Does Orange Bowl blowout prove that Florida State didn't belong in CFB Playoff?
You never want to overreact to anything that you see in a bowl game, but it's hard to watch the first half of the 2023 Orange Bowl and not agree with the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Obviously, things would have been different if Florida State wasn't down the 20 players or so that have already declared for the NFL draft or entered the transfer portal. That list includes some of FSU's top players not named Jordan Travis.
Florida State is down its No. 1 wide receiver, No. 1 running back, and also its best defender, as well as its backup quarterback. That doesn't even cover the entire list of departures. Still, it's a little shocking to see Georgia build the biggest halftime lead in bowl history on Saturday in the Orange Bowl.
Georgia has 383 yards of total offense in the first half. That includes 180 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Carson Beck is also laying the groundwork for a 2024 Heisman Campaign after completing 13-of-18 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown in the Orange Bowl.
Do bowl results really matter?
Ole Miss beat Penn State by double digits and Missouri also beat Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night. Does this mean that Alabama is going to win the College Football Playoff? Does it justify the decision from the committee to leave out Florida State?
If Florida State was closer to full strength, it would be easier to give the Orange Bowl result some weight. However, Georgia was motivated to prove a point, only the Noles didn't have the roster to compete which makes things look more lopsided than they would be if both teams were full strength.
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As much as I hate to say it, I think the committee might have gotten this one right and at the very least, it doesn't seem like Florida State without Jordan Travis would have been able to compete.