College Football Playoff Berths: Florida State, Georgia Snubbed?

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee had a difficult decision to make Sunday. It was known that would be the case after an entertaining championship weekend, highlighted by the Alabama Crimson Tide’s win over the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.

With four teams fighting for two spots, a pair of college football programs and their fanbases were bound to be disappointed by the committee’s decision. Now were know who those teams and fanbases are: the Florida State Seminoles and Georgia Bulldogs.

Here’s how the College Football Playoff berths played out:

1. Michigan (13-0)
2. Washington (13-0)
3. Texas (12-1)
4. Alabama (12-1)

And here are the top two teams to miss the playoff:

5. Florida State (13-0)
6. Georgia (12-1)

The debate entering Sunday did not include the undefeated Big 10 champion Michigan Wolverines nor the undefeated Pac-12 champion Washington Huskies. Washington, which entered the Pac-12 Championship Game as a 9.5-point underdog to the Oregon Ducks, earned its place after Friday night’s win.

It came down to Texas, Alabama, Florida State and Georgia fighting for two spots.

The 13-0 Seminoles, champions of the Power Five ACC, were arguably the biggest snub. ESPN’s Booger McFarland was irate after Florida State was left out.

“To me, this is a travesty to the sport,” McFarland said on ESPN’s coverage.

Booger McFarland is not happy that Alabama got into the CFP over an undefeated Florida State team.

"To me, this is a travesty to the sport…One team has a loss, and that's Alabama. One doesn't in Florida State." pic.twitter.com/3rhBvvpT1D

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 3, 2023

Not far behind, though, are the Georgia Bulldogs, who entered championship weekend ranked the No. 1 team in the country. Georgia is the first team in the history of the playoff to enter championship weekend No. 1 and then miss the playoff.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee long has said it comes down to the four “best” teams and not the four “most deserving.” Bulldogs fans, as Georgia head coach Kirby Smart did previously, will point to that argument when defending their team, as many started to do immediately on social media.

The Longhorns made the College Football Playoff for the first time.