UPDATE: ESPN fired Robert Griffin III and Sam Ponder, wife of former Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder, on Thursday, August 15, according to The Athletic.

Paul Finebaum loves picking at the Florida State football team's scar of missing the 2023 College Football Playoff. Robert Griffin III seems to be trying to patch it up.

FSU felt jilted by the CFP committee when it left the Seminoles out of the four-team playoff despite an undefeated season after winning the ACC championship. An injury to Heisman Trophy contender Jordan Travis hampered the offense for the final games of the season, leading the committee to put one-loss Texas and Alabama in over FSU.

Coach Mike Norvell has retooled this season for a run at the expanded 12-team CFP, and the Seminoles are ranked No. 10 in the preseason Coaches Poll and AP poll. They're picked to win the ACC again. But not everyone is convinced FSU will be back in contention for a national championship.

What Paul Finebaum said about FSU football

Finebaum appeared on a "First Take" segment of "SportsCenter" on Tuesday to talk about the rankings. The longtime SEC megaphone said Florida State said they have "been "no business being in the top 10" and predicted FSU would finish the season unranked.

His argument centered around FSU's schedule, which includes a October showdown in Tallahassee against No. 14 Clemson and road trips to No. 19 Miami and No. 7 Notre Dame over a three-week stretch later in the season. He also questioned whether FSU could replace the heart of its defense: Jared Verse and Braden Fiske were among the key players who left for the NFL Draft. And he called Travis' replacement at quarterback, Clemson and Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei, a "question mark."

But then he really turned on the smarm, saying the Seminoles also have a "hangover."

"I think they used too many tears crying about not getting in the playoffs, and that may slow them down a little bit this year," Finebaum said.

What RG3 said about FSU football

Griffin also works for ESPN as an analyst. The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner took a shot at FSU critics without specifically calling out Finebaum in a post on the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

"Anyone who is throwing shade at or trying to take cheap shots at Florida State for being left out of the College Football Playoff last year must be out of touch with reality," Griffin wrote. "FSU wasn’t a team that was kept out because they lost a game down the stretch. They are a team that were kept out because their starting quarterback fractured his ankle. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING TO MAKE LIGHT OF.

"The players on that team, the coaches, their families and the fans certainly were crying tears for one of the most beloved players in all of college football in Jordan Travis. Then they scrapped their way to an undefeated regular season with a 2nd and 3rd string QB. That team should be CELEBRATED for what they pulled off down the stretch not mocked."

RG3 spat some truths. With Tate Rodemaker (who got injured, as well) and Brock Glenn at quarterback, FSU's offense didn't wow anyone in their final two games before the Orange Bowl, but the defense clamped down as usual, holding Florida and Louisville to a combined 21 points.

And remember, Finebaum was among those who blasted the CFP committee after FSU was left out, too.

FSU football schedule 2024

• Week 0: vs. Georgia Tech, noon Saturday, August 24 in Dublin, Ireland

• Week 1: vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2

• Week 2: Open

• Week 3: vs. Memphis, noon Saturday, September 14

• Week 4: vs. California, Saturday, September 21

• Week 5: at SMU, Saturday, September 28

• Week 6: vs. Clemson, Saturday, October 5

• Week 7: Open

• Week 8: at Duke, 7 p.m. Friday, October 18

• Week 9: at Miami, Saturday, October 26

• Week 10: vs. North Carolina, Saturday, November 2

• Week 11: at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9

• Week 12: Open

• Week 13: vs. Charleston Southern, Saturday, November 23

• Week 14: vs. Florida, Saturday, November 30

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida State football: Robert Griffin responds to Paul Finebaum jab