INDIANAPOLIS — Florida State players say to a man the Orange Bowl would have turned out differently if so many of them had not opted out of playing.
Georgia defensive lineman Zion Logue disagreed when the topic came up during his NFL Combine podium interview on Wednesday.
“It wouldn’t have been different, it would have been 38-17, I feel like,” Logue said. “But it wouldn’t have been as close as they were saying.”
Georgia beat the previously undefeated Seminoles 63-3 — the largest margin in bowl history and most lopsided loss in Florida State history — despite pulling starting QB Carson Beck at halftime and playing four quarterbacks.
The Seminoles were without eight healthy starters who chose not to play in the Orange Bowl for various reasons.
Florida State edge Jared Verse, a potential Top 10 pick, admitted to having second thoughts about his decision to skip the game.
“I definitely, looking back on it, wish I had put myself in a different position maybe went out there, had a couple of the other guys come out there with me,” Verse said.
“I feel like it would have been a different football game, but at the end of the day that’s all ‘ifs.’ "
Florida State linebacker Kalen DeLoach, one of the Seminoles who played, revealed he worked to convince teammates to suit up alongside him.
“I tried my best, we have a group chat together so all of us were well-connected,” DeLoach revealed. “I tried to motivate them them come out here one more last time and put on this uniform and showcase who we are.”
Florida State defensive tackle Fabian Lovette was among the players DeLoach could not convince to face Georgia.
“I didn’t come back to play in a bowl game, I came back to be in the playoffs, and we did everything we needed to do to be able to do that,” Lovette said, “so that was the whole decision behind that.”
Florida State coach Mike Norvell shared how some Seminoles’ players were so hurt by the CFP Committee’s decision to leave them out that they decided not to play.
Georgia, which has put together three consecutive undefeated regular seasons, was disappointed to be left out, too, but took a different mentality.
Georgia opt-in mentality in contrast to Florida State opt-out thoughts
“We knew we should have been in the CFP, as well,” Logue said, “but we had something to finish.”
Lovette said his focus was in another area.
“Yeah, it was real hard to watch the game, but at the end of the day, I had to prepare myself for the next level and take the next step,” Lovette said, “and so I was preparing for now, and not taking a chance on risking injury in a meaningless game.”
Braden Fiske, a Florida State lineman who transferred in from Western Michigan, didn’t make his decision until the last minute.
“It was a game-time decision, I was battling an injury and we rehabbed the whole month of December to see what we could get to, and it came down to game time, and we realized it just wasn’t going to be the best decision for me,” said Fiske, who would have been matched against Sedrick Van Pran and Tate Ratledge.
“There was a lot of postseason things coming up for me, and I understood that, so there was conflict; what’s going to be the best situation for me? And ultimately, it came down to not playing and being prepared, because I had to get healthy, that was the bottom line.”
Florida State Tatum Bathune indicated he wished he could have had the option to play in the Orange Bowl.
“100 percent, I would have played in the game,” Bethune said. “Before we walked out and ran on the field, I shed a couple of tears because I wasn’t able to play and I loved the game so much.
“It was going to be my last time putting on a Florida State jersey, so I was very emotional that day. So not being able to be out there and strap up with my guys, especially my brother Kalen DeLoach, it was hard for me to get through.”
The Georgia players, meanwhile, rallied around one another with all of the healthy Bulldogs playing, while injured players Brock Bowers and Amarius Mims were on hand in support.
