Florida Sen. Rick Scott demands answers from college football committee after FSU left out of playoff

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State University and Seminoles fans everywhere were outraged on Sunday after the College Football Playoff committee decided to leave the Seminoles out of the national semifinals.

The unbeaten Seminoles were ranked at No. 5 in the playoff committee’s final list after the team went 13-0 and won the ACC championship on Saturday night over Louisville.

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Florida State is the first team in the four-team playoff era to finish as an unbeaten Power Five champion and not make the postseason field. The committee chose Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama, the Big 10, Pac 12, Big 12 and SEC champs, respectively, for the four-team playoff. The Longhorns and Crimson Tide both have one loss apiece.

The perceived snub caught the attention of several Florida politicians, including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida.

Scott sent a letter to College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan following what he called a “shocking decision.”

In the letter, Scott demanded “total transparency” from the committee on how the decision was reached and what factors might have been at play.

“Beyond the fury and heartbreak caused by the Committee’s decision, there are also financial implications that must be discussed. The ACC and FSU have been denied $2 million of revenue distribution from the CFP due to the Committee’s decision to remove the Seminoles from playoff contention. While this is a significant amount of money, it is just a fraction of the total economic impact that playoff contention would have created for FSU. Beyond the benefit to the university and its athletic program, the Committee’s decision will also likely have profound impacts on the future earnings and opportunities for the players,” Scott wrote. “While I understand that the Committee considered the tragic, season-ending injury to FSU quarterback Jordan Travis, I am confused as to why this was not a factor in the previous week’s rankings. One week ago, the Committee chose to rank FSU as the 4th best team in the nation, moving them up from fifth place following the road-game win in Gainesville against the University of Florida Gators. As you know, this win occurred after Mr. Travis’s injury. It’s difficult to understand how FSU’s next win, over the 14th ranked University of Louisville Cardinals, would reflect poorly on the team and result in a ranking drop and exclusion from the College Football Playoffs.”

It’s not the first time Scott has waded into college football controversy. In 2018, Scott declared UCF’s football team national champions following a 13-0 season, even though the team was left out of the playoffs.

According to Front Office Sports, lawmakers are already discussing legislation to protest what they see as a major snub.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis also weighed in on the committee’s decision.

“What we learned today is that you can go undefeated and win your conference championship game, but the College Football Playoff committee will ignore these results. Congratulations to @FSUFootball on an outstanding season and winning the ACC championship!” DeSantis wrote.

Former FSU and Philadelphia Eagles player Corey Simon, a Florida state senator, accused the CFP of corruption.

“The corruption of college football rears its ugly head again. ESPN and Disney have a vested interest in the SEC participating in the CFP. Lawsuits should be filed tomorrow,” Simon wrote on Sunday.

Florida State was bumped to the Orange Bowl, where it will face two-time defending national champion Georgia.