I would have liked a lot of things for the Florida State football program and their fans. The last thing I wanted was exactly what happened — a depleted roster of players being overwhelmed by a UGA team that is arguably the best team in the country. 63-3 will live on forever for the Seminoles haters and it’s arguably the worst finish possible to a great season.
What else could have happened? So many things that were out of the Seminoles’ control and some that were. Let’s review.
1. QB Jordan Travis never gets hurt
— Well duh, of course, everyone would want this to be the case as the star QB got hurt in a meaningless game against North Alabama. This isn’t anyone’s fault, not even Kirk Herbstreit’s. This just sucked.
2. Tate Rodemaker plays a little better
— The FSU backup looked bad against Florida, completing 12 of 25 passes for 134 yards in an ugly 24-15 win over a bad Gators team. Had Rodemaker looked a bit better, everyone would have thought a bit more comfortable about FSU’s offense. He also got concussed in the game leading to the next domino.
3. Brock Glenn looked better
— The true freshman was pressed into service because of the Rodemaker concussion and looked just like one, completing only 8 of 21 passes for 55 yards in the ACC title win over Louisville. FSU was forced to run the Wildcat at times in an ugly 16-6 win. Had Glenn looked better even with Rodemaker’s likely return for the playoff, there would be a little more confidence in the FSU offense.
4. The committee didn’t screw the Seminoles
— Blame Herbstreit or whoever else you’d like but in the end it was the playoff committee led by the ACC’s Boo Corrigan that screwed the Seminoles out of the playoff berth. You go undefeated in the Power Five and you’re supposed to earn a playoff berth but the woes of the offense and those backup QBs became the excuse everyone needed to keep them out.
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5. FSU refuses the Orange Bowl berth
— Unlikely right? Too much money, too much key practice time for the younger players, and so on, but I sure would have preferred to see them say no thanks than for the depleted roster to be thrown to the wolves (or Dawgs).
6. FSU bows up as a team and go all in
— No one opts out, a pissed-off FSU team takes the snub with anger and a steel will, and the full-strength Noles (short of Travis of course) band together to give Georgia all they can handle and perhaps have a shot at an upset. A 14-0 finish and a natty can be claimed legitimately (sorry UCF) as they beat the two-time reigning champs.
However, as you can see none of these things happened and it sucks. Travis got hurt, Rodemaker and Glenn looked bad, the committee absolutely used it as an excuse to screw FSU for the SEC and instead of going all in for the Orange Bowl or saying thanks but no thanks they did the worst thing possible — and 63-3 will forever be something haters of the ‘Noles point to. An amazing season ends as poorly as possible and there’s nothing that can be said except it just sucks
