Florida State and Georgia were not selected to compete in the College Football Playoff as No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama were selected to compete in the 4-team playoff that begins Monday, Jan. 1.The omission of UGA and, to a greater extent, FSU caused plenty of uproar across college football as Florida State had an undefeated 13-0 record, which included the ACC championship, while the Bulldogs were 12-0 and were ranked the No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game.Florida State and Georgia are set to play in the Orange Bowl Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.Despite not being selected to play in the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles and the Bulldogs, along with other teams playing in upcoming major college football bowl games, have a chance to claim a national championship for the 2023 college football season.Since the College Football Playoff’s inception in 2014, the winner of the CFP national title game has been voted the Associated Press’ national champion, but the AP confirmed to WPBF 25 News on Tuesday its voters are not required to select the College Football Playoff national champion as their national champion.“AP voters are not obligated to choose the winner as No. 1 if they feel another team is more deserving,” Dave Zelio, the assistant sports editor of the Associated Press, told WPBF 25 News.The AP not selecting the winner of the CFP would be unusual, as Zelio added the AP voters take head-to-head matchups seriously all season long, and the last five CFP national champions were unanimous No. 1s in the final AP polls sent after those games.The Associated Press college football poll is made up of 63 voters this season.The AP plans to release its final poll late on Jan. 8 after the national championship game, about two hours after the end of the CFP national championship game. The College Football Playoff National Championship game will be played in Houston, Texas, Monday, Jan. 8.Zelio noted the AP sorts out "extreme" or unusual votes. For example, if a group of three voters selects one team as a national champion, but the majority selects the CFP winner as its national champion, then the AP would have the College Football Playoff winner at No. 1 in its final poll.Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Unlike other NCAA-sponsored sports, the NCAA does not have a designated a national championship event for FBS football.A national champion in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, is chosen by selecting organizations, and the NCAA tracks those winners.The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Associated Press with the Alliance of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF) are “Major Selectors” tracked by the NCAA.Since the establishment of the College Football Playoff, the winner of the CFP national championship game has been selected as the national champion by the AFCA.The NFF notes it automatically awards its MacArthur Bowl National Championship trophy to the winner of the College Football Playoff National Championship game.Entering the season, Georgia had the chance to become the first college football program since Minnesota in 1934, 1935, and 1936 to claim three consecutive national championships.Georgia won the CFP national championship in 2021 and 2022. Florida State began the 2023 campaign aiming to claim its fourth national championship in program history, with its last championship season in 2013.Entering Saturday’s Orange Bowl, Florida State is ranked No. 4 while Georgia is No. 6 in the latest Associated Press poll.Alabama sits at No. 5 in the AP poll.Michigan, Washington and Texas are the top three ranked teams in the latest AP poll.In the CFP semifinal round, No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 4 Alabama (12-1) will play in the Rose Bowl, while the Sugar Bowl features No. 2 Washington (13-0) and No. 3 Texas (12-1).Semifinal winners will play in the championship game Jan. 8.FSU is No. 5, while Georgia is No. 6 in the latest CFP rankings.The last time there was a split national championship in college football was during the 2003 season, as LSU (13-1) defeated Oklahoma (12-2) in the 2004 Sugar Bowl to claim the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship, while the University of Southern California defeated Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl. USC (12-1) was voted the AP’s national champion for the 2003 season. According to NCAA records, since 1990, there have been four seasons where there were multiple national champions:1990: Colorado and Georgia Tech1991: Washington and Miami1997: Michigan and Nebraska2003: LSU and Southern CaliforniaSplit national championships are common in the history of major college football. According to NCAA records, in 1869, Princeton and Rutgers shared a national championship that season.The BCS was established in 1998 to have the top two teams in its poll rankings, which included computer and human polls, to play for the national championship.The BCS was replaced by the CFP in 2014 and changed to a committee that determines the participants in the four-team playoff.Starting in 2024, the playoff will expand to a 12-team field.The Associated Press established its poll of sports writers in 1936, and since 1968, the AP has crowned a national champion after bowl games were completed each season.The latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 News
Florida State and Georgia were not selected to compete in the College Football Playoff as No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama were selected to compete in the 4-team playoff that begins Monday, Jan. 1.
The omission of UGA and, to a greater extent, FSU caused plenty of uproar across college football as Florida State had an undefeated 13-0 record, which included the ACC championship, while the Bulldogs were 12-0 and were ranked the No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game.
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Florida State and Georgia are set to play in the Orange Bowl Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Getty ImagesMegan Briggs
Despite not being selected to play in the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles and the Bulldogs, along with other teams playing in upcoming major college football bowl games, have a chance to claim a national championship for the 2023 college football season.
Since the College Football Playoff’s inception in 2014, the winner of the CFP national title game has been voted the Associated Press’ national champion, but the AP confirmed to WPBF 25 News on Tuesday its voters are not required to select the College Football Playoff national champion as their national champion.
“AP voters are not obligated to choose the winner as No. 1 if they feel another team is more deserving,” Dave Zelio, the assistant sports editor of the Associated Press, told WPBF 25 News.
The AP not selecting the winner of the CFP would be unusual, as Zelio added the AP voters take head-to-head matchups seriously all season long, and the last five CFP national champions were unanimous No. 1s in the final AP polls sent after those games.
The Associated Press college football poll is made up of 63 voters this season.
The AP plans to release its final poll late on Jan. 8 after the national championship game, about two hours after the end of the CFP national championship game.
The College Football Playoff National Championship game will be played in Houston, Texas, Monday, Jan. 8.
Zelio noted the AP sorts out "extreme" or unusual votes.
For example, if a group of three voters selects one team as a national champion, but the majority selects the CFP winner as its national champion, then the AP would have the College Football Playoff winner at No. 1 in its final poll.
Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Unlike other NCAA-sponsored sports, the NCAA does not have a designated a national championship event for FBS football.
A national champion in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, is chosen by selecting organizations, and the NCAA tracks those winners.
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Associated Press with the Alliance of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF) are “Major Selectors” tracked by the NCAA.
Since the establishment of the College Football Playoff, the winner of the CFP national championship game has been selected as the national champion by the AFCA.
The NFF notes it automatically awards its MacArthur Bowl National Championship trophy to the winner of the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Entering the season, Georgia had the chance to become the first college football program since Minnesota in 1934, 1935, and 1936 to claim three consecutive national championships.
Getty ImagesPerry McIntyre/ISI Photos
Georgia won the CFP national championship in 2021 and 2022.
Florida State began the 2023 campaign aiming to claim its fourth national championship in program history, with its last championship season in 2013.
APLynne Sladky
Entering Saturday’s Orange Bowl, Florida State is ranked No. 4 while Georgia is No. 6 in the latest Associated Press poll.
Getty ImagesIsaiah Vazquez
Alabama sits at No. 5 in the AP poll.
Michigan, Washington and Texas are the top three ranked teams in the latest AP poll.
In the CFP semifinal round, No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 4 Alabama (12-1) will play in the Rose Bowl, while the Sugar Bowl features No. 2 Washington (13-0) and No. 3 Texas (12-1).
Semifinal winners will play in the championship game Jan. 8.
FSU is No. 5, while Georgia is No. 6 in the latest CFP rankings.
Getty ImagesSporting News Archive
The last time there was a split national championship in college football was during the 2003 season, as LSU (13-1) defeated Oklahoma (12-2) in the 2004 Sugar Bowl to claim the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship, while the University of Southern California defeated Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl.
Getty ImagesJeff Gross
USC (12-1) was voted the AP’s national champion for the 2003 season.
APRIC FRANCIS
Getty ImagesJon Soohoo
According to NCAA records, since 1990, there have been four seasons where there were multiple national champions:
1990: Colorado and Georgia Tech
1991: Washington and Miami
1997: Michigan and Nebraska
2003: LSU and Southern California
Split national championships are common in the history of major college football.
According to NCAA records, in 1869, Princeton and Rutgers shared a national championship that season.
The BCS was established in 1998 to have the top two teams in its poll rankings, which included computer and human polls, to play for the national championship.
The BCS was replaced by the CFP in 2014 and changed to a committee that determines the participants in the four-team playoff.
Starting in 2024, the playoff will expand to a 12-team field.
The Associated Press established its poll of sports writers in 1936, and since 1968, the AP has crowned a national champion after bowl games were completed each season.
The latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 News
