CFB casually brushing off a team with an undefeated record continues to be the controversy of the season. Multiple facades have been unveiled since the playoff rankings were announced, with additional allegations made and fingers raised. Undeniably, FSU is receiving the required attention to bring the injustice mainstream.

Seven states have raised their voices collectively, through their attorney generals, against the alleged wrongdoings of the college football committee, from transfer portal rules to waiver denials, and not to forget, the seemingly unfair selection of teams in playoffs. Amidst all these voices, Stephen A Smith raises a special intrigue, as he combines the shiny world of the Colorado Buffs with the dejected FSU.

Deion Sanders has the ‘sizzle’

“I bet you that if Primetime Deion Sanders was their coach they wouldn’t have gotten left out,” sternly asserted Smith. Deion Sanders’s PR and branding have left no eye undazzled. In other words, Sanders mastered the art of making his team into a brand, which is one of the primary allegations against the selection committee. They were looking for teams with more viewers, hence, the recruitment of Alabama and Texas and not FSU.

“If Primetime had an undefeated team, the sizzle that he brings to the sport matters,” bluntly stated the ‘First Take’ host. Further, he added, “We want to act like it doesn’t matter but it matters because it’s a business,” dissecting the reality. He explained how the committee looks for the teams with extra ‘sizzle’, as Florida lost it when Jordan Travis got injured and out.

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“It’s unfair,” continued he, along with specifically mentioning a coach’s and player’s availability as vital criteria for selection. “Norvell is a sensational coach and has done a sensational job,” he said, but the marketing bait, the star FSU player Travis’s injury, proved to be way too costly to the team.

ESPN viewership, the real culprit

Travis was just one front. Another is, the most talked about, popularity among viewers. Despite Florida taking it to the court, the undercover reason might be ESPN’s rankings. And SEC’s contract with ESPN. Playoffs earn from viewership, hence the more viewership, the more business.

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As per Ray Katz, the COO of Collegiate Sports Management Group, Alabama averaged 7.3 million viewers, whereas FSU averaged 4.2 million viewers. Additionally, the SEC signed a multi-million contract with ESPN and ABC, starting in 2024, authorizing the conference’s broadcasting rights. It was a one-stone two birds deal for the committee. Yet, they would have wagered it all for Deion Sanders’ Prime effect.

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