Did No. 11 SMU ever deserve their playoff spot? A big question mark emerged following their fall to No. 6 Penn State in the first playoff round. Beaver Stadium witnessed the Nittany Lions devouring the Mustangs in an easy 38-10 victory. It only added more fuel to their playoff debate when they went 28-0 in the first half. Not a deserving playoff team, some said. But one person has a unique take on this whole “deserving” topic, and the favor leans on Rhett Lashlee. 

Josh Pate addressed the situation that occurred following SMU’s loss to Penn State in a new YouTube episode on Josh Pate’s College Football Show on December 23. As the Mustangs now fall out of the playoff race, people are slamming the CFP committee’s choice for including them in the 12-team playoff in the first place.

Throwing the haters to the curb, Josh Pate made a point for Rhett Lashlee, saying, “Huge standing ovation for Rhett Lashlee for even having the team there to begin with. It’s wild that they’re even in the conversation. That’s a properly calibrated approach to judging SMU this year.”

According to Josh Pate, it’s not about how deserving SMU is of the playoffs. It’s about how much Rhett Lashlee transformed SMU in his first year in the ACC. In the Power Four conference, where great coaches failed to make the playoffs, it took an extraordinary G-5 coach to make a first big impression. It was a heartbreak for them when Clemson defeated them in the ACC Championship game. But Lashlee being named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year speaks for itself! 

Of course, dejection is clearly visible on Rhett Lashlee’s face and words after Saturday’s fateful game. Still, he knows what they’ve achieved, and it’s a remarkable feat. Nobody even took a second glance at SMU when the season began. The third-year HC is the first in SMU’s history to lead the Mustangs to a playoff appearance in the CFP era with a 9-3 record. He said, “We deserved to be here. We earned the right to be here.” But among the staunch critics is Ole Miss’ HC, who might be still sore about his team missing the playoffs. 

Rhett Lashlee suffers from Lane Kiffin’s grudge

Lane Kiffin has his sarcastic mode on! And it’s directed purely at the CFP committee, although the teams in the subject have to suffer the troll in the process. This grudge was born when the committee opted 3-loss Ole Miss out of the playoffs in favor of teams like Indiana and SMU. After taking a shot at the committee on Friday when Notre Dame beat the Hoosiers 27-17, he struck again. 

As SMU trailed 28-0 in the first two quarters, Lane Kiffin posted a sarcastic message to the CFP committee saying, “Way to keep us on the edge of our seats. Committee….. Riveting.” This is just him making a point that teams like Indiana and SMU aren’t deserving to be in the playoffs. But what do you think? A team gets their schedule based on their capability. 

SMU may be an underdog to powerhouses like Penn State. But Rhett Lashlee and the Mustangs soared above their opponents, meaning they’re more than capable of what was expected of them.