Amid CFB playoff drama, SMU coach raises eyebrows with bold take at ACC Media Days 2025

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee is attending the ACC Media Days 2025, and the offensive-minded coach is calling for major changes. On Tuesday, On3's Curt Weiler reported that Lashlee is strongly advocating for the removal of the College Football Playoff field being determined by a committee due to the human bias that comes into play.

Lashlee is entering his fourth season at the helm of the Mustangs. He led the program to a playoff berth in 2024, but his side was promptly knocked out by the Penn State Nittany Lions. They could look back on a stellar regular season that saw them record wins over TCU, Stanford, Duke, Pitt and Cal.

Lashlee is part of the school of thought that believes that a 13-member committee voting to determine the nation's best sides ensures more bias than a set of criteria. Moving from a four-team playoff to a 12-team event is a step in the right direction, but coaches like Lashlee believe much more could be done.

What's next for Rhett Lashlee and the SMU Mustangs?

In 2024, Rhett Lashlee signed a new deal with the SMU Mustangs.

Lashlee has posted a 29–12 record with the Mustangs (21–3 in conference games). He led the program to its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. The Mustangs lost just three games last season, and those were against the BYU Cougars, Clemson Tigers and Penn State Nittany Lions.

The goal entering the 2024 campaign will be to secure a conference championship and, with that, an automatic berth in the playoffs. They'll have to compete against conference powerhouses, including but not limited to the Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina Tar Heels and Syracuse Orange.

The Mustangs start the 2025 season with a home game against the East Texas A&M Lions. Other key showdowns in the season will come against the TCU Horned Frogs, Syracuse Orange, Clemson Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Boston College Eagles and Louisville Cardinals.

Edited by Ribin Peter