Mike Norvell releases statement following FSU football’s College Football Playoff snub

Less than 24 hours after Florida State won its first ACC Championship and moved to 13-0 on the season, it was snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee, ranked 5th and missing out on College Football Playoff semifinals.

FSU head coach Mike Norvell, who spoke passionately about why the Seminoles should qualify for the College Football Playoff following the ACC Championship, released a statement Sunday on FSU’s No. 5 ranking.

“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Norvell said. “What is the point of playing games? Do you tell players it is okay to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury?”

“Where is the motivation to schedule challenging non-conference games? We are not only an undefeated P5 conference champion, but we also played two P5 non-conference games away from home and won both of them. I don’t understand how we are supposed to think this is an acceptable way to evaluate a team.”

“I’m hurting for our players who have displayed a tremendous amount of resilience and response this season. What happened today goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated today. It’s a sad day for college football.”

“I’m proud of the work we have put in and the players I have the privilege to coach. We have one more opportunity to define this 2023 team in the Orange Bowl, and I believe in how our team will respond.”

FSU became the first team in the history of the College Football Playoff to go undefeated and win a conference title as a Power 5 team and failed to make the playoff.

The Seminoles are expected to play in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The final rankings were as follows: No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 FSU and No. 6 Georgia.

FSU, No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington are the only three teams in the country still undefeated. On Saturday, the Seminoles narrowly defeated No. 15 Louisville, 16-6, to win the ACC Championship and its 19th straight game.

The Seminoles have eight wins over bowl-eligible teams this season and won a conference championship with true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn.

Without quarterback Jordan Travis, who suffered a season-ending left leg injury against North Alabama, FSU was still able to defeat Florida on the road and Louisville in the ACC Championship.

FSU athletic director Michael Alford released a statement following the final rankings.

“The consequences of giving in to a narrative of the moment are destructive, far-reaching, and permanent. Not just for Florida State, but college football as a whole.”