"Not going to leave Georgia and Alabama out" - Deion Sanders highlights "business" angle of latest CFP rankings as controversy mounts around SEC teams

Colorado coach Deion Sanders believes that the College Football Playoff committee's decision to sideline the 13-0 Florida State couldn’t be more wrong. The 2023 college football season was mired in chaos when the CFP selection committee announced its final rankings on Sunday.

One would expect an undefeated team to make the cut, but this was not the case in this year's College Football Playoff. The committee cited FSU's missing starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, as a major reason for the ACC champions' exclusion from the playoffs.

It's a historic snub. For the first time, an undefeated Power Five conference winner got the cold shoulder from the playoffs. Sanders, a Seminole legend and current Buffaloes coach, in an interview with Newsweek on Monday, called the decision a "business" move:

“Unfortunately, it comes down to some business, and you're talkin' about Alabama not being in the College Football Playoff after they defeated the No. 1-ranked team in college football that has been the No. 1-ranked team all season?”

Sanders said the committee's decision wasn't solely about on-field achievements. He sees it as a strategic play. Coach Prime suggests that the high-profile nature of teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide carries weight:

"You're not gonna leave [Alabama coach] Nick Saban out of the College Football Playoffs. You can forget that. You might as well fight something else. You'd rather argue with Texas or someone like that.

"And you've got to understand, these are all large-market teams, except for Washington. So, your fight would be with Washington, but they're undefeated as well."

In an interview with 247Sports, Deion Sanders echoed his sentiments and said:

"It's no way that you're going to leave coach (Nick) Saban and Alabama out of a playoff, and Georgia. No, you're not going to leave Georgia and Alabama out. It ain't no playoff if you do that."

The final four in the College Football Playoff comprise Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama. The Wolverines and the Huskies secured top spots with perfect 13-0 records, leaving the last two openings contested by Texas, Alabama, Florida State and Georgia.

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What next for Deion Sanders?

After a rollercoaster debut season, Deion Sanders faces an uncertain future with the Colorado Buffaloes. The team's meteoric 3-0 start led to a disappointing 1-8 finish, leaving the program in a confusing position.

There’s concern about Colorado’s returning talent, potential recruits and the quality of key positions like the offensive and defensive lines. However, Deion Sanders is not one to back out from a challenge.

Coach Prime is resolute in seeking players who are genuinely committed to the program. In a bold statement, he stated that Colorado is "not an ATM" and preferred players who genuinely want to be part of the team.

Deion Sanders' larger-than-life presence has, in some ways, overshadowed the team, leading to questions about the future of the program. The euphoria around a once-promising Colorado program has taken a hit.

With nothing substantial to show from his debut season at Colorado, the question shifts from whether Coach Prime will leave for a bigger school to whether the university might consider parting ways if the struggles persist.