FSU is one of the four ‘best’ teams in college football? Wanna bet?
The most chaotic weekend since Bobby Petrino fell off his Harley might be upon us. By Sunday night, the College Football Playoff selection committee is likely to shaft at least one meritorious team.
It pains me to say it, but that team should be Florida State.
It’s painful because if the Seminoles beat Louisville in the ACC title game, they will have done everything a team can do to make the four-team playoff. You can’t top 13-0 and a Power Five conference championship. But...
There is no getting around the fact that quarterback Jordan Travis was a major reason for that.
We saw it last week when FSU played its first game since Travis’s season-ending knee injury. The Seminoles struggled to score 24 points against Florida, which had been giving up that many points about every five minutes.
I’d said that FSU needed to rack up style points to impress the selection committee. The Seminoles will need a ton of them to persuade committee members to pick them – if it follows its own rules.
The stated goal is “to select the best four teams to compete for the college football playoff national championship.” That means the best four teams now, not three weeks ago when Travis was still around.
Forget Georgia and Michigan. Does anyone seriously think a Travis-less Seminoles are better than Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Texas or Ohio State?
I suspect a defiant FSU fan or two is screaming, “Yes we are!”
Fine, but do you really believe it?
If so, I have a proposition.
If FSU makes the playoffs, it will probably be double-digit underdog in its first game. I’d bet $224 (In honor of the total yards the Seminoles had against UF) that FSU won’t even cover the point spread.
If they do, I’ll donate that amount to a charity of your choice. If they don’t cover the spread, you’ll donate $224 to Gainesville’s Bread of the Mighty food bank.
Sadly, I make sportswriter wages, so this offer is open to the first person who emails me. Of course, if Louisville beats FSU, not even Chief Osceola could claim FSU is still one of the four best teams.
Will that happen?...
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FSU vs. Louisville: I’m afraid so. The last thing FSU needed was for Kentucky to beat Louisville last week. The Cardinals will be hyper-focused, and Travis will be on crutches. He and the ‘Noles deserved a better fate. Louisville 31-17
Alabama vs. Georgia: A Bama win would make things dicey for the CFP selection committee, which is never a bad thing. It’s just hard to see that happening unless Kirby Smart decides to use Auburn’s defense when things get desperate for the Crimson Tide. Georgia 27-16
Bobby Petrino vs. History: He was last spotted in Arkansas sporting a neck brace after taking a spin with a female staffer, wrecking his motorcycle, lying about it to school officials and getting fired. Now he’s back as the Hogs’ offensive coordinator. Advantage: Petrino.
Texas vs. Oklahoma State: Imagine the stress in the CFP selection bunker if both Texas and Alabama win. Do you go with the red-hot Tide or the only team that beat them way back in September? I don’t know if Bama can beat UGA, but I refuse to believe Texas will get beaten by a team that lost to UCF by 42 points two weeks ago. Texas 24-14
Michigan vs. Iowa: Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker deserves coach of the year for keeping his players motivated when they know the offense is going to score 3.7 points per game. Michigan might consider hiring him to replace Jim Harbaugh, whose devious plot to win a title and take his spy ring to NFL before the NCAA posse can catch him is working just as he planned. Michigan 24-3.7
Bonus Prediction: If Alabama wins and doesn’t make the playoffs, CFP selection members will immediately be escorted from their conference room and into the Federal Witness Protection Program.
Washington vs. Oregon: The Huskies were lucky to beat the Ducks 36-33 in the regular season. The last real Pac 12 championship trophy is headed to Eugene. Oregon 28-17
SMU vs. Tulane: A Tulane win would probably lock up a New Year’s Six bowl game for the Green Wave, which is one more reason Florida should consider joining the American Athletic Conference. Tulane 31-19
Last week: 8-2. Season: 87-32
Bonus Prediction II: If Bobby Petrino decides to go for another Sunday drive though the Ozarks with a young female staffer, he’ll take an Uber.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Without Travis, FSU is not a playoff worthy team
