Georgia was a lock to make the College Football Playoff prior to the SEC Championship on Saturday. However, if the committee adheres to the standard it set with Florida State last season, the Bulldogs should not make the first-ever expanded field of 12 after an injury to Carson Beck.
“If” is the key word in this hypothetical scenario, because there is a very slim zero percent chance that the Southeastern Conference runner-up will be punished for playing in the championship game. The Seminoles are going to be furious.
Lets first look at what happened with Florida State. It won every single game during the regular season in 2023 and the ACC championship.
Even though it finished the year undefeated at 13-0, the committee did not rank Mike Norvell’s team inside the top-four in the final College Football Playoff ranking. Starting quarterback Jordan Travis broke his leg during the second-to-last game of the season. The Seminoles did not make the Playoff because of their performance without him.
Mind you, last year’s scenario would not have mattered if it was a 12-team field. Florida State would’ve made the Playoff as one of the 12 best teams in college football with or without its quarterback.
An injury to a star quarterback like Jordan Travis or Carson Beck is a nightmare scenario for the College Football Playoff committee!
Okay now fast forward to this weekend. Georgia is ranked No. 5 in the country and played for an SEC title. Three three-loss SEC teams are also right on the bubble of the Playoff with Alabama at 11, Ole Miss at 13 and South Carolina at 14. A third loss for the Bulldogs would not typically knock them out of the top-12.
BUT— starting quarterback Carson Beck injured his shoulder on this fluke play right before halftime:
Carson Beck took a big shot there pic.twitter.com/23lj7W4qKF
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) December 7, 2024
He could not move his arm on his way back to the locker room.
Here’s a look at Carson Beck hurting on his way to the locker room at half. That right shoulder is not moving. pic.twitter.com/MpBTHQCsB2
— Pat Timlin (@pat_timlin) December 7, 2024
If the College Football Playoff committee applies the same logic to Georgia as it did Florida State (it won’t), the Bulldogs should not get in because of the injury to Beck. If he is injured enough to where he could not return on Saturday, his team should be eliminated from the Playoff because of the unknown just like Florida State in 2023.
Isn’t that how it works? That is the standard that was set….