12/3/2023 football Edit

FSU coaches, players make their case for Seminoles' CFP inclusion

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

From the moment he stepped into his postgame press conference Saturday evening, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell had entered campaign mode.

He spent large swathes of his press conference discussing talking points praising the Seminoles' resume and obviously relying heavily on the fact that FSU is a perfect 13-0 and, in the BCS/CFP era, no undefeated Power Five team has ever been kept out of the national title game/playoff in favor of a one-loss team.

Still, this has been a talking point since Jordan Travis' injury and Alabama's upset win over Georgia has set the stage for as compelling a case as there has been for a one-loss to make the Playoff/national title game over an undefeated team.

With the field of four for the College Football Playoff set to be announced just after noon Sunday on ESPN, here's what Norvell, FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and a host of players had to say about the Seminoles' case to make the CFP.

Mike Norvell

"We've got the most Power Five wins over bowl eligible teams in the country. This is a team that has been resilient in the way that they have had to overcome and it shows up in how they play."

Q. Mike, I asked you yesterday about trying to lobby for Florida State, and there's a lot of people questioning whether you deserve a playoff spot because you don't have your starting quarterback, and that has increased since this game ended. What do you have to say about why this team belongs in the playoff?

MIKE NORVELL: Because this is a real team. It's one that finds a way to win games. Whatever it needs to look like. There's plenty of teams that have talent. There's plenty of teams that you could sit there and point to a moment here or a moment there, but it's about getting the win. It's about making sure that you show up and you do the things necessary to achieve in each situation, and we've done that on the road. We've done it at home. We've done it with a backup quarterback, and now we've done it with a true freshman quarterback. This team continues to find ways to make it happen. You sit back and you look, since the BCS was created and the history of this, there's never been an undefeated Power 5 team that was denied an opportunity to play for a national championship over a one-loss team. There's a reason. Because you have to earn it on the field. I don't care how much talent you have. I don't care what it looks like on a game or in a moment. You've got to get it done, and if you have all that ability, well, go finish. That's what this team has done. This team has showed up week in and week out and they've worked for it. We've had some one-play games. We've had some challenging moments that they had to respond, and that's what makes a champion. These guys are champions. You know what, if we get our opportunity, which I fully expect to get, this is going to be a team that's going to continue to do all things necessary to put themselves in a position to go take the next step. I believe in this football team. It's funny there's people that can count us out. Jordan Travis went down. That was a special player. He means everything to our program. When he went down, we still went on the road, and big rival, found adversity and responded to it and found a way to get a win. Tonight, same thing. Adversity shows up, challenges set in, this team is built for it. I believe in them. I don't care where, who, when. I've had 13 straight games this season, and the final six last season, and you know, we beat a lot of teams from all these different conferences that presumed are at this other -- we show up and play and find a way to win, and that's what this team has done."

Q. To follow up on that, do you feel like you could compete with the other three teams if you make it to the College Football Playoff?

MIKE NORVELL: I believe in this team 100 percent. I don't care who, where, when we play. This team is going to show up and they're going to battle. You can take any stat line. And we told our guys, tonight whatever it takes, if it's offense, if it's defense, we've got to help and we've got to respond and we've got to have each other's back in situations. We scored 16 points tonight. If somebody said you score 16 points, what's it going to look like? Tonight it looked like a win. Something that will be remembered. It's something that obviously our football team did what was necessary, right, to be able to achieve success. Because that's what it comes down to. You can have all the talent in the world, but it comes down to doing the things necessary to win games and that's what this team just consistently does.

Q. Mike, are you surprised it's even a conversation? Going undefeated in a Power Five conference, the whole point is to win the games and other teams haven't. Are you surprised it's even a conversation?

MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, it's entertainment in some things to be able to have the conversation, but I don't think there is a conversation. We're at Florida State. We open up a season with LSU on the road, maybe a Heisman Trophy candidate, maybe winner in their quarterback that -- you know, we showed what we were about then defensively, special teams-wise, offense, the talent that we have. The way that we've won games. To go on the road at Clemson. Nobody else was able to accomplish that. Some ranked teams went in there, but we were the only team that was able to beat them on the road, and it was tough. We've been down in games. We've been down 10 points I think in three or four different games, and we responded. It's not just like we came back -- we came back and finished games. We came back and were able to do the things necessary to achieve victory. I don't think there is a conversation. This is a team that is well deserving. This is a team that has earned it. This is a team that has showed up consistently and proven that they have what it takes to win, and we've done it against more Power Five bowl eligible teams than anybody else out there. So I don't want to hear about the schedule. Actually we schedule a tough non-conference. We put ourselves out there, and then you embrace it in how you go about your business. This team, they've earned it. Like I said, each week it changes what's the hot team or the most talented team, but then when they lose a game, there's a reason. This team has all the ability, and they just get it done.

Q. Your resume is incredible, obviously, but what would you say to the committee if they were saying, hey, that team that you had tonight is not the team that won all those games? How do you put that together with such a big part of your offense missing?

MIKE NORVELL: We just beat a top-15 team with a true freshman quarterback. Like that doesn't matter. I don't care perspective what people think. We win. We win. You know what, if we get the opportunity to go play in the national semifinal, it's going to be a challenge. I believe in this team. I believe in what they can do. I believe in who they are. You know what, they showed up every single week and done it. So I don't really care about what everybody else's opinions are. I know who I coach, and I know we get the opportunity, they're going to go fight for everything they get because they've been doing it the last four years, and whatever the next opportunity is, I promise you they're going to show up.

FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller

"That's not up to me, but I think if you watch us play 13 straight weeks, I think we're one of the four best teams in the country. There's no question."

FSU special teams coordinator/defensive ends coach John Papuchis (on Twitter)

"Whatever narrative people want to create - that's 19 straight #KeepCLIMBing."

FSU defensive end Jared Verse

"I think the committee is going to do what needs to be done. We're a Power Five champion, we put all the work in all this year, we showed that we have a defense that can play lights out with anybody in the country. I think what needs to be done will be done."

"I think anyone they put before us is in for a rude awakening."

FSU defensive tackle Braden Fiske, asked if this win solidifies FSU's spot in the CFP

"I don't see why not. There's a zero in our loss column. What else can you ask for? We can't control any other scenarios. 13-0 is 13-0. I'll let that speak for itself."

FSU linebacker Tatum Bethune

"When we go into games, we don't really worry about the College Football Playoff. They've been talking about it, but we try to block that out. You don't got to like us but you've got to respect us."

(Why do you deserve to be in?) "Because we're Florida State."

FSU defensive tackle Fabien Lovett

(Does it aggravate you that there's discussion about team's CFP worthiness after 13-0 season) "Yeah and no, because at the end of the day, we control what we can control. If they put us in, we're ready. Simple as that."