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Mike Norvell, Kirby Smart share mutual respect, empathy after College Football Playoff snub
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- Mike Norvell, Kirby Smart share mutual respect, empathy after College Football Playoff snub
Kirby Smart and Mike Norvell not only share a mutual respect for one another, but they also share empathy for one another.
Norvell, the fourth-year Florida State coach, and Smart, the eighth-year Georgia head coach both learned disappointing news earlier in the day Sunday when their respective teams were not picked for the College Football Playoffs .
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With FSU coming in as No. 5 and Georgia as No. 6, the ACC Conference champion will host the SEC runner-up in a New Year's Six Bowl in the Orange Bowl at 4 p.m. Dec. 30 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Bulldogs were the No. 1 team for much of the season but fell five spots after losing to Alabama on Saturday. FSU finished 13-0 and as ACC Champions, but were let out partially due to the season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis .
"I empathize with anyone who goes undefeated and doesn't get in," Smart said during a press conference for the Orange Bowl selection with Norvell.
"I empathize without our players because I personally feel like we deserve to be in. We've got a really good football team and we've been No. 1 all year and then fail."
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Smart said his team has finished fifth or sixth multiple times in the four-team playoff field, barely missing the playoffs.
But he said FSU's situation is unique.
"I can't imagine being undefeated," Smart said. "It's tough when you finish fifth or sixth, one out of it when you have a case for being in it. We've been there maybe two or three times."
Smart's Bulldogs had won back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022. They started the season 12-0 and pushed their winning streak to 29 straight.
The loss against rival Alabama and former mentor Nick Saban 27-24 in a close SEC Championship Game on Tuesday.
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"You look at this Georgia team, I'm going to say it for Coach Smart. You go undefeated throughout the regular season and you lose in the conference championship game by one score and that be the end of your opportunity to win a national championship, that's hard," Norvell said.
Norvell talks reaction to College Football snub
When the ESPN screen revealed Alabama as the final team in the College Football Playoffs, the realization that the Seminoles were going to be out swept through the watch party at the Champions Club inside of Doak Campbell Stadium.
Travis and Norvell were both seen with obvious frustration and shock on the screen. Norvell bowed his head and looked somber on camera.
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"For us, it's been an emotional night coming off last night," Norvell said of his reaction. "I'm just so proud of our team, finishing undefeated in the season, ACC Champions. I absolutely respect the opportunity that's here at the Orange Bowl. There's such a great history of Florida State at the Orange Bowl."
Playing against a Georgia team that has become a powerhouse and something FSU is building to is something Norvell said he looks forward to.
It's a consolation prize.
"To get matched up against against the best team in college football over the last three years," Norvell said. "You look at Coach Smart and the job they've done, this is a special team. ... This is the team that really set the standard. I have a lot of respect for Coach Smart, the way he operates the program, the consistency they've shown for a few years."
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Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mike Norvell, Kirby Smart focused on FSU-Georgia matchup in Orange Bowl
