The College Football Playoff selection committee is on the verge of the one scenario it desperately hoped to avoid: A top team losing its starting quarterback in the final week of the season.
No. 5 Georgia saw QB Carson Beck suffer an apparent injury to his throwing arm on the final play of the first half of the SEC championship Saturday and was ruled out for the remainder of the game against No. 2 Texas.
Fans around the sport remember what happened to Florida State last year all too well. After FSU went undefeated in the regular season, the team was left out of the then-four team College Football Playoff in favor of an Alabama squad at full strength.
The snub unleashed unbridled fury from Tallahassee, a million or so hot takes and nearly destroyed the ACC. It appears we may be headed for a redux in 2024.
We’ll find out what the committee makes of the injury on Sunday during the official playoff field unveiling, but the precedent set by last year’s decision already looms large — as college fans have been quick to point out.
The good news for the committee is that it’s a lot easier to make this call with 12 teams in the field than four.
If Carson Beck is hurt, Georgia is eliminated from the playoff.
Right CFP committee?
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 7, 2024
Florida State fans looking at the committee right now pic.twitter.com/BV2viLWU8m
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) December 7, 2024
Rules are rules if Beck is out. Florida state fans know what I’m talking about.
— Houston Kress (@VolRumorMill) December 7, 2024
If Carson Beck is really hurt, and Georgia looks bad and loses … is the committee going to be consistent with how they treated Florida State last year?
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 7, 2024
https://twitter.com/BCrawford247/status/1865530455518306748
Florida State fans watching a QB get hurt on the eve of the CFP pic.twitter.com/zjIhQjFmKH
— Josh Peterson (@joshtweeterson) December 7, 2024
So Georgia without their starting QB can’t make the playoffs no matter what right?
Even if they win the conference…
Ain’t that what they told FSU last year?
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) December 7, 2024
The irony is that, just like last year, Alabama is the team that stands to benefit from a QB injury.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 7, 2024
