Shortly after it was learned that Florida State football was left out of the National Championship tournament by the selection committee, the school's Athletic Director, Michael Alford, released a scathing letter criticizing the decision and the selection process as a whole.

Florida State football is now the first “power five” conference team to be left out of the playoff after having an undefeated season.

Despite winning the ACC Championship with a victory over Louisville Saturday night that capped an undefeated season, the Seminoles will watch Texas, Washington, Alabama and Michigan battle for the National Championship.

“Wins matter. Losses matter. Those that compete in the arena know this. Those on the committee who also competed in the sport and should have known this have forgotten it,” read Alford's statement. “Today, they changed the way success is assessed in college football, from a tangible metric – winning on the field – to an intangible, subjective one. Evidently, predicting the future matters more.”

The College Football Playoff field is expanding to 12 teams in 2024, meaning the Florida State football program will likely become the only undefeated “power five” team in college football history to be snubbed.

“For many of us, today's decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff.” Alford continued, “And, saddest of all, it was self-inflicted. They chose predictive competitiveness over proven performance; subjectivity over fact. They have become a committee of prognosticators. They have abandoned their responsibility by discarding their purpose – to evaluate performance on the field.”

Florida State is expected to face SEC Conference runner-up Georgia in the Orange Bowl.