SMU football coach Rhett Lashlee gives honest take on first CFB rankings
SMU football head coach Rhett Lashlee gave his initial thoughts on the Mustangs' placement in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee's first rankings for the 2024-2025 season. SMU has had a dominant season behind the seventh-ranked scoring offense in the country led by quarterback Kevin Jennings and running back Brashard Smith.
On Tuesday, the Mustangs came in at No. 13 and are currently the first team out of the inaugural twelve-team playoff, if it were to start today. Despite currently being on the outside looking in, Rhett Lashlee was positive about the respect his team got in an interview with National College Football Insider for The Athletic, Bruce Feldman.
"I'm pleased where they put us. I felt like they gave us a lot of respect. I wouldn't have been shocked if they had us at No. 14, 15 or 16. It showed they respected Pitt ahead of time, which means they had them higher than (the AP poll) before we beat them. They gave Louisville some good respect. Overall, this is pretty cool, man. This is the first time ever they've done something like this. I think it's pretty good for our game."
SMU football controls its own destiny to shock the world
The outlook from SMU's head coach is a very rational one to have as the Mustangs are in complete control of their own destiny. Currently sitting at 5-0 in the ACC, tied for first with Miami, SMU will be a top-four seed in the playoff if it wins out.
Even more encouraging for Lashlee's team is the fact that the Hurricanes currently hold the No. 3 seed in the playoff bracket. Miami additionally comes in as the fourth-ranked team overall, showcasing that the Mustangs have a chance of getting the same seed if they beat their main competition in the conference championship game.
The one drawback to that possibility is the current leader in the Big 12, BYU, which currently holds the four seed. While the Cougars did not get much respect from the committee , coming in at No. 9 overall, they do hold a head-t0-head win over the Mustangs. A result that may hold weight if the two win their conference championships. Still, should SMU football win out, they at worst will be the No. 4 seed in the playoff.
