Former FSU Quarterback Fires Back at Critics Following Loss to Georgia Bulldogs

The former Seminole Standout had plenty to say after the Orange Bowl.

The Florida State Seminoles closed out their 2023 campaign last night with a matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 90th iteration of the Orange Bowl, but it wasn’t exactly the end Mike Norvell and the ‘Noles envisioned. After a December that saw Florida State endure a playoff snub, a lawsuit against their conference, and over 20 players opting out of their consolation bowl game, the Seminoles were delivered their first loss of the 2023 season in their final game. The college football world watched on as the ‘Noles suffered a 60-point defeat at the hands of the sixth-ranked Bulldogs.

Almost instantly, the ridicule poured in as the college football landscape pointed and laughed at FSU’s misfortune. Media pundits, former and current athletes, and high-profile fans alike all took to their respective platforms to broadcast their reactions to the lopsided outcome. Some argued the Seminoles were never fit for the playoff while others discussed how the opt-outs have tarnished the program’s culture. Amidst the criticism and scorn, however, others did their best to curtail the negative takes. Danny Kanell, former Florida State quarterback and current college football analyst, took to social media to confront “the haters”.

For the haters… pic.twitter.com/3Pazaih95R

— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 30, 2023

In a video posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), Kanell shared his thoughts. 

“This game’s a joke, right? And yet, this was so predictable that there were going to be takes like this from the idiots that are out there that are trying to crow and pound on their chests saying ‘You know, see! This means the committee got it right.’ Man, the idiocy is on full display. This game means nothing."

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Kanell went on to express his disdain with the entirety of bowl season, labeling the non-conference playoff as “glorified scrimmages” and claiming that they do not matter. The former Florida State quarterback then turns his attention back to the Seminoles saying, “This Florida State team is a SHELL of the team they were throughout the regular season…This is a shell of a football team that we’re seeing on display in Miami.” 

The former ACC Player of the Year ended his rant by letting the critics know that the result of the Orange Bowl somehow justifying the committee’s decision is the “dumbest take I have ever seen.”

From the snide comments chastising FSU’s opt-outs made by Rece Davis and Joey Galloway earlier in the day to the incessant grandstanding in opposition to the Seminoles since Selection Sunday and now the reactions to Florida State’s bowl loss, the general narrative surrounding the FSU football program has been largely negative. 

Kanell’s response in support of Florida State paints a strikingly different picture. He brings light to the effects of opt-outs and injuries, criticizes the use of this game as a justification for the CFP committee’s decision, and labels Bowl Season as meaningless and inconsequential. Above all else, he underlines a sentiment shared by more level-headed observers of Florida State’s current situation: The Seminoles team playing in the Orange Bowl is not the same team that earned their right to play for a national championship. 

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