By Scott Salomon
At the Orange Bowl Coaches Press Conference on Sunday, after Georgia fell to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game and Florida State was left out of the College Football Playoff despite winning their conference and going undefeated, the coaches from both teams tried to play down the fact that their teams would rather be playing in a national semifinal, or having root canal surgery, instead of playing in a big, yet meaningless New Year’s Six Bowl game.
Georgia was ranked number one in the polls for most of the season and dropped five spots to sixth after a three-point loss to the Crimson Tide from Alabama Saturday night. Georgia would not be invited to the Big Dance.
The undefeated, Atlantic Coast Conference Champion Florida State Seminoles, fresh off of a playoff snub because the College Football Playoff Committee did not like their backup quarterback or think that its offense was good enough to play in a National Semifinal Game, will take the field on December 30 in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens against Georgia.
The question is, “Will anyone from Tallahassee or Athens actually care?”
Let’s play a game… which coach doesn’t want to be a part of this Orange Bowl press conference more… pic.twitter.com/onoDqGfoiJ
— Alison Posey (@AlisonPosey14) December 3, 2023
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Bulldogs’ coach Kirby Smart wants you to believe that his team is satisfied with the Orange Bowl berth and that it would make up for not going to the playoffs.
“I did talk to our team. They are very excited. I think of all the ballgames we could be in outside the Playoffs. This is where our kids would love to be,” Smart said. “This part is good.”
Good? Most players and teams would kill to play in the Orange Bowl, one of the biggest bowl games of the season. However, when you play for a spot in a National Semifinal, anything less is simply without meaning.
After the SEC Championship, Smart said that the Committee members should find new work if they did not believe that Georgia, who won 29 straight and two consecutive national titles, was not among the top four teams in the country.
“You’re going to tell me somebody sitting in that committee room and doesn’t think that that Georgia team is not one of the best four teams, I don’t know if they’re in the right profession,” Smart said after the SEC title game.
Smart even had pity on Florida State after they were left out of the tournament but believes that they will rise up and give Georgia a good game.
“I know our kids are going to be up for FSU. I know FSU is going to be up for us. We’re going to rely on each other to have that, to be able to go out and play,” Smart said. “Look, nobody knows better, I don’t know if this is correct, I think we’ve been fifth or sixth and finished fifth or sixth more than anybody. That’s tough. It’s tough. I can’t imagine it being undefeated. It’s tough when you finish fifth or sixth because there’s always a case for being in it. We’ve been there maybe two or three times.”
Mike Norvell, Florida State’s Head Football Coach, was a bit more somber and tongue-in-cheek while speaking about the bowl invitation and the appearance in the Orange Bowl. Norvell and his team got the royal screwing by winning their conference title and then dropping out of the playoff picture.
“Today has been an emotional day,” Norvell said. Coming off of last night, just so proud of our team finishing up undefeated season ACC champions.”
Norvell wanted everyone to know that his team was undefeated, unchallenged, and disrespected for being left out of the playoff tournament. He tried to make it sound like his Seminoles actually wanted to play in the Orange Bowl, despite the fact that their meeting room looked like a morgue when Alabama was given the fourth playoff seed, and FSU was left on the outside looking in.
“Absolutely respect the opportunity that’s here at the Orange Bowl. There’s such a great history with Florida State and the Orange Bowl. To be able to get matched up against the best team in college football over the last three years,” Norvell said with a lump in his throat. “You look at Coach Smart and the job they’ve done; this is a special team that we’re going to go against. Obviously, last night did not go how they wanted, but this is a team that’s really set the standard over the last few years. The work that’s gone in, I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Smart over the way he operates the program, the consistency that they’ve shown.”
Norvell then stated the obvious. This is a consolation prize. It is settling and being happy for the little stuffed dog that you get at the carnival when you can’t win the big bear that you really wanted.
“I know our players; they’re disappointed here today with the news of not getting a chance to compete for a national championship. We’ve had a team that’s responded throughout the course of the year,” Norvell said. “They’ve responded to adversity. They’ve had to fight through, overcome. I believe in the heart and character of this team. I know that they will respond once again.”
Then, Norvell sounded as if he had to convince himself that he was happy to be there.
“It’s going to take a tremendous effort on our part, but I know we’re excited for the opportunity to be a part of this tremendous game with all the historical value that comes to it, just to be able to play against such an outstanding opponent in Georgia,” Norvell said. “It’s going to be one that the fan bases are going to be excited about. To be able to be here in our home state, to be down in Miami, to get a chance to compete once again for this team to showcase their identity, who we are, what we truly are aspiring to be.”
Then, the biggest exaggeration in the history of college football came out, when Norvell uttered the following phrase.
“Just grateful for the opportunity.”
The coach sounded really grateful. He sounded like he was told he had less than six months to live.
Norvell then said that the team was happy to be a part of the 90th Edition of the Orange Bowl and that it would do nothing but help recruiting by practicing in South Florida for a week, which is a hotbed for talent.
“To be able to be a part of the 90th game is special,” Norvell said. “It does have a great recruiting impact. I mean, a lot of our best players are from South Florida. It’s going to be a chance for them to be able to go home, to be able to play in front of their families, just to be able to showcase once again the identity of our team, where we’re going, what we’re building here in Tallahassee. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us.”
Winning the ACC and clinching a spot in the Orange Bowl game is usually a prize, something that all teams wish to attain. However, when you are 13-0, ranked fourth in the country, and then wake up to find out that you are left out of the big dance, there is no consolation in a week’s trip to Miami in the winter.
“With all due respect, I put out a statement about the committee, my feelings on that decision,” Norvell said. “Out of respect for the Orange Bowl and the opportunity we have, I would like to keep any questions focused on this matchup. Obviously if there’s any other follow-up at a different time, it will be welcomed. Let’s respect the Orange Bowl and the opportunity we have here, not so much on the decision of the committee.”
The game appears to be so meaningless to Florida State that one of its former players, former quarterback Danny Kanell, seems to think that the Noles should simply not show up and play.
The committee set a precedent by not allowing FSU to play for a title.
FSU should return the favor and boycott the Orange Bowl. I mean they don't have their QB so why play at all???— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 3, 2023
Norvell then said, As we tell our team all the time, Your truest identity shows up in times of great adversity. We faced it. They put it on display. So that was really that feeling in the moment.”
