Kirk Herbstreit reaffirms stance that Florida State is not one of 'the best 4' teams
Florida State missed out on the CFP despite going undefeated
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida State fans will probably never get over the fact that they are not bidding for a national championship this season.
The Seminoles went 13-0 and won the ACC, but with Jordan Travis' injury, the College Football Playoff committee opted to leave them out of the final four.
Alabama's upset victory over Georgia in the SEC championship and Texas' dominant victory in the Big 12 title game was enough for the committee to decide they were better than Florida State, and/or they deserved the third and fourth seeds more.
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ESPN College Gameday host Kirk Herbstreit listens to the conversation prior to a college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Wisconsin Badgers on Sept. 25, 2021 at Solider Field in Chicago. ( Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
However, for Seminoles fans, the excuses will never be understandable, and Kirk Herbstreit was put to the test for sharing the opinion of the committee.
In Herbstreit's defense, though, he had this opinion even before Travis' injury. So, a user on X asked Herbstreit why he "had Bama in and FSU out" beforehand.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The analyst was blunt.
"Because Alabama is BETTER!! Period!" he replied. "So is Texas. So is Michigan. So is Washington. So is Oregon. So is Georgia…"
"If FSU doesn’t like itbis [sic] "The BEST 4" tell the conference commissioners to change the protocol to "MOST DESERVING… Don’t like it-change it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Herbstreit then reminded the fan of when the Seminoles went to the BCS championship over Miami in 2000.
Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game between the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 25, 2023 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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"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!" he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nonetheless, Herbstreit stands on his opinion.
"The Noles being undefeated and left out-SUCKS-but I have to give an opinion on who I think the best 4 teams are," he said in the post. "I’m not on the committee-I don’t vote-I watch games-I analyze teams and I give my take. That’s it. 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 Norvell’s and his team and wish the Noles nothing but the best."
Kirk Herbstreit looks on from the sideline prior to the Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime at FedEx Field on Oct. 5, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Instead of the playoff, Florida State will face Georgia - whose coach also believed his Bulldogs should've been in the playoff - in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
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