Disillusioned Florida State fans upset over their team’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff will not find a sympathetic ear in ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
After an FSU fan challenged Herbstreit on why he had Alabama ahead of FSU even before the injury to Seminoles QB Jordan Travis, Herbstreit went off.
“Because Alabama is BETTER!! Period!” Herbstreit wrote in response on X. “So is Texas. So is Michigan. So is Washington. So is Oregon. So is Georgia. I watch 10-15 games a week live from September-early December. I think I’m allowed to have an opinion on who I think is BETTER!! If FSU doesn’t like [it is not] “The BEST 4” tell the conference commissioners to change the protocol to “MOST DESERVING.” Until then I and everyone else is certainly is allowed to give an opinion in a subjective discussion!! Don’t like it-change it.”
Because Alabama is BETTER!!
Period! So is Texas. So is Michigan. So is Washington. So is Oregon. So is Georgia. I watch 10-15 games a week live from September-early December. I think I’m allowed to have an opinion on who I think is BETTER!! If FSU doesn’t like itbis “The BEST 4”… https://t.co/gWJXL5xHnw— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 13, 2023
Herbstreit continued, “Its funny when FSU went ahead of The U [Miami] in 2000 after [Char-ron] Dorsey and the boys beat the Noles and FSU went instead of a deserving Canes team to the BCS Championship where they lost to Oklahoma I didn’t hear from all of you about the system being rigged and it’s not fair. You were big fans of the turnout back then-of course most of you, in this despicable lunatic fringe, probably didn’t even know about 2000 when the Noles got the benefit over a GREAT Miami team!”
After reiterating his longtime respect for FSU, Herbstreit broke down his job and how that process works.
“I have to give an opinion on who I think the best 4 teams are. I’m not on the committee-I don’t vote-I watch games-I analyze teams and I give my take. That’s it,” Herbstreit said. “And if you think I have an agenda or a motive I’m sorry you feel that way but it’s wrong. I love this sport and care about it deeply and can’t make everyone happy-I ask questions of the commissioners in the offseason to understand things clearly-Watch games and give my opinion.
“If it’s for your team you love me and if it’s against you hate me. I wish it were different and hopefully next year with 12 teams it will be. I am a huge fan of Coach [Mike] Norvell’s and his team and wish the Noles nothing but the best.”
Politicians from Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott, have weighed in on what is perceived to be the slight of an undefeated Florida State team that won the ACC despite losing its star QB Jordan Travis for the rest of the season.
While conspiracy theories abound as to why FSU was excluded, College Football Playoff Selection Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan was clear that the Noles would have been included had it not been for the injury to Travis.
“Florida State is a different team than it was the first 11 weeks [of the season],’’ Corrigan said. “As you look at who they are as a team right now without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic he brings, they are a different team, and the committee voted Alabama four and Florida State five.”
Boo Corrigan, the chair of the College Football Playoff committee, explains why they chose Alabama over Florida State: pic.twitter.com/17yNkBhRuZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 3, 2023
The committee selected Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama.
Corrigan also stressed that the coaches on the committee played a vital role in the decision.
“One of the questions that we ask from a coaching standpoint is, ‘Who do you want to play? Who do you not want to play?’” Corrigan said. “We are looking at where we are today, not where we were three weeks ago or eight weeks ago. [The former coaches] got a significant voice in the room. We went around and around late [Saturday] night and came back again [Sunday] morning to do it again. We came back with Florida State at No. 5.”