Florida State checks in at No. 4 in first College Football Playoff rankings
Nine years since the last time they were a factor in the College Football Playoff discussion, the Florida State Seminoles are back in the thick of the chase in 2023.
When the College Football Playoff committee unveiled its initial rankings Tuesday night, Florida State checked in at No. 4, which means the ‘Noles are in prime position to claim one of four spots in the CFP semifinals.
The other teams in the top four are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Michigan. Washington is ranked No. 5.
Florida State, which is ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, is 8-0 on the season with four games remaining — road trips to Pitt and Florida, and home dates with Miami and North Alabama.
If the Seminoles advance to the CFP semifinals, it would be a fitting conclusion to the four-team playoff format. Florida State played in the first college playoff in 2014, and the format will change to 12 teams in 2024.
On the live rankings release show, several ESPN analysts made their cases for different teams to be No. 1. Former LSU and NFL defensive lineman Booger McFarland said the Seminoles would be his choice.
“I think Florida State’s the best team,” McFarland said.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell and his players said this week that they don’t plan to devote a lot of time to the rankings. Their entire focus is on winning Saturday’s game at Pitt.
“I’m not going to get distracted,” Norvell said after Tuesday’s practice. “We have a purpose. We have a mission. [Being] 8-0 can be distracting if you allow it to be distracting. … Do I want people nationally to recognize our program and the great players I get to coach? Absolutely. I think it’s wonderful people are talking good about Florida State — they should.”
Norvell said he knows FSU’s players will see the rankings, but he has no plans to discuss them with the team.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for more on this story.
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