- Saturday's bowl game was considered a meeting of the teams missing from the CFP
- FSU is the first undefeated Power Five conference champ not to compete in the CFP
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Georgia secured a record-setting Orange Bowl victory over FSU, with a Bulldogs player even appearing on Instagram Live during the Seminoles' 63-3 victory in a battle of teams that missed the College Football Playoff (CFP).
No. 6 Georgia broke its own record from last season (65-7) and posted the largest margin of victory in bowl season history after Saturday's victory at Hard Rock Stadium – home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins – in Florida.
The Bulldogs nearly matched West Virginia's 2012 Orange Bowl record (70 points), although they won by an Orange Bowl record 60 points. They also had the largest halftime lead (42-3) in the history of the annual bowl game.
Georgia senior defensive lineman Warren Brinson began streaming from the sideline on his Instagram account (@warren), reportedly shaking his head as even he was shocked by the second-half score, WJCL's Amy Zimmer reported .
No. 4 FSU was undefeated before the game against Georgia. The Bulldogs were 13-1 heading into their final game of 2023, when they lost to No. 5 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game earlier this month – Georgia's first loss since the 2021 season – and one of four spots in the CFP -Rankings missed. Instead, they settled for the seventh New Year's Six bowl appearance in program history.
No. 6 Georgia destroyed No. 4 Florida State despite being ranked lower compared to the Seminoles
Georgia DL Warren Brinson started an Instagram Live during the second half of Saturday's game
Georgia won with an Orange Bowl-record 60 points, surpassing last year's score by two points
FSU failed to make the CFP cut despite winning the Atlantic Coast Conference title, and due to transfers, opt-outs and injuries, the Seminoles were without players who accounted for 97 percent of their passing yards, 88 percent of their Rushing yards and 84 percent of their rushing yards accounted for percent of their receptions this season.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns before backup QB Gunnar Stockton scored two more scores in the second half. Overall, Georgia scored on nine of 12 drives and gained 673 total yards against FSU, which only had 209.
The shelling ended Florida State's 19-game winning streak, which was its second-longest behind Washington (20). The Seminoles defeated then-No. 15 Louisville in the ACC title game, but were eliminated from the College Football Playoff, in part due to a season-ending leg injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis.
Florida State became the first Power Five conference champion to finish with an undefeated record and still be eliminated from the playoffs. In the week leading up to the Orange Bowl game, Bulldogs players expressed their understanding of the Seminoles' frustration but acknowledged that they, too, felt slighted.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart had pushed for the selection committee to consider the Bulldogs' full resume when making its final decision: Georgia won 29 straight games heading into the SEC title game and finished the season with the eighth-best offense in the country and the No. 9 ranking Defense. It wasn't enough. And the Bulldogs vented their frustrations in the Orange Bowl, possession after possession, as college football fans mocked the Seminoles in Saturday's game.
Georgia running back Kendall Milton throws oranges out of his MVP trophy after Georgia's win
A fan holds a sign protesting the CFP committee's decision to omit No. 4 seed FSU in Miami
When FSU threatened not to appear in the Orange Bowl, I thought it was a joke.
– Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) December 30, 2023
“When FSU threatened not to show up to the Orange Bowl, I thought they were joking,” tweeted one user on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This ref is catching the ball better than FSU right now,” another shared, along with footage of a game official catching the football like a wide receiver in the first half.
“Florida State proves the committee is right today,” another person wrote online.
Georgia will now open the 2024 season against Clemson in Atlanta. Beck returns for his senior season.
There will be a rebuilding offseason for FSU, although the Seminoles will begin the 2024 season against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, marking the second time the two ACC teams have opened the season in Ireland.
Georgia secures record-breaking Orange Bowl victory over FSU, with Bulldogs players even appearing on Instagram Live during 63-3 loss to Seminoles