points to a 32 team bracket, top 32 in rank are in. Pure noise. Even doing a twelve team bracket is better- like this:
At this point it doesn't matter if it's 12 teams, 16 teams, or 32 teams... it just needs to be more than 10. Make this thing legit and more respected. Like, cmon. March Madness has the electricity it does for a reason. For once NCAA, do something right.
Time to look on the brightside; we have two slobber knockers in store. Two seeded Huskies challenge the three seeded Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl semifinal. Should be an all-out slugfest in the SuperDome. Both squads have played in important games this season; and secured big dubs. Washington slayed Oregon twice & ran an entertaining comp' filled gauntlet against USC; Utah; and Oregon State. Texas toppled Alabama in the early shade of the season, but lost a nail-biter in an epic installment of the Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma. Washington won a SLEW of close games, a good note for them entering the playoff. Outside of Oregon, the comp' was middle of the pack in the AP Poll- a good note for Texas. The teams are quite evenly matched, Washington just has Michael Penix Jr. under center.
Quinn Ewers is ready to showout and duke it out with the Heisman Trophy finalist, Penix Jr. Ewers will look to play like he did when he led the Longhorns over the Crimson Tide. Both Texas and Washington can strike big plays; and they each have skill players who can make a difference. The biggest X-Factors will be the defenses. Texas can be a stout defense with one of the best rushing defenses in the nation, but they get slaughtered in the air & now have to go up against Penix Jr. and the number one passing offense in the nation. The same recipe for the Washington defense, just not as good in the rushing defense department.
The game comes down to the Longhorns defense limiting Penix Jr. and the Huskies defense not forcing Penix Jr. to play from behind. This should be a damn good chess match between Texas HC Steve Sarkisian & Washington HC Kalen DeBoer. I think it's a safe bet this will be a shootout with an over/under of 65+. Let there be war in Louisiana!
Two of the most prestigious programs in NCAA history are now set to run things up for just the 4th time in history. Alabama. Michigan. Oh diggity! The Tide have won the last two meetings, one in the regular season and the other in the Citrus Bowl, but the Wolverines won the first and biggest meeting in the 2000 Orange Bowl. Now they are set for war once again with the Wolverines lookin' to even the series at 2.
Rose Bowl seeing Michigan vs Alabama is wild, even if it comes after the game was devalued. That Pasadena field still gets to feel the prestige. This bout is going to be a slobber-knocker- Saban vs Harbaugh II... with far more on the line. The teams are quite evenly matched in what should be a battle of defenses and field-possession. The offenses are going to have a helluva time, I think J.J. McCarthy and Jalen Milroe are of the same tier... both frighten me when the game puts the ball in their hands to win it. Milroe isn't nearly as frightening as McCarthy as he made that unreal throw on 4th-and-31 to escape the Auburn game with a dub. The game will come down to which QB shows the most poise.
We can sit here and complain and gripe about what went down, but what's done is done. The slate is set; and we move onwards. Seminoles fans ya can scream and groan, I get that, but the ship is moving on. Now we get to see the four teams duke it out for the Natty. The two matchups are still solid and sure to bring the noise on the gridiron. Lets run this noise meter up and crown the new champions... but we sure as hell better have an enhanced format before starting the 2024 season!
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