No. 5 Florida State will take on the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs on December 30 in the Capital One Orange Bowl, but not without a fair share of controversy surrounding the game. FSU was historically snubbed from the College Football Playoff after winning 13-0 and an ACC Title in favor of 12-1 Alabama and Texas. The move sparked a tidal wave of uproar from fans, college football personalities, politicians, and an investigation from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

The exclusion was perfectly timed. Florida State saw players entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, while other players opted out as they pursued the 2024 NFL Draft.

Previously campaigning for the Seminoles to be left out of the playoffs, ESPN has now reversed course, expressing dismay over players choosing not to participate in the bowl game. Analyst Joey Galloway spoke on the issue during a panel on ESPN on Friday.

“A little disappointing,” Galloway said. “On Selection Sunday, everyone got excited about this matchup because we’re talking about a Florida State team that has an attitude that they didn’t get in, so now we’re upset. A lot of guys checked out.”

With over half of their offensive production and over 20 players not participating in the game, Galloway stated that it is tempting to fall back on that fact when evaluating Florida State’s performance on Saturday. Regardless of who is on the roster, they will judge them either way.

“Now, I do believe that anytime you take the field wearing your school’s uniform, it is what it is. You get beat by 20—Florida State got beat by 20,” Galloway continued. “Because if they win this game, they’re not gonna put on that trophy that ‘Hey, most of our guys didn’t play.’ So it is what it is, and we’re going to evaluate it for what it is on the field. It is disappointing to us, but at the same time, a lot of these young kids are going to get a chance to play.”

Although contradictory to what has been said in the past by ESPN—when they backed the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision to exclude Florida State based on speculation and ‘what ifs’—the focus has now shifted on the players leaving after a perfect season.

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