Florida State fans, players, and coaches weren't pleased with the undefeated Seminoles being left out of the College Football Playoff, but betting odds suggest their exclusion may lead to a more competitive round of semifinal games.'
Michigan, the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff, will face No. 4 Alabama as opposed to Florida State. The Wolverines are just a 1.5-point favorite over the Crimson Tide, according to Tuesday odds from DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics Sportsbook, and FanDuel. BetMGM lists Michigan as just a 1-point favorite.'
No. 5 Florida State, which faces No. 6 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, is a 14-point underdog to the Bulldogs on ESPN BET. Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is out for the season with a leg injury, and the committee decided 12-1 Alabama was more deserving of a playoff spot than 13-0 Florida State without its quarterback.
“Florida State is a different team without Jordan Travis,” Boo Coorigan, the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee, told the media. “One of the things we do consider is player availability, and our job is to rank the best teams, and in the final decision looking at that, it was Alabama at 4 and Florida State at 5.”