On Sunday, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs saw their chances at a championship three-peat come to an end when they were left out of the College Football Playoff Committee's final four. Georgia went undefeated this regular season; however, Smart and his team came up just short in the SEC Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the field was simply too deep this year for the Bulldogs to overcome any slipups.

Now, Georgia will prepare for an Orange Bowl matchup with Florida State football, who was shockingly also excluded from the Playoff despite finishing the season at an undefeated 13-0. Replacing the Seminoles in the Top 4 was Alabama, who had arguably the best win of the season against Georgia but also lost a game this year, which Florida State did not.

Recently, Smart got one hundred percent honest on why he feels for Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and his team after the brutal snub.

“I empathize with anybody who doesn't get in [with an undefeated record],” said Smart, per Brendan Sonnone of Noles 247 on X. “I empathize for our guys, too.”

While Smart obviously meant well with his comments, it would actually be impossible for him to empathize with someone in Florida State's position because it's quite literally never happened before, at least not to a Power Five team. The hard truth is that in any other year, both Florida State and Georgia football would have likely gotten into the Playoff with no questions asked.

In 2023, however, it wasn't in the cards.