Florida State Seminoles College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2023

On the playoff snub:

There’s a football game to play on Saturday and you can’t look past that because that’s all we’ve got left. That’s the task we were given and we’re going to get after it.

On deciding to play in the Orange Bowl:

Especially in this situation we’re in, having to look at all the angles when you’re getting pulled in all these different directions and hearing all these different things, it’s easy to fall into the decision-making process of should I do this or should I do that. I didn’t want to make any decisions on one day. I needed to take my time and really go through the process and kind of figure out what was best for me, my family, and my team… you want to get as much information as you can possible, talk to all different outlets, and try to make the best decision possible. But, at the end of the day, you got to do what’s best for you. For me, I think that’s what I’ve done so far. And just try to talk to everybody I can at least whose opinion matters to me.

On why he felt it was the right decision:

It’s another opportunity with how big the game is and how big the opponent is to be a part of something special. We went 13-0 with this team, so I felt being here one last time was important to me – to be around the guys and support the guys no matter what happens. That’s part of what went into it.