FSU football: Remembering the seniors for their efforts in the Orange Bowl

FSU football suffered an unforgettable 63-3 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday afternoon. However, the game was filled with opt-outs whether it be from injuries sustained throughout the season, entering the transfer portal, or declarations of the NFL Draft.

However, whichever method you want to spin it, the truth of the matter is that head football coach Mike Norvell did not have his football team ready to perform at the highest level in the contest, which he alluded to in his post-game media session.

Today's landscape of college football is littered with opt-outs in meaningless bowl games. We at ChopChat do not even blame those various players for choosing not to play in the Orange Bowl because the College Football Playoff Committee ruined their opportunity to compete for a national championship after being an undefeated Power Five conference champion.

They did everything that was asked of them, and it seemed as though it was all a waste. That is disheartening to a football program that puts their blood, sweat, and tears into their craft.

There were a couple of senior players on this roster who played in this contest and I wanted to recognize their efforts such as offensive linemen Casey Roddick and D'Mitri Emmanuel, defensive lineman Dennis Briggs Jr., linebacker Kalen DeLoach, and long snapper James Rosenberry Jr.

These group of players have been through a variety of hardships within their careers, but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge their efforts in playing their final snaps in a Florida State football uniform. Given the system of where college football is nowadays, it would have been easy to give up and throw in the towel.

While there was not much to write about the performances from the seniors in the blowout, linebacker Kalen DeLoach was seen emotional after the game where he realized that this would be his final game in the garnet and gold. The talented linebacker had been so pivotal to the success of the program where he navigated through two coaching staffs during his five years in Tallahassee.

It looks as though head football coach Mike Norvell is creating a positive culture within the program and it is a huge step in the right direction as the Seminoles move forward to the 2024 season.