John Thrasher, a former Florida State president, has weighed in on the hottest debate in college football in the last week: The Seminoles’ snub from College Football Playoff.

“It gives me hope the leadership at FSU will look at other places to be. I think it shows we are a secondary-level conference,” Thrasher told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Thrasher said he believes the Seminoles’ exclusion from the Playoff shows the school needs to leave the ACC. In fact, Thrasher added that he believes the CFP committee caved in to pressure from ESPN and the SEC when it announced its 4 Playoff teams.

Undefeated ACC Champion FSU (13-0) was left out of the CFP in favor of unbeatens Michigan and Washington and one-loss teams Texas and Alabama.

“I believe the committee caved into pressure from a couple different levels – with ESPN and the SEC the 2 levels they caved to,” Thrasher said. “I’ve been in those management meetings. …. The SEC has incredible power.”

Thrasher joined many fans and some TV analysts in support of the Seminoles, who dealt with an injury to Jordan Travis, but kept winning behind Tate Rodemaker and Brock Glenn.

“You won your conference and you are going to be left out because of one player who got hurt?” Thrasher said. “And you are going to say this team wasn’t going to get better between now and Dec. 30? It’s wrong on so many levels.

“My heart breaks for those kids.”