SMU coach Rhett Lashlee is causing a commotion online after sending a major warning to the College Football Playoff committee.
With the Mustangs sitting at No. 8 in the latest rankings, Lashlee made it clear that he doesn’t think losing the ACC Championship Game to Clemson should disqualify his team from making the playoffs.
Lashlee didn’t mince words when discussing the possibility of his team being dropped in favor of others who didn’t have to face a title-game opponent.
He pointed out that teams like Georgia and Texas, playing in their respective conference championships, wouldn’t be penalized for a loss, so why should SMU? “If our team got hit with COVID today and didn’t play, we’d still be in,” Lashlee said via On3, emphasizing the inconsistency of penalizing teams for competing in these high-stakes matchups.
SMU's Rhett Lashlee believes coaches will want to miss conference championship games if SMU drops below Alabama with a loss to Clemson😬
— On3 (@On3sports) December 4, 2024
"If our team all got COVID today and didn't play we're in." pic.twitter.com/4VLhYNeHUF
The Mustangs’ head coach is sticking to his guns, choosing to believe the selection committee will do the “right thing” if SMU falls short in Charlotte.
However, he didn’t shy away from suggesting that excluding his team could set a dangerous precedent.
“If you open that door,” Lashlee warned, “you’re going to see a lot of people do a lot of crazy things.”
Of course, many fans online didn't like Lashlee's comments, saying that he "shouldn't be afraid to lose a game."
Well Rhett and coaches like him are the problem. Have the confidence to take on anyone to prove you are the best. Otherwise you don’t deserve a seat.
— Derek Neighbors (@dneighbors) December 4, 2024
SMU didn’t play any of the top teams in the acc they would absolutely deserve to not get in if they lose the conference championship
— Michael Fonseca (@MikeF305) December 4, 2024
Maybe coach to win instead of coaching to avoid losing
— William Galloway (@Wm_Galloway) December 4, 2024
Damn
— JimminyAintMyNameButIKnowBall (@_JimminyCricket) December 4, 2024
SMU cryin already. That sound like loser talk
How abt focus on beating Clemson. What, they don't believe they can?
Of course, the team we're comparing SMU to for the last at-large bid would be Alabama, who couldn't even beat Oklahoma. The argument that "you should just coach to win" is all fine, except you're missing the point.
Lashlee has already coached SMU to win. The Mustangs are 11-1 and they finished 8-0 in the ACC. There's no reason — none at all — that they should fall out of the 12-team playoff for losing in the conference championship and being replaced by an Alabama team that could only finish 9-3 overall, with three unranked losses.
Yet, for some reason, Alabama's losses should be forgiven and SMU's should not, at least in the eyes of the fans arguing against SMU. It's a double standard that absolutely proves Lashlee's point.
As SMU prepares for their showdown against Clemson, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The ACC Championship kicks off at 8:00 p.m. E.T. Saturday night on ABC/ESPN+.