If anyone has any doubts that major college football is first and foremost a big money enterprise driven by television dollars, they should be forever convinced by what the college football playoff committee did this past Sunday.
For the first time in the history of the playoff system, an unbeaten Power 5 conference champion got excluded. Florida State, the ACC champion, was excluded despite posting a 13-0 record. Their sin was having their number one QB Jordan Travis injured and out for the season with two games remaining.
Florida State still won those games, but the offense struggled to score. By the time they faced Louisville in the ACC title game they also had their number two QB injured and out.
They beat Louisville 16-6 for the ACC title with a third string QB.
Meanwhile one loss teams Texas and Alabama were winning the Big 12 and SECtitle games. Alabama ended Georgia’s 29-game winning streak, while Texas was romping over Oklahoma State. Texas had defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa in September.
The CFP committee decision was totally based on the fact FSU had lost their starting QB. “A different team” was the justification CFP committee head Bob Corrigan used in explaining the decision. ESPN then presented a wave of commentators who defended the decision.
Now both Texas and Alabama are also conference champions, which has always been a crucial part of the selection process.
Still, neither is undefeated. The prime reason for FSU’s exclusion is a roster change they had no control over. Nowhere in the CFP rules is any provision stating that injury or availability of certain players is a factor in the choice.
But it’s the sole reason why Florida State isn’t joining fellow unbeaten Michigan and Washington in the playoff field.
Though they wouldn’t say it publicly, the committee obviously felt (maybe accurately) that Florida State wouldn’t be a match for any of the other three teams without its top QB, and would be a less appealing television product.
However there is no way that could be proven BEFORE they met any opponent on the field.
“Disgusted and infuriated “were the words of Florida State head coach Mike Norvel, who added “why even bother playing the games?” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips called the decision “unfathomable,” and accused the committee of failing to follow its own rules.
Next year, when the playoff field expands to 12, this type of injustice will most likely not happen.
But for now, Florida State must be content with an Orange Bowl match up against Georgia, while realizing that sometimes its not how many you win, but who’s on your team.
