College football winners, losers of 2023 season: Florida State, 13-0 but left out of CFP, knows both feelings

The 2023 season was unforgettable for Florida State. The Seminoles finally capitalized on years of potential with a 13-0 season and ACC championship — both firsts since 2014. Bookending the perfect record was a three-touchdown win over LSU and likely Heisman winner Jayden Daniels in the season opener and a pair of end-of-season victories without star quarterback Jordan Travis. 

That triumph turned to heartbreak, however, when the College Football Playoff committee, considering Travis’ injury, nudged the Seminoles out of the field in unprecedented fashion. Never before had an undefeated power-conference champion been left out of the four-team field. 

Winning in the margins given such adversity is difficult for any team, and the Seminoles should be celebrated (and rewarded) justly. At the same time, that celebration is clouded by the decision of the CFP’s selection committee and its impact on the rest of the season. 

The Seminoles stood above as the biggest winner and loser of college football in 2023, but plenty of others deserve mention in the final season of college football as we know it. The Pac-12 is set to scatter after more than 100 years; the four-team College Football Playoff expands to 12; Texas and Oklahoma leave historic rivals for the SEC; California and Stanford will soon have to play conference games in Boston. 

College football is a double-sided coin. It brings joy and heartbreak that can define a program. Now, it’s time to look back at the biggest swings that will stick with us from the 2023 college football season. Only seven of the preseason AP Top 25 teams fell out of the rankings compared to 16 last year. Most of the top programs in the sport will look back on this season as a success. For others, it’s not as…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-winners-losers-of-2023-season-florida-state-13-0-but-left-out-of-cfp-knows-both-feelings/

Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2023-12-08 19:19:01

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