SMU Coach Rhett Lashley on ACC and CFP

[cpf2001]

SMU is ranked #14 and A&M is #15. No room to gripe. Penn State does have a preseason advantage. They have done nothing to lose that advantage with only 1 loss to Ohio State by 7 points. Indiana was like SMU until the last 2 weeks. They are undefeated where as SMU has 1 loss. Indiana gets it's first test next week at OSU. SMU's best wins are over 7-3 Pitt and 6-4 Louisville. When they get to the ACC Championship Game they can talk.

What team in the ACC has a high quality OOC win this year? There are very few high quality OOC wins this year by anyone in any conference. UGA;s drubbing of Clemson is likely the best OOC win and that one impacts the whole ACC negatively.

A&M had two losses. If they didn’t they’d be ranked in the top 10. What’s their best win? 6-4 LSU? Maybe the six point win over Bowling Green?

TAMU lost to an unranked team by 24 and dropped five whopping spots. But instead, now that unranked team is gonna move up on the basis of beating them and Mizzou. Who lost 34-0 to Bama and 41-10 to A&M but was still ranked because they beat… Vandy? Boston College?

 

[Thwg777]

We had our own telling us to shut up when we were yelling about the F$U snub last year. There tends to be some self-loathing among the GT faithful. I get it… a lot of us were major nerds with no friends growing up, but it seems pretty unhealthy to me.

but if F$U didn’t get left out, we wouldn’t have a ravaging dumpster fire in Tallahassee to keep us warm

 

[stinger78]

but if F$U didn’t get left out, we wouldn’t have a ravaging dumpster fire in Tallahassee to keep us warm

Truuee, but… we would have made more $$$ last year.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Look at SMU's opponents and who is a really good team? Is BYU who they lost to, maybe. Next best is 6-4 Louisville. They have zero room to gripe!

Absolutely disagree. We, as a conference, have beaten each other up. We’ve dominated our OOC schedule (except for those rare, exceptions that prove the rule cases). We should have at least 4, if not 6, teams in the Top15!! We are the ACC, it’s just not the same for the lesser conferences.

 

[cpf2001]

At least the Big 12 love has died down. Though Colorado is ranked generously for two losses and no marquee wins. Losses to KState and Nebraska. Best win Texas Tech or Baylor?

 

[eetech]

I agree that the ACC is punished for the same stuff the Big 10 and SEC are rewarded.

But this is the worst year to make that argument. 3 of the 4 Big 10 teams are in the bottom 4 of the Big 10. Minnesota is midway in the Big 10 standings.

We had our own telling us to shut up when we were yelling about the F$U snub last year. There tends to be some self-loathing among the GT faithful. I get it… a lot of us were major nerds with no friends growing up, but it seems pretty unhealthy to me.

Just my $.02 worth.

This. Last year was when we could have complained. We don’t have a leg to stand on this year.

 

[forensicbuzz]

I agree that the ACC is punished for the same stuff the Big 10 and SEC are rewarded.

But this is the worst year to make that argument. 3 of the 4 Big 10 teams are in the bottom 4 of the Big 10. Minnesota is midway in the Big 10 standings.



This. Last year was when we could have complained. We don’t have a leg to stand on this year.

Since when does that matter? It's about the message, not reality.

 

[Root4GT]

We always seem to argue two things simultaneously. One is whether the ACC needed to be more highly regarded in years where their records were good. The other argument is whether the SEC beating the drum that they are a top conference did any good or not.

In the chicken and egg argument I will forever come down on the side of the SEC proclaiming they were a dominant conference long before they became one. Hence, I’m ready for the ACC to follow the same playbook. The recruiting and the wins tend to follow once people buy into the PR job. Then, when Miami or FSU flatten some SEC team it’s looked at as verification rather than anomaly.

That would work better if the top ACC Teams actually flattened the Top SEC teams.

When Clemson was in NC games regularly the ACC got carry over from them. Unfortunately there were no other really good ACC Teams during Clemson’s run.

Since Clemson’s run the ACC has not had a great team until FSU last year and we all know how that ended.

 

[Root4GT]

Absolutely disagree. We, as a conference, have beaten each other up. We’ve dominated our OOC schedule (except for those rare, exceptions that prove the rule cases). We should have at least 4, if not 6, teams in the Top15!! We are the ACC, it’s just not the same for the lesser conferences.

That’s funny. Insane but funny! Had Louisville not blown it against 2-7 Stanford they would be very close to #15. Pitt was ranked then lost 3 straight games.

The ACC has 3 quality teams. Miami, SMU and Clemson. All ranked. Clemson got crushed by UGA who has 2 Conference losses.

 

[MacDaddy2]

Let me just say I can not wait to fade the Buffalos if they make the CFP. Take a look at their wins (and losses). They may be the weakest team in playoff history.

 

[WreckinGT]

Let me just say I can not wait to fade the Buffalos if they make the CFP. Take a look at their wins (and losses). They may be the weakest team in playoff history.

Probably half of the teams in the playoffs will be complete pretenders. If we are being honest, none of the teams in the ACC or B12 are real contenders.

 

[CEB]

Let me just say I can not wait to fade the Buffalos if they make the CFP. Take a look at their wins (and losses). They may be the weakest team in playoff history.

The new and “improved” conferences have produced a bunch of paper tigers. The committee needs to take a harder look at what teams have really accomplished.

 

[stinger78]

I agree that the ACC is punished for the same stuff the Big 10 and SEC are rewarded.

But this is the worst year to make that argument. 3 of the 4 Big 10 teams are in the bottom 4 of the Big 10. Minnesota is midway in the Big 10 standings.



This. Last year was when we could have complained. We don’t have a leg to stand on this year.

It’s not a year to year thing. Some years are better than others for all conferences.

 

[BleedGoldNWhite21]

SMU’s resume isn’t great, but neither is Texas’s, Penn State’s or even Ohio State’s. Penn State’s most accomplished thing is losing close to Ohio State and Ohio State’s best accomplishment is beating Penn State and playing Oregon close. They don’t have any other ranked wins. Penn State doesn’t have a single ranked win. Texas doesn’t either. Our league is measured by a different standard. If you want to put a 2 loss Bama above SMU because they have three ranked wins, that’s fine with me, but that means they should also be ahead of those other teams I mentioned. You can’t judge some schools by “quality record” and others simply by the loss column. Either or. Make a choice. As it stands, SMU is getting screwed. Even within their own conference. How are they below Miami?

 

[bke1984]

The point is that the CFP rankings are purely speculative with no objective basis when comparing teams in separate conferences. And to have four of the top five teams be from one conference is just stupid. What’s making it even worse is these conferences are so big it’s hard to even compare two teams from the same conference because they may not play each other or have many common opponents.

These conferences need divisions if they’re going to be this big. Division champs play to be conference champs. Conference champs enter playoff. Wildcard slots exist for others. It’s the most obvious solution there is and it’s how it’s done in just about every other sport on the planet. Whining about missing a playoff when you can’t win your division or your conference is childish.

 

[Buzztheirazz]

It’s happened just about every season for the last decade:

2023: F$U (13-1) beat LSU (10-3)
2022: F$U (10-3) beat LSU (10-4)
2019: Clem (13-1) beat TAMU (8-5)
2018: Clem (15-0) beat TAMU (9-4) and Bama (14-1)
2017: Clem (14-2) beat Auburn (10-4)
2016: GA Tech (9-4) beat UGAg (8-5)
2015: F$U (10-3) beat Florida (10-4)
2014: GA Tech (11-3) beat UGAg (10-3) and MSU (10-3)

All of hose SEC teams have 3-5 losses

 

[stinger78]

All of hose SEC teams have 3-5 losses

So are you saying that a 10-3 or 9-4 SECheat team is not a “good” team?

That was the term that the font I replied to used.

If not, then why do so many end up in the top 25?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

SMU’s resume isn’t great, but neither is Texas’s, Penn State’s or even Ohio State’s. Penn State’s most accomplished thing is losing close to Ohio State and Ohio State’s best accomplishment is beating Penn State and playing Oregon close. They don’t have any other ranked wins. Penn State doesn’t have a single ranked win. Texas doesn’t either. Our league is measured by a different standard. If you want to put a 2 loss Bama above SMU because they have three ranked wins, that’s fine with me, but that means they should also be ahead of those other teams I mentioned. You can’t judge some schools by “quality record” and others simply by the loss column. Either or. Make a choice. As it stands, SMU is getting screwed. Even within their own conference. How are they below Miami?

And, how many times do we have to say it? If preseason rankings, which are based on zero data and sheer speculation, put 10 SEC teams and 6 B1G teams in the top 30, the set up guarantees that teams in other conferences are going to get squeezed out of the top rankings. Teams like FSU, Syracuse, Miami, Louisville, Clemson, GT, etc, would have to go undefeated. Except they can’t, because they play each other and, by preseason definition, they are losing to low ranked or unranked teams.

 

[4shotB]

And, how many times do we have to say it? If preseason rankings, which are based on zero data and sheer speculation, put 10 SEC teams and 6 B1G teams in the top 30, the set up guarantees that teams in other conferences are going to get squeezed out of the top rankings. Teams like FSU, Syracuse, Miami, Louisville, Clemson, GT, etc, would have to go undefeated. Except they can’t, because they play each other and, by preseason definition, they are losing to low ranked or unranked teams.

That is most likely true. WTBS, the solution is to copy what Bobby Bowden did back in the '80's when he was trying to raise the credibility and visibilty of FSU's program. Play anybody, anywhere. You can't control who you play in conference but you can with OOC games. (Oh yeah, beat them as well...this is an important step in the process). Before doing this, FSU was an after thought in southern football (let alone the national scene). That is the only way out of this conundrum if you are not in the top 2 leagues.

Simple idea on paper but the exceution can be tricky! Doing the same thing expecting different results is crazy. We all know what you say is true. We all know what Coach Lashlee says is true. But I don't think rhetoric is enough to change the perception on this. I could be wrong however.

 

[slugboy]

Resume rankings based on who you played only. This is from before Saturday, so BYU and Tennessee are falling. SMU will too, even though they played BYE, because their loss to BYU isn't as good

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