Florida State’s ‘national championship’ hopes come crashing down with blowout loss

So much for any claims of a national championship at Florida State.

Competing without more than 20 players who opted out, transferred or declared for the NFL Draft, the Seminoles were destroyed by two-time defending national champion Georgia, 63-3, in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.

It was the largest margin of defeat in Florida State history and in Orange Bowl history.

The Bulldogs led 42-3 at the half, and finished with 673 yards of total offense. Georgia has gone unbeaten in SEC regular-season play for three straight years and compiled a 43-2 record over that span under coach Kirby Smart.

Brock Glenn, the Seminoles’ true freshman quarterback, had said entering the game that Florida State should “absolutely” be considered the national champion if they ended up as the only undefeated Power 5 team standing after the College Football Playoff. Florida State went 13-0 to start the season and won the ACC championship game, but was excluded from the Playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis was lost for the season due to a broken leg on Nov. 18.

The Seminoles were the first undefeated Power 5 team to miss the Playoff since its inception in 2014 after the committee chose Michigan (13-0), Washington (13-0), Texas (12-1) and Alabama (12-1) as the four playoff teams. Texas and Alabama jumped Florida State, which fell to fifth.

In the end, the committee looked prescient as Florida State and Georgia both ended the season at 13-1.

“Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks,” Committee chair Boo Corrigan said when the playoff field was chosen. “… Right now, without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team.”

The Seminoles were also playing without wideout Keon Coleman, who declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday, wide receiver Johnny Wilson and tight end Jaheim Bell. The Seminoles’ three leading receivers all opted out.

Quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who started against Florida after Travis was injured, entered the transfer portal on Monday. Leading rusher Trey Benson, starting defensive linemen Jared Verse and Fabien Lovett and cornerback Akeem Dent were among the other key players who opted out of the Orange Bowl.

Next year there will be a 12-team playoff and under such a scenario Florida State would have made this year’s playoff without players opting out.

UCF finished a perfect 13-0 in the 2017 season after upsetting Auburn in the Peach Bowl and then claimed a national championship despite being left out of the College Football Playoff, which was won that season by a one-loss Alabama team.

ESPN reported that Glenn and his teammates had discussed potentially raising a national championship banner had the Seminoles beaten Georgia, but not everyone was buying in.

“That’s a tough – I don’t know. Is that a phony (banner)? I don’t know,” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said. “That’s weird. That’s almost like a pat on the back. Would it be cool? Sure. But I think it would be a little bit cooler to actually be in (the playoff) and feel that confetti drop.”

The blowout loss to Georgia completed an eventful few weeks for Florida State. The school is suing the Atlantic Coast Conference, challenging a contract that binds the school to the league for the next 12 years and creating a potential path to leave without paying more than $500 million in penalties.

The College Football Playoff semifinals are set for Monday, with Michigan facing Alabama in the Rose Bowl (5 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Washington meeting Texas in the Sugar Bowl (8:45, ESPN). The national championship game is January 8.

(The AP contributed reporting.)

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.