The final year of the four-year College Football Playoff featured the most controversial final rankings reveal in the event’s decade-long history.
Despite posting a 13-0 record and winning the ACC championship game, Florida State was not chosen for the four-team field. Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama instead got the nod.
The inclusion of the Wolverines and Huskies, who were each undefeated and won their conferences, was hardly surprising. The Longhorns making it in after winning the Big 12 and winning on the road in Alabama was sensible considering that they had just one close loss.
But the choice of the Crimson Tide over the Seminoles? That was hotly debated among college football fans.
On the one hand, Alabama won the SEC and ended No. 1 Georgia’s 29-game winning streak. On the other hand, they had a home loss against Texas on their resume. That’s why the Longhorns were consistently ahead of them in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Naturally, Florida State backers touted Alabama’s loss as the reason that their undefeated Seminoles should draw into the playoff. They also were quick to point out that the ACC was stronger than people gave it credit for during the 2023 season.
MORE: Why Florida State missed the College Football Playoff, explained
Case and point, the ACC had a winning record in their 10 interconference games against the SEC.
ACC record vs. SEC teams 2023
The ACC held a record of 6-4 against the SEC in interconference play during the 2023 regular season. That advantage included a 2-0 mark posted by Florida State, which won its games against LSU and Florida during its 13-0 season.
Below is a look at the ACC’s results by game against the SEC during the 2023 college football regular season.
| Date | Matchup | Result | ACC Record |
| Sept. 2 | UNC at South Carolina | UNC wins 31-17 | 1-0 |
| Sept. 2 | Virginia at Tennessee | Tennessee wins 49-13 | 1-1 |
| Sept. 2 | LSU at Florida State | Florida State wins 45-24 | 2-1 |
| Sept. 9 | Texas A&M at Miami (FL) | Miami (FL) wins 48-33 | 3-1 |
| Sept. 9 | Vanderbilt at Wake Forest | Wake Forest wins 36-20 | 4-1 |
| Sept. 16 | Georgia Tech at Mississippi | Mississippi wins 48-23 | 4-2 |
| Nov. 25 | Georgia at Georgia Tech | Georgia wins 31-23 | 4-3 |
| Nov. 25 | Clemson at South Carolina | Clemson wins 16-7 | 5-3 |
| Nov. 25 | Florida State at Florida | Florida State wins 24-15 | 6-3 |
| Nov. 25 | Kentucky at Louisville | Kentucky wins 38-31 | 6-4 |
Those results are solid for the ACC, especially Florida State’s second consecutive win over LSU. Add in that the SEC’s best non-conference win was Kentucky’s seven-point victory over Louisville — a team that Florida State beat by 10 points with a third-string quarterback — and one could make the case that the ACC’s body of work was more impressive than that of the SEC.
MORE: History of unbeaten teams to miss the College Football Playoff
Thus, it’s understandable that some were upset that a one-loss SEC team (Alabama) got the College Football Playoff nod over an undefeated ACC representative (Florida State).
But ultimately, Florida State will have to prove it belonged in the College Football Playoff when they face Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
