Deion Sanders Takes Subtle Shot At Florida State Over Bowl Game Participation

Sanders insists his players won't be absent in the postseason.

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The college football world witnessed the final saga of what once was a four-team College Football Playoff (CFP) last season. Much like the end of the BCS era, another stage in time reigned in as both new and old met for what is now a 12-team elimination contest. Florida State was historically snubbed from the CFP after going 13-0 throughout the regular season and fans across the country saw what a new age had in store.

After the loss of quarterback Jordan Travis to injury, FSU fought for dignity while winning the 2023 ACC Championship, only to be denied a chance for their second playoff appearance. The aftermath made numerous players (11 of which who are now on NFL teams) sit out of the Orange Bowl against Georgia, and Florida State fans alongside the entire country, witnessed one of the worst losses in program history.

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Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffalos have been on a hot streak this year, headlined by Heisman candidate Travis Hunter and star quarterback Sheduer Sanders. Colorado sits atop the Big 12 at 9-3, and as a bowl-eligible team, Coach "Prime" insisted that his players won't be taking any days off in the postseason.

"Our kids are going to play in our bowl game because that's what we signed up to do, and we're going to finish. We're not going to tap out because that throws off the structure of next season," Sanders said during his post-game press conference after shutting down Oklahoma State 52-0 on Friday. "It's a couple teams that you take note with, and they laid an egg in the bowl game and haven't recovered since. We don't plan on doing that. We plan on going out there fighting."

Msg: ⁦@CmoreStacks⁩ ⁦@Moorelife1⁩ pic.twitter.com/0C4s7XtwcG

— JBlast (@JBlast407) November 30, 2024

It is hard to tell if Sanders' comments were directly related to Florida State. Only two teams had the proverbial "Goose Egg" in bowl season last year. Iowa and Syracuse were both held to 0 points but FSU was pretty close in their 63-3 loss.

There could be some context if you look at it in that light. As an FSU Alumni, Sanders reportedly auditioned for the Florida State job after former head coach Willie Taggart was let go and was rumored to have been passed on. Most importantly, because he didn't have a degree at the time, which makes someone applying for that position ineligible, alongside other factors.

A slight to the 'Noles, who currently sit at 2-9, seems like an easy one, and there is nothing to discredit what Sanders has done in his playing and coaching careers aside from Prime Prep in Texas, but I know nothing more than that was speculated to be a massive failure.

It is good to hear a coach maintain consistency in the expectations, but understanding the circumstances for both of the individual programs is important.

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