The four teams playing in the College Football Playoffs (CFP) were announced on Sunday and the decisions have stirred up the pot. Florida State University and the University of Georgia are the two major names not chosen for this season's College Football Playoff.
Florida State is the first Power 5 team to have an undefeated season and win their conference championship to not be selected to the CFP.
Georgia's only loss came during the last game of their season to Alabama at the SEC Championship.
Who gets to decide?
The CFP is different from every other NCAA championship. Normally, if you win your conference championship, you get an automatic bid into the tournament. However, only four teams make the CFP. These four teams are selected by a committee. The committee makes its decision based on certain criteria such as regular season records, difficulty of schedule, head-to-head results, conference championships, and more.
According to the College Football Playoff website, the playoffs only include four teams to put more importance on the regular season and the bowl games. One loss in a season can be the difference for many teams.
Where is Florida State?
Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama were the four selections for this year's playoff. Despite Florida State's unbeaten record, it didn't seem to be enough for the selection committee.
Starting quarterback Jordan Travis broke his leg in a game against North Alabama. Second-string quarterback Tate Rodemaker stepped in but lost his momentum when he suffered a concussion a week after Travis' injury. The true freshman Brock Glenn had to lead the charge for the Seminoles in the ACC Conference Championship.
The selection committee decided that this string of injuries made Florida State a weaker team than they were at the start of their season. Committee chair Boo Corrigan explained,
“Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks. It was an incredible season. But as you look at who they are as a team right now without Jordan Travis and without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team, and the committee voted Alabama No. 4 and Florida State No. 5.”
Quarterback Jordan Travis Tweeted in response,
Yes, quarterbacks are crucial to the game, but this decision told the Florida State players that none of the other positions matter. The 7 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 10 passes defended in their ACC Championship game didn't seem to matter to the committee.
Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker would also be able to play in the semifinals as he would be out of concussion protocol by the time of the game.
What about Georgia?
The University of Georgia recieved the 6th position in the College Football Playoff rankings. Both Alabama and Georgia had a loss each, but Alabama's loss came earlier in the season to the University of Texas-Austin. Georgia's loss came in the last game of the season to Alabama in the SEC Championship and ended their 29-game winning streak. They lost by three points.
Alabama is one of the greats of college football. Everybody knows Nick Saban's Crimson Tide and everybody wants to watch them play. Alabama is one of the best teams in the country. However, you do have to question whether T.V. ratings had anything to do with their selection.
Another team to mention that made the playoffs is Michigan. Although they have had an impressive 13-0 season, they have faced many controversies. In the beginning of the season, head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for three games due to recruiting violations. In the middle of the season, off-field analyst Connor Stalions was accused of stealing signs from opponents and was fired from the program. Then, for the last three games of the regular season, Coach Harbaugh was suspended again for 3-games to punish the program for sign-stealing.
Through adversity, the Wolverines have prevailed. However Michigan was still in the number one spot. Do the Michigan players deserve this prime position? Absolutely. Does the coaching staff? This may be more questionable.
All in all, this is the last year of the four-team playoff drama. Next season, the College Football Playoffs are adapting a new 12-team format to expand the playoffs. This move will allow a wider range of teams to participate in the playoffs and has the potential for some crazy upsets and unpredictable outcomes. Surely there will still be drama, but hopefully, there won't be any snubs like this year.
