ESPN commentator claims college football is broken during live game broadcast
Joe Tessitore’s criticism of college football was mirrored by Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
ESPN’S Joe Tessitore did not hold back in calling out the state of college football after a disastrous Orange Bowl. The bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Bulldogs was marked by the absence of over 20 players who had opted out or were injured. The result was a lopsided victory for Georgia, with a final score of 63-3, the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in the sport’s history.
During the fourth quarter of the game, Tessitore expressed his view on the current state of college football, stating, The football part of college football is glorious. The business of college football, the infrastructure of college football, is broken. A calendar, where you have the transfer portal, the early signing date, the coaches’ turmoil and silly season of hiring and firing, of players coming and going while you’re trying to bowl prep — that is pure chaos and it gets us results like this roster right now.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart echoed Tessitore’s sentiments after the game, calling for changes in the current system. People need to see what happened tonight, and they need to fix this. It needs to be fixed. It’s very unfortunate that they, who have a good football team and a good football program and they’re in the position they’re in. Smart emphasized that the game was affected by the absence of key players and urged people to consider what they truly want to achieve in college football.
For Florida State, the impact of missing several key players was evident throughout the game. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker, running back Trey Benson, wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive lineman Jared Verse, and cornerback Jarrian Jones were among the notable absences.
Despite the one-sided result, FSU coach Mike Norvell commended his players for their resilience. I’m proud of this football team. I’m proud of the work they’ve put in, proud of what they’ve shown throughout the course of the season. To do some of the things that they were able to accomplish, they overcame a lot of adversity, they fought, they worked, they invested on and off the field. Norvell took full responsibility for the team’s performance, acknowledging that he could have done more to support his players.
While changes may be on the horizon for college football, Smart acknowledged that bowl games will still exist outside of those changes. He urged people to consider the impact on the players and emphasized the importance of providing a fair playing field.
In conclusion, the Orange Bowl between the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Bulldogs highlighted the challenges and criticisms surrounding college football. The absence of numerous players due to opt-outs and injuries raised concerns about the overall state of the sport. Joe Tessitore’s commentary and Kirby Smart’s post-game statements shed light on the need for improvements and a fairer system for all teams involved.
