There are many people who feel the College Football Playoff Selection Committee made a major mistake by not including Florida State in the tournament, but one of their most well-known alumni seems to understand the decision.
During an interview with 247Sports on Monday, Deion Sanders was asked for his thoughts on Florida State being excluded from the College Football Playoff despite going undefeated and winning the ACC. The former Seminole indicated he would not have put his alma mater in over Alabama, which finished 4th in the final rankings.
“It’s no way that you’re gonna leave Coach Saban and Alabama out of a playoff — and Georgia. You’re not gonna leave Georgia and Alabama out,” Sanders said. “It ain’t no playoff if you do that.”
Sanders then complimented Mike Norvell on the job the Florida State head coach has done handling the situation. Deion did not, however, say that Florida State deserved a playoff spot over Alabama or Texas.
“I don’t know how I would have handled that. I think Coach Norvell did a wonderful job articulating himself, speaking his truth and the players supporting him as well,” Sanders said. “That’s a tough one, man. … They gonna always go with the business. People think it’s just football, man. You gotta understand this is a business as well.”
"You're not going to leave Georgia AND Alabama out. It ain't no playoff if you do that."@DeionSanders when asked if the CFP committee made the right decision in putting in Alabama over Florida State 🗣️
WATCH📺: https://t.co/HZQdMMBhOu pic.twitter.com/FRVMRODeLd
— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 4, 2023
Sanders also mentioned how college football got it right by expanding the CFP to 12 teams next season. You have to wonder if his stance would be different if that were not happening. With a four-team playoff, Colorado could conceivably wind up in the same boat as Florida State by going undefeated in the Big 12 (which they are joining next year) and being left out of the CFP in favor of an SEC team. There is no risk of that happening with a 12-team field.
Though he was a star at Florida State from 1985-1988, Sanders seems like he has been bitter toward the Seminoles in recent years. That may have something to do with FSU overlooking him as a head coach candidate a few years back.
