No. 6 Georgia capped its 2023 season with the biggest blowout victory in bowl history, defeating No. 5 Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles, who were eliminated from the 2023-24 CFP despite a 13-0 record and an ACC title, were more than 20 players behind due to opt-outs, injuries and the transfer portal.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was pleased with his team's performance, but knew it was playing a team that was missing nearly a third of its scholarship roster. Fresh off a 60-point win, Smart used his postgame press conference as a pulpit to demand change in college football.
“People need to see what happened tonight and they need to fix it,” Smart said. “This needs to be fixed. It's very unfortunate that they, who have a good football team and a good football program, are in the position they're in. And everyone can say it's their own fault, it's their own problem. Anyone can do that.” say that we had our boys and they didn’t have their boys. I can listen to it all. But college football has to decide what it wants.
“I know things are changing. Things will change next year. You know what, there will still be bowl games beyond that. People have to decide what they want and what they really want to get out of it, because that's what it really is.” Bad luck for the kids on the sidelines who had to take part in this game and didn't have their full arsenal. It affected the game 100%.”
Florida State suffered its biggest blow all year before the end of the regular season when starting quarterback Jordan Travis missed a commanding win over North Alabama with a devastating leg injury. Still, the Noles went on the road and beat Florida by nine points. They then exited the ACC Championship Game with a 10-point win over top-15 Louisville despite using their third quarterback.
None of that was enough for the playoff selection committee, which cited Travis' injury as the main reason for placing Alabama at No. 4 ahead of Florida State with one loss – an unprecedented move in the nearly decade of the current College Football Playoff format . Instead, the Seminoles drew Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
When the game began Saturday, Florida State had its two best quarterbacks, its two best running backs, its two best wide receivers, a starting tight end, three starting defensive linemen, two starting linebackers and three starting defensive backs. Georgia, on the other hand, was relatively strong and most of its most notable absences were due to injury.