SEC being left out is about as likely as Shawn Bell getting fired.

And the committee should - this one time.

FSU had a chance to prove they could handle a slightly above average team in a way that made everyone think "Ok, this effort is acceptable - I'm good with rewarding them."

What we witnessed tonight was an absolute trash effort offensively, against a team that nearly lost at home to Virginia a few weeks back - and got smacked around by the Kentucky Wildcats last week (of all teams).


I've never been an eye test guy, but I'm almost certain that Texas, Bama, Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State would handle FSU rather easily.

Just the fact that most people would agree that 4-5 Teams would likely smoke FSU is all you need to know about whether FSU should be in.


If I'm on the committee, here is how I would rank 'em.

1. Washington (PAC-12 was more impressive and dangerous than the Big Ten this year - and they went through it unscathed).

2. Michigan (handled an undefeated OSU team and won 10 of their 13 games in absolutely dominant fashion).

3. Texas (I have no problem with them being in and ranked at #3, due to the team I have listed at #4).

4. Alabama (Bama has the most impressive win of the year. Not sure any team would have been capable of knocking off UGA this year besides a Nick Saban-led team).


Outside looking in:

5) FSU (Totally different team without Jordan Travis at QB. Almost as bad as Iowa - offensively.)

6) UGA (Based on their overall body of work, they are probably one of the 4 best teams in the country. But when you lose should always matter. They lost the money game they could not afford to lose.)

7) Ohio State (Once again - WHEN you lose matters. Truth is - they aren't really that much different than Michigan, but lost when it mattered most.)

8) Oregon (Outside of the Texas Tech game, they've looked dominant for most of the year. Sadly for them - Washington was their kryptonite this season.).


Man - Why couldn't we have an 8 or 12-Team playoff this season?

FSU is so bad...

they beat their rival with their 2nd string qb and won the ACC championship with their 3rd string QB.

An "eye-test" is seeing Alabama won last week by the grace of the football Gods with a 4th and 31 prayer.

5 Power 5 champions

3 teams went undefeated at 13-0.

2 teams went 12-1, one team beat the other on the road.

Sorry Bama, the stars just didn't align for you.

SEC is getting left out. Crazy to say but the committee has their hands tied. If they put in Alabama over FSU, then their already damaged reputation will take a further hit.

BylrFan said:

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SEC is getting left out. Crazy to say but the committee has their hands tied. If they put in Alabama over FSU, then their already damaged reputation will take a further hit.

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I think the committee will screw FSU and put in Alabama and say something like "next year this won't be an issue!"

I just don't believe the committee has the balls to leave out the SEc.

FSU beat a Top 15 team while having to play a third-string freshman QB, never trailed, held a Top-20 offense to 6 points.

And now they're a 13-0 P5 champ with 4 Top 25 wins.

They're not getting left out, guys.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 3, 2023

My complete bowl projections will be out late - late! - tonight, but here's my @CFBPlayoff & NY6 picks:

1. Michigan vs. 4 Bama (Rose)
2. Washington vs. 3. Texas (Sugar)
Orange: FSU vs. Georgia
Cotton: Ohio State vs. Ole Miss
Fiesta: Oregon vs. Mizzou
Peach: Penn St vs. Liberty

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 3, 2023

It’s gotta be Michigan, Washington, FSU, and Texas.

— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) December 3, 2023

I think Brett McMurphy probably has it right.

Look for FSU to fall out of the Top 4 (with the Travis injury being the justification).

And then they'll probably face UGA, who will absolutely smash them.

Then everyone will say "I guess the committee got it right after all."

Iron Claw said:

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LTBear19 said:

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At the moment, Alabama is up at halftime on the 2-time defending champions.

Should that score hold, the waters will definitely be murky - UNLESS FSU or Michigan take an 'L' later tonight.

So the bottom line is this.


Straight-forward Scenarios:

-Washington is into the clubhouse with a win last night.

-Michigan can get in with a win over Iowa.

-Georgia gets in if they rally against Bama in the 2nd half.


Likely to Happen, BUT:

-FSU will likely get in with a win over Louisville, although that may depend on how they look tonight with their 3rd stringer. A sloppy game, despite being undefeated, may sway some of the committee members to consider leaving them out for one of the following teams in the next group below.


Could Use Some Help:

-Alabama should realistically get in if they beat the top ranked, undefeated, 2-time defending champions. However, that Texas loss has been a problem for them throughout the season, despite it happening in Week 2.

-Texas really needs either FSU to lose (a legitimate possibility) or Michigan to lose (not likely). Georgia winning would be their best bet at the moment, however, since rolling the dice on that Bama head-to-head may not end up going the way they expect it to.


Needs All Kinds of Help:

-Ohio State needs Georgia to rally, FSU to lose, and Michigan to lose. IF that were to somehow happen, they could possibly overtake Michigan for the #4 spot.


Thank goodness we'll get an actual playoff starting next year, because this beauty pageant mess is getting old.

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I prefer to go back to the old bowl system since this is the Football Bowl Subdivision. There's already a playoff system that crowns a National Champion in the Football Championship Subdivision.

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The old bowl system definitely provided a much more awesome postseason of glorious football.

This is weird but they designed a 4 team playoff for 5 conferences and they’re having trouble making it work

— Faux Pelini (@FauxPelini) December 3, 2017

Of course, if FSU somehow beat Georgia in this "first-two-out" match up, then the talk would never stop of how the committee both missed it and even was corrupt.

Just stop it, the SEC is not getting left out for the ACC, just look how dominant they were head-to-head this season. pic.twitter.com/UW25Xkqzqm

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 3, 2023

One year from now, we will be debating which 9-3 teams are worthy of the College Football Playoff.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) December 3, 2023

Don’t complicate it. Three unbeaten conf champs get in.. Michigan, Washington, Florida State. Horns won the tie-breaker with ‘Bama so Texas , a fourth conference champ gets in. Don’t bring subjective judgements about which team looks like it might be better now. #CFP2023

— Mike Doocy (@MikeDoocyFox4) December 3, 2023

Holy Fuck pic.twitter.com/lzPq6Gp3qp

— Garrett Hargis (@_garretthargis) December 2, 2023

1 Michigan
2 Washington
3 Florida State
4 Texas

*There is no way an undefeated P5 Conference Champ FSU gets left out… no matter how mediocre they look without their #1 QB
*There is no way Alabama gets in over Big 12 Conference Champ Texas, who beat Bama at Alabama

ESPN’s playoff predictor 👀 pic.twitter.com/fDSlzvj8sP

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) December 3, 2023

SIC EM 94 said:

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1 Michigan
2 Washington
3 Florida State
4 Texas

*There is no way an undefeated P5 Conference Champ FSU gets left out… no matter how mediocre they look without their #1 QB
*There is no way Alabama gets in over Big 12 Conference Champ Texas, who beat Bama at Alabama

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I think you are right....but I never would have dreamed of seeing a CFP where SEC gets left out.

boognish_bear said:

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SIC EM 94 said:

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1 Michigan
2 Washington
3 Florida State
4 Texas

*There is no way an undefeated P5 Conference Champ FSU gets left out… no matter how mediocre they look without their #1 QB
*There is no way Alabama gets in over Big 12 Conference Champ Texas, who beat Bama at Alabama

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I think you are right....but I never would have dreamed of seeing a CFP where SEC gets left out.

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Nobody would, but here we are.

“Head-to-head is head-to-head, no matter when the game is played,” selection committee chair Boo Corrigan said on Tuesday, “and that's how we look at it.”

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) December 3, 2023

boognish_bear said:

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“Head-to-head is head-to-head, no matter when the game is played,” selection committee chair Boo Corrigan said on Tuesday, “and that's how we look at it.”

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) December 3, 2023

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Unless it's Baylor…then all common sense flies out the window!

SIC EM 94 said:

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boognish_bear said:

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“Head-to-head is head-to-head, no matter when the game is played,” selection committee chair Boo Corrigan said on Tuesday, “and that's how we look at it.”

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) December 3, 2023

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Unless it's Baylor…then all common sense flies out the window!

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Yep....if the B12 champ this year was anyone other than UT or OU I don't think there would be any debate

STFU

Saban: "If you really want the four best teams, the four most deserving teams that have progressed throughout the season. We're not the same team we were when we played Texas and USF. So we shouldn't be considered as that team right now. People should look at the body of work."

— David Ubben (@davidubben) December 3, 2023

STFU 2.0

Kirby Smart makes his case to the playoff selection committee. pic.twitter.com/fTZPflb9mi

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 3, 2023

1. Mich
2. Wash
3. Texas
4. Bama

Leaving FSU out would be an absolute joke and completely against the "criteria" they've set for years. They just beat the number 10 team in the country with a 3rd string QB who happens to be a freshman. There's no sane way you can leave them out. They should be the 3 seed

I miss the BCS. It was better than what the CFP committee comes uip with.

boognish_bear said:

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SIC EM 94 said:

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boognish_bear said:

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“Head-to-head is head-to-head, no matter when the game is played,” selection committee chair Boo Corrigan said on Tuesday, “and that's how we look at it.”

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) December 3, 2023

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Unless it's Baylor…then all common sense flies out the window!

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Yep....if the B12 champ this year was anyone other than UT or OU I don't think there would be any debate

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Not true TCU was in and they didn't even win the XII last season. A 2 loss Baylor team finished 5th in 21. Had UC not been undefeated as a G5 champ and high ranking strength of schedule, we would have been in.

But the new system can't get here soon enough. Starting next year the debate will just be limited to at large and which G5 champ is in.

vanillabryce said:

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FSU should be out even if they win. They're not one of the four best teams without their QB. And that's what the CFP says: 4 best not the 4 most deserving.

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So we should reward P5 teams that lose over P5 teams that don't lose and base it according to your eye test? The only way an undefeated P5 conference champion should be left out is if there are four other undefeated P5 conference champions.

What sucks about this is that Texas is probably going to win a national championship.

IowaBear said:

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Leaving FSU out would be an absolute joke and completely against the "criteria" they've set for years. They just beat the number 10 team in the country with a 3rd string QB who happens to be a freshman. There's no sane way you can leave them out. They should be the 3 seed

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The "criteria" has never been consistent. I completely understand that leaving a 13-0 P5 team out of the playoffs sounds crazy, but they are not one of the best 4 teams in the country.

My gut feeling, despite the odds and everything, and their ever-shifting rules and priorities, s that Bama gets in in place of Florida State. Yeah, it would suck, but they created this monster.

Bama's win over Georgia will be considered of like a playoff game, and carries extra weight. SEC was always going to get in with 1 loss or less. They're probably just sad their won't be 2 SEC teams in.

Florida State gets the shaft despite the record because the committee won't be convinced they can compete with the other teams, particularly with the injury situation.

The playoff system is a joke because they want to use bowl type selecting process for a playoff field. So they should have just stuck with the bowls. Or have a real playoff and have the conference champions in the field, despite overall record. Trying to do both is not just messy, it's somewhat dishonest.

EvilTroyAndAbed said:

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vanillabryce said:

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FSU should be out even if they win. They're not one of the four best teams without their QB. And that's what the CFP says: 4 best not the 4 most deserving.

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So we should reward P5 teams that lose over P5 teams that don't lose and base it according to your eye test? The only way an undefeated P5 conference champion should be left out is if there are four other undefeated P5 conference champions.

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That's not their criteria, they don't have a rule that says a P5 conf champ who is undefeated gets in, unless…. My statement is based on what the CFP comittee has said.