SMU Coach Rhett Lashley on ACC and CFP

[CEB]

I’m not sure what vacuum they filled. Ranked or not, this is the current record of who they beat this year:

3-7
3-8
4-6
3-7
4-6
4-6
5-5
6-5
4-6
5-5

They beat one team with a winning record. Ouch.

They filled a vacuum of the obligatory number of BIG teams needed in the CFP.
I’m with you. Their schedule (and likely the BIG In general) is WEEEEAAAKK.

 

[TechPhi97]

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.

The problem with divisions has been the situation where there is a striking imbalance in divisions - like 2012 where we were 5-3 in conference and 6-6 overall but went to the championship game.

People don’t like the unbalanced strength of schedule with no divisions, but you had that same issue when one division was much stronger than another. I would actually prefer divisions with a playoff now - you can have Division champs get auto-bids and conference champs get bye/home field advantage. With 20 - 24 team conferences it makes sense - winning a 10-12 team conference/division should get you into a playoff.

 

[Root4GT]

Fixed that for ya.
You kind of prove the point. If you don’t get a shot against the overrated preseason teams, it’s hard to climb. IU has won the games they played, but they filled a vacuum. I’ll eat my crow if they get after OSU in Columbus.

By the way, this is another reason to abhor Florida state… if they proved to be even halfway competent, it would’ve been a huge boost to the conference. They squandered a BS preseason ranking opportunity for us (as a conference)

FSU sucking has significantly hurt the ACC. They were a highly ranked preseason team.

On Indiana, someone on here said they haven't played anyone yet and are now ranked highly. I said they were not ranked in the preseason. That simply shows if you dominate all your opponents, which Indiana has. (less Michigan) and are undefeated after 10 games you will be highly ranked. SMU has shown the same trend. Unranked first year in a P4 Conference and they are just below the CFP line with one loss.

The ACC's issue is the preseason top 2 ranked teams crashed early. FSU to us and all season. Clemson to Georgia. It's hard to overcome those crash and burns. Miami got to #4 before we, and average ACC team (5-4 overall at the time) we beat them. NCST getting crushed by Tennessee early this year also hurt the ACC as NCST was a darkhorse team to make the ACC Title Game.

The huge Conferences will make schedules strange every year and make it hard to evaluate teams.

 

[eetech]

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

I agree.

My point is that the ACC dropped the ball last year by not throwing a fuss about an undefeated ACC team not making it to the playoffs.

When the ACC quietly accepted that a 1 loss Big 12 team is better than an undefeated ACC team (heck, the ACC commissioner was in the selection committee and publicly defending this decision) then you don’t leave much ground to argue that teams from conferences that have actually won NCs over the last few years are being treated better than teams from the ACC with similar number of wins.

 

[forensicbuzz]

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.

Obviously, you missed the snark. I was doing my best SEZc homer fan impersonation.

However, the ACC has plenty more quality teams, which includes a healthy GT. Most of the top of the ACC would beat UK, USCe, UF, Auburn, Missouri, Vandy, etc. VT’s loss to Vandy was more about VT than Vandy. They should have won that game.

 

[forensicbuzz]

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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This assumes you buy into the preseason hype that gives half the teams on the list (looking at you, SEC and B1G) a huge boost.

 

[Vespidae]

I agree.

My point is that the ACC dropped the ball last year by not throwing a fuss about an undefeated ACC team not making it to the playoffs.

When the ACC quietly accepted that a 1 loss Big 12 team is better than an undefeated ACC team (heck, the ACC commissioner was in the selection committee and publicly defending this decision) then you don’t leave much ground to argue that teams from conferences that have actually won NCs over the last few years are being treated better than teams from the ACC with similar number of wins.

There are a number of factors that go into a ranking and the W-L record is but one.

 

[forensicbuzz]

I agree.

My point is that the ACC dropped the ball last year by not throwing a fuss about an undefeated ACC team not making it to the playoffs.

When the ACC quietly accepted that a 1 loss Big 12 team is better than an undefeated ACC team (heck, the ACC commissioner was in the selection committee and publicly defending this decision) then you don’t leave much ground to argue that teams from conferences that have actually won NCs over the last few years are being treated better than teams from the ACC with similar number of wins.

Huge swing and miss. Everything else you say holds no value after this comment. Sigh.

 

[CEB]

Just put this here. Interesting projection:

Bowl projections: Colorado joins College Football Playoff field, Boise State earns a first-round bye

There were some notable moves in the CFP projections this week amid the chaos of the Week 12 slate

www.cbssports.com

 

[Root4GT]

Obviously, you missed the snark. I was doing my best SEZc homer fan impersonation.

However, the ACC has plenty more quality teams, which includes a healthy GT. Most of the top of the ACC would beat UK, USCe, UF, Auburn, Missouri, Vandy, etc. VT’s loss to Vandy was more about VT than Vandy. They should have won that game.

Well Clemson gets a shot at USCe, Louisville gets their chance against UK and FSU gets their shot at FLA. FSU will lose. The other two are toss up games in my view. Louisville is at UK and Clemson is home vs USCe. UGA will be a double digit favorite against us.

I view the Top of the ACC as Miami, SMU and Clemson. I view the top of the SEC as Texas, Bama, UGA, Tenn and Ole Miss. A&M is a pretender in my view.

I agree Vandy, Mizzu, UF, UK and Auburn are like much of the AC this year. Mizzu has been overrated all season. Louisville and Pitt laid eggs when they had an opportunity to show they were worthy of being ranked.

 

[slugboy]

This assumes you buy into the preseason hype that gives half the teams on the list (looking at you, SEC and B1G) a huge boost.

It’s a resume ranking. Pre season hype isn’t in it at all. It’s who you beat, and who they beat, and so on, just in 2024

 

[eetech]

Huge swing and miss. Everything else you say holds no value after this comment. Sigh.

My bad. It was the NC State AD not the ACC commissioner.

Doesn’t change that the ACC doesn’t stand up for itself. if you wanna blame the Tobacco Road mafia I’m right there with you.

The SEC would speak with a unified voice for decades in support of SEC teams relative to a non SEC team. Thats a huge part of why they got where they did.

 

[Vespidae]

The SEC would speak with a unified voice for decades in support of SEC teams relative to a non SEC team. Thats a huge part of why they got where they did.

No. The SEC was a football conference 60 years ago when the ACC, all 8 teams, was the premiere basketball conference. The ACC let that get away and never really defined themselves anew.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Not me I had one friend but he was an imaginary guy.

There won't be anything "imaginary" about that rolling pin your wife is going to apply to your noggin one of these days.

 

[g0lftime]

FSU sucking has significantly hurt the ACC. They were a highly ranked preseason team.

On Indiana, someone on here said they haven't played anyone yet and are now ranked highly. I said they were not ranked in the preseason. That simply shows if you dominate all your opponents, which Indiana has. (less Michigan) and are undefeated after 10 games you will be highly ranked. SMU has shown the same trend. Unranked first year in a P4 Conference and they are just below the CFP line with one loss.

The ACC's issue is the preseason top 2 ranked teams crashed early. FSU to us and all season. Clemson to Georgia. It's hard to overcome those crash and burns. Miami got to #4 before we, and average ACC team (5-4 overall at the time) we beat them. NCST getting crushed by Tennessee early this year also hurt the ACC as NCST was a darkhorse team to make the ACC Title Game.

The huge Conferences will make schedules strange every year and make it hard to evaluate teams.

We talked about SMU at the beginning of the season as having the projected easiest schedule in the ACC. They have been a surprise to most of us. We just didn't know much about them preseason but Texas has fantastic high school football to feed their teams.

 

[Root4GT]

We talked about SMU at the beginning of the season as having the projected easiest schedule in the ACC. They have been a surprise to most of us. We just didn't know much about them preseason but Texas has fantastic high school football to feed their teams.

We do know SMU has experience in managing a player payroll

 

[stinger 1957]

We talked about SMU at the beginning of the season as having the projected easiest schedule in the ACC. They have been a surprise to most of us. We just didn't know much about them preseason but Texas has fantastic high school football to feed their teams.

And I might add an almost unlimited amount of money to buy what they need and now can do it legally and will do so IMO.

 

[GTrob21]

I love SMU and am very glad they are in the ACC. They have huge donors who want to win. I think they are ahead of where they should be, and I think they would get waxed by the Georgias, Texas, and Oregons of the world, but give them a couple more years of NIL and the transfer portal, and they will be a mainstay.

College football is different, nothing matters anymore but the amount of money you pay the players. And SMU has a lot of money.

 

[stinger78]

I agree.

My point is that the ACC dropped the ball last year by not throwing a fuss about an undefeated ACC team not making it to the playoffs.

When the ACC quietly accepted that a 1 loss Big 12 team is better than an undefeated ACC team (heck, the ACC commissioner was in the selection committee and publicly defending this decision) then you don’t leave much ground to argue that teams from conferences that have actually won NCs over the last few years are being treated better than teams from the ACC with similar number of wins.

That drove me crazy and I have wondered if it led to F$U’s decision to vacate the conference.

Can anyone else imagine the explosion that would have occurred had the undefeated champ of the SECheat or BigInteger been left out, QB or not?

 

[Root4GT]

One thing that has hurt the ACC’s national perception is ND regularly beating up ACC Teams. Those are all OOC losses for the ACC.

If they were a conference team we likely would get 2 teams in the CFP. The ACC takes the money and smiles.