The College Football Playoff had a true conundrum.
Leave out an undefeated ACC champion in Florida State or leave out a one-loss SEC champion, Alabama, that had just defeated the No. 1 team in the country?
CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan appeared on ESPN after the announcement on Sunday to explain the decision. He emphasized Florida State losing quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury late in the season.
‘Florida State is a different team than they were the first 11 weeks,’ Corrigan said. ‘Coach Norvell, their players, their fans, an incredible season. But if you look at who they are as a team, right now, without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team. And the committee voted Alabama four and Florida State five.’
ESPN’s Reece Davis asked Corrigan what moved the people in the room with football-coaching backgrounds to pick Alabama over Florida State.
‘It’s one of the questions we do ask, from a coaching standpoint, who do you want to play and who do you not want to play?’ Corrigan said. ‘As we go through that, looking at where we are today, not where we were three weeks or eight weeks ago. Who do they want to play, who do they not want to play? They’ve got a significant voice in the room.’