Nick Saban has a lot to celebrate. Not only did Alabama football beat No. 1 Georgia to win the SEC title on Saturday, but the Crimson Tide vaulted over Florida State for the final spot in the College Football Playoff rankings released less than 24 hours later.
Discussing his team's stroke of CFP fortune Sunday morning, though, a sleep-deprived Saban couldn't help but lament the undefeated Seminoles being left out of the national title picture.
“It was a tough night. I didn't sleep a lot because there's a lot of good teams out there,” he said, per Charlie Potter of On3. “Florida State is certainly a good team. It's unfortunate that some good teams had to be left out, but I really think our team earned the right to be here.”
Why Alabama jumped Florida State in final CFP rankings
Fair or not, it's tough to argue with the justification behind newly minted ACC champion Florida State getting left out of the top-four. The Seminoles lost star quarterback and once-likely Heisman Trophy finalist Jordan Travis to season-ending injury on November 18th and haven't been the same offensively since.
Backup turned starter Tate Rodemaker fared admirably while filling in for Travis for the remainder of Florida State's blowout win over North Alabama and in its hard-fought victory against rival Florida a week later. But he was sidelined by minor injury for the ACC title game, leaving third-stringer Brock Glenn to start against No. 14 Louisville. Mike Norvell's team beat the Cardinals 16-6, but managed just 219 yards of total offense while Glenn went 8-of-21 for 55 passing yards.
CFP chair Boo Corrigan pointed directly to the Seminoles' offensive labors without Travis in the lineup as reason for the Crimson Tide earning the final berth in the national semifinals.
“Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks,” he said on ESPN. “Coach Norvell, their players, their fans, an incredible season. But as you look at who they are as a team right now without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team. And the committee voted Alabama 4 and Florida State 5.”
Making matters all the more frustrating for Florida State? 2023 marks the last season of the CFP's four-team format. If this same dynamic unfolded a year from now, the Seminoles would be the five seed in a 12-team playoff.
Needless to say, that dynamic nor Saban's acknowledgement of their unfortunate current straits will do much to quell anger and frustration the Seminoles and their thousands and thousands of fans across the country are feeling.
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