Rhett Lashlee “disappointed” that SMU has not confirmed the inclusion of GFP

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – After a stunning loss in the first round of the College Football Playoff, SMU coach Rhett Lashlee knew the questions would come.

SMU’s 38-10 loss to Penn State opened the floodgates for a number of critics who felt the College Football Playoff committee made a mistake in allowing the Mustangs to make the playoffs. missed the 11th-place finish — and final overall bid — postseason without a major win on their resume.

However, Lashlee said he was not interested in appealing the decision again, saying SMU’s merits – including an 11-1 regular season – were more than enough to answer any critics.

“We didn’t play well enough to say something that won’t be written,” Lashlee said. “It is written, should we be there or were we part of it? That’s okay. You are welcome to write it. We didn’t play well today. But this is a quality team. We had a good team. We deserve it.” We deserve to be here. I’m disappointed that we didn’t play at the level that confirms that.

Lashlee insisted the week before the ACC championship game that SMU, then ranked eighth, should not be penalized for playing an extra game. SMU fell behind Clemson early in the ACC Championship, but managed to tie the score late before losing on a 56-yard field goal with zeros on the clock. Afterward, Lashlee wondered aloud whether the committee had “found the solution.” Doubts that proved unfounded as the Mustangs clinched the last open field spot, leaving the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami and South Carolina out of the bracket.

So when a pair of pick-sixes put SMU on the sidelines early, the criticism began in earnest, and the complaints – particularly from SEC countries – only grew after Penn State’s 38-10 win.

The criticism of SMU followed a lopsided loss to Indiana 11-1 on Friday. The Hoosiers also entered the postseason without a decisive win, and SEC critics, including commissioner Greg Sankey, had complained for weeks about the poor quality of the schedule for teams rewarded by the committee.

This keeps us on the edge of our seats in committee… Captivating

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 21, 2024

What’s notable, however, is that Penn State also entered Saturday’s game with an 11-2 record, a loss in the conference title game and no major win – its best win came against Illinois in October, but against the Nittany Lions still won confidently.

Still, the one-sided events in the opening round of the first 12-team playoffs will certainly provide fodder for schools that feel they are at a distinct disadvantage with more challenging teams.

For Lashlee, however, his only apology is for the flawed performance, including three first-half interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) by QB Kevin Jennings that led to the Mustangs’ early exit.

“Kevin will take a lot of punishment with three interceptions,” Lashlee said. “It all fits together. Maybe I shouldn’t have called that play, if we had just been a little more solid on defense it probably would have been a completion.”