Trump weighs in on college football playoffs, blames DeSantis

Florida man versus Florida man in a football showdown?

Former President Trump is blaming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his bitter rival in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, for the College Football Playoff committee’s decision to exclude Florida State's football team from the playoffs despite its undefeated season.

"Florida State was treated very badly by the 'Committee,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. "They become the first Power Five team to be left out of the College Football Playoffs. Really bad lobbying effort…Lets blame DeSanctimonious!!!"

Trump often refers to DeSantis, who was previously an ally but has been aggressively campaigning against Trump for the 2024 nomination, as "DeSanctimonious" and other pejoratives.

FSU became the first unbeaten Power 5 champion to excluded since the four-team playoff system started a decade ago. The College Football Playoff selection committee cited a season-ending injury to FSU’s starting quarterback as a reason for the exclusion.

The committee chose instead to include Southeastern Conference (SEC) champ Alabama, one of two one-loss teams, to round out the playoff field. The 12-1 Crimson Tide lost to Texas before winning 11 games and beating Georgia in the SEC championship.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) wrote a letter to the selection committee on Monday, demanding "total transparency from the committee regarding how this decision was reached and what factors may have been at play in reaching this outcome."

"Beyond the fury and heartbreak caused by the Committee’s decision, there are also financial implications that must be discussed," Scott wrote in the letter addressed to College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan.