The Florida State University (FSU) football team not making it to the College Football Playoff (CFP) has caused a lot of feelings. People from different places and even rival schools showed support. Students at the University of Alabama, the team in the playoffs that got the spot in favor of Florida State, even said FSU deserved a spot.
Famous sports figures, like basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and former FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher, also supported FSU. Coaches from different conferences, such as Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and ex-Florida Coach Dan Mullen, disagreed with the decision. The support for FSU goes beyond just fans and where you’re from.
The rejection of FSU is like when people get passed over for things like jobs because someone didn’t like how they looked. FSU’s achievements, especially their tough defense and winning with backup players, show a bigger problem with how success is measured. When asked about the committee’s decision to leave FSU out of the college football playoffs, life long college football fan Walker Finlinson had this to say “ I defiantly think FSU deserved to have a spot in the playoffs, I think Jordan Travis getting hurt and being out has some significance, but they should have been in.”
The College Football Playoff Committee said FSU’s “strength of schedule” was weak, but many argue that FSU did their best by playing the schedule that they were given. Including tough teams and beating Heisman Trophy winners. This struggle against subjective decisions is something many people can relate to.
FSU not making the playoffs doesn’t just affect the team now; players are thinking about their future careers, with the NFL or transferring seeming more attractive since even a perfect or good season might not matter in college football success.
Some people say expanding the playoffs will fix things, but some fans think subjectivity will still be a big part. The comparison to a bad recipe not getting better with more ingredients shows that a fundamental change is needed in how teams are picked. The memory of FSU being left out will remind people of the problems in the system, maybe making changes for future decisions in different areas.
FSU not making the College Football Playoff has started a bigger conversation about fairness and how achievements are recognized. The support from unexpected places shows that people are frustrated with the current system and want a better way to pick and reward teams in college football.
