Controversy in CFP selections, FSU snubbed from top four
Photo: ESPN CFP Selection Show
The Sunday selection show for the College Football Playoffs revealed a major flaw in the selection committee process which ultimately harmed the credibility and legitimacy of the CFP.
The decision to exclude Florida State from the CFP undermined the entire system in which college football is based upon. The college football season, including the four-team playoff, is intentionally set up to place extreme stakes on regular season games. Only the best four teams in the country are eligible for this selection, making the regular season games must-win situations. Yet somehow for the first time in history an undefeated Power 5 team has not been given the opportunity to play for the national title. This begs the question: does the regular season even matter?
The fact that Michigan and Washington made the playoffs is a no-brainer. Both teams are undefeated conference champions and have sat comfortably atop the rankings all season.
The contention came down to four teams: Florida State, Alabama, Texas, and Georgia. All of these teams can make a strong case for a playoff spot, making this controversy inevitable. Of these four teams, Florida State is the only undefeated team. Georgia lost in the SEC championship to Alabama, but Texas had beaten Alabama earlier in the season. So one might think Texas and FSU would be the selected teams based on head-to-head record.
Alabama definitely had reason to be selected, with the best team on paper and a win over the No. seed Georgia. But the choice to put Alabama (12-1) in the playoffs and overlook FSU (13-0) proves that wins and losses are not what’s important.
Mike Norvell, head coach of FSU expressed his disdain in a statement, "I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee's decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games. What is the point of playing games?"
While the CFP committee is known to select the best four teams, they aren’t known for being fair. The way they measure success is subjective and intangible.
Now was the strength of the FSU offense damaged following the quarterback injuries? Yes. In my mind, however, that shouldn’t take away their shot at a fighting chance. They beat every team put in front of them, both conference and out of conference games, so how do they not deserve the spot?
An argument can be made that following Travis’ injury, and the backup quarterback’s concussion, the FSU team doesn’t have a chance with their third-string quarterback. But this argument ultimately holds no weight because the 2014 Ohio State team entered the CFP with a third-string quarterback and left with a national championship.
"I wish my leg broke earlier in the season so y'all could see this team is much more than the quarterback," Jordan Travis wrote in a heartbreaking tweet following the selection news.
It’s hard to predict what FSU would have been able to pull off while relying on a quarterback deep on the depth chart, because there hasn't been much time to see what the team is fully capable of. But it is quite clear that the CFP committee didn’t believe FSU could compete with the other three teams selected.
I understand that the SEC has never missed a CFP as they have been the most dominant conference for years, but it is hard for me to understand how an undefeated ACC team doesn’t deserve their well-earned spot in the top four.
At the end of the day, this flaw in the CFP selection committee will be moot by this time next year because the new 12 team playoff format will resolve this unprecedented situation. There was no winning in this selection process as teams will be upset either way, but there still seemed to be a correct answer in front of us that was blatantly overlooked.
If FSU can take a final win over Georgia in the Orange Bowl, the team will prove it was snubbed of a playoff seed.
