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AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 28: Charles Barkley talks with fans prior to the matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Auburn, AL. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
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via Getty
AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 28: Charles Barkley talks with fans prior to the matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Auburn, AL. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
The College Football Playoff teams have been revealed to mixed reactions. But one person is definitely smug. Charles Barkley predicted a huge upset ahead of the announcement. Shockingly, his absurd claim came true. The Auburn alum’s historic rival is going to the College Playoffs, leaving behind the strongest contender for the championship.
The playoff rankings can change anytime. Before the four contenders were announced, Barkley was questioning why the undefeated Seminoles dropped in rankings.
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Charles Barkley the football forecaster
He’s an NBA analyst and new talk show host. Now he can call himself a soothsayer too. Charles Barkley riled up football fans by predicting they won’t see the national faves, Florida Seminoles in the College Playoffs. In a huge shocker, the unthinkable happened.
The four teams in the 2023-24 College Football Playoff are Michigan, Washington, Texas, and – the Barkley favorite – Alabama. Before ‘Bama took that fourth spot, there was some controversy as Florida State University had an undefeated season but didn’t get an invitation.
“They’re gonna s***w Florida State, to be honest with you,” he said on The Next Round. “They deserve to be in,” he said about the Seminoles but knew they were going to get the short end of the stick. He was especially concerned about the Seminoles’ quarterback, Jordan Travis out on a season-ending injury and the decline in Florida State’s rankings.
A huge fan of football, Barkley has followed the NCAA football season for years. When asked about who he thought would get the fourth spot, he put his money on Alabama.
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Barkley was ripped by football watchers everywhere. They told him to stick to basketball and said his claim would never come true. To his credit, Chuck did say he didn’t claim to know a lot about football.
“There is no way in hell you can leave an SEC Champion out of the Playoff. If Alabama wins they deserve to go to the Playoff. I don’t wanna hear what Texas did to them 2 months ago…” Charles Barkley has spoken@AlabamaFTBL @GeorgiaFootball @CFBPlayoff @SEC pic.twitter.com/YF2g9EZbd9
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) December 1, 2023
It turns out he saw this snub coming. Despite going 13-0 this season, the Seminoles have the dubious honor of being the first Power Five Conference Champion to be excluded in college playoff history. The reactions to this shocker has been explosive, particularly in Tallahassee. Not the time for Chuck to go ‘I told you so.’
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Chuck is rooting for hometown team
Alabama native, Charles Barkley went to Auburn, historic rivals of Alabama. He, however, has been a longtime supporter of the Crimson Tide football team. Their history of SEC championships make it easy for him to root for them.
“I don’t like some of the stuff I am hearing on television and I know they get paid to do it. But, there is no way in hell you can leave an SEC Champion out of the Playoff. If Alabama wins they deserve to go to the Playoff. I don’t wanna hear what Texas did to them 2 months ago,” he said on The Next Round before predicting Florida State’s fate.
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To be clear, Barkley was not rooting against Florida. He simply saw their rankings dwindling and picked Alabama over Georgia. Who else saw that coming?
READ MORE: Is Charles Barkley’s Post-NBA Stint a Success or a Fail? Exploring 60YO HoF’s Financial State
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