Florida State on Sunday became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion left out of the College Football Playoff, and athletics director Michael Alford wasn’t taking it lying down.

Alford blasted the College Football Playoff committee for leaving out the 13-0, ACC champion Seminoles in favor of once-beaten Alabama. The Crimson Tide took the No. 4 slot in the field and will face No. 1 Michigan (13-0) in the Rose Bowl, while No. 2 Washington (13-0) meets No. 3 Texas (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl.

Florida State appeared to be a diminished team by the end of the regular season, after starting quarterback Jordan Travis and backup Tate Rodemaker were both injured. The Seminoles struggled to beat Florida 24-15 in their regular-season finale, then held off Louisville 16-6 in the ACC title game on Saturday.

Alford accused the committed of “giving in to a narrative” and called leaving out the Seminoles “unforgiveable.” He also said the move “damages the legitimacy” of the playoff and that the committee “failed college football today.”

Here’s his full statement, via 247 Sports:

“The consequences of giving in to a narrative of the moment are destructive, far reaching, and permanent. Not just for Florida State, but college football as a whole.”

“The argument of whether a team is the ‘most deserving OR best’ is a false equivalence. It renders the season up to yesterday irrelevant and significantly damages the legitimacy of the College Football Playoff. The 2023 Florida State Seminoles are the epitome of a total TEAM. To eliminate them from a chance to compete for a national championship is an unwarranted injustice that shows complete disregard and disrespect for their performance and accomplishments. It is unforgiveable.”

“The fact that this team has continued to close out victories in dominant fashion facing our current quarterback situation should have ENHANCED our case to get a playoff berth EARNED on the field. Instead, the committee decided to elevate themselves and ‘make history’ today by departing from what makes this sport great by excluding an undefeated Power 5 conference champion for the first time since the advent of the BCS/CFP era that began 25 years ago. This ridiculous decision is a departure from the competitive expectations that have stood the test of time in college football.”

“Wins matter. Losses matter. Those that compete in the arena know this. Those on the committee who also competed in the sport and should have known this have forgotten it. Today, they changed the way success is assessed in college football, from a tangible metric — winning on the field — to an intangible, subjective one. Evidently, predicting the future matters more.”

“For many of us, today’s decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff. And, saddest of all, it was self-inflicted. They chose predictive competitiveness over proven performance; subjectivity over fact. They have become a committee of prognosticators. They have abandoned their responsibility by discarding their purpose – to evaluate performance on the field.”

“Our players, coaches, and fans — as well as all those who love this sport — deserve better. The committee failed college football today.”