ESPN Analyst Calls FSU Football’s Performance Against Georgia Bulldogs A ‘Disgrace’

Chris Russo went on a rant about the Seminoles after FSU's loss in the Orange Bowl.

Last Saturday, Florida State took on Georgia in the Orange Bowl -- a result many Seminoles fans and players weren't expecting after going 13-0 in the regular season and conference championship game. They had plenty of opt-outs for transfers, injuries, or draft declarations. 

The team that rolled out in the Orange Bowl wasn't anything similar to the one that went 13-0, and the players were right to do so after being snubbed from the College Football Playoffs. Their response to the snub was to move on to whatever was next.

This, though, had plenty of fans, media, and personalities in the college football world irate. ESPN's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo was one of the latest personalities to sound off on Florida State.

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"How about Florida State on Saturday afternoon," Russo said. "...Florida State had a chance for redemption, to prove to the world that they belong because they were playing Georgia in the Orange Bowl -- Georgia, two-time National Champ -- Georgia. So what does Florida State and its players do? 29 players opted out of that game for a variety of reasons."

Again, in a sport that is entirely voluntary, of course, college-aged players are going to do whatever they believe is best for them. The College Football Playoff committee treated the Seminoles like the games didn't matter, so the players reflected that energy right back.

"So, they go to the Orange Bowl on Saturday before New Year's where people are paying their hard-earned money to go to Fort Lauderdale to go watch that game, and they show up like they don't even care and they lost 63 to three," Russo continued. "And Georgia, who has won two championships in a row, shows up and Kirby Smart gets his guys to play."

.@MadDogUnleashed goes OFF on Florida State’s loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl 😳

"The Seminoles, you are a disgrace to college football." pic.twitter.com/tphrBQBybj

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 3, 2024

Georgia, though, also had plenty to prove. They lost in the SEC Championship to Alabama. As a one-loss team, they wanted to prove they were a top-four team. They were healthy and had the ability to do so. Florida State knew it wasn't going to be able to roll out a similar squad.

"Florida State, that spent three weeks moaning and groaning about how they got royally screwed, they show up at that game in the Orange Bowl in front of all those fans and they lose 63 to three to a bunch of amateurs after they moaned and groaned about how they were messed up," Russo claimed. "Oh, that is such an unbelievable disgrace! I could not believe what they did on Saturday. Seminoles, you are a disgrace to college football."

Russo claims that Florida State is a disgrace to college football, but the Seminoles can rightfully claim that college football disgraced them. It's hard to imagine that we see an undefeated conference champion in a Power Five conference be left out of the playoffs ever again. The new 12-team playoff format helps, but it shouldn't have happened in the four-team playoffs. 

Who knows who would have played if the Seminoles were in the playoffs? Maybe their defense would have, once again, pulled through. The stats Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe put up were not eye-popping or incredible. Brock Glenn or Tate Rodemaker might not be as talented, but the numbers would have been similar and the story would have been incredible if it was a close game.

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