Rhett Lashlee critical of committee-based CFP approach, says Miami deserved a bid in 2024
By Mark Kern
Published:
Rhett Lashlee and the SMU Mustangs are coming off an impressive season that saw the team make it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the school’s history. The Mustangs were able to make it as an at-large team after losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.
While his team was on the right side when it came to the committee picking his team, Lashlee still wants to see some changes when it comes to how teams make the CFP.
“I don’t think it’s up for a discussion. I think it should be 16,” Lashlee said when he was asked about expanding the CFP. “I don’t think you have to go crazy over that because it is football. We saw last year what the playoff can do. On campus games, fantastic. More exposure, more access and it creates more fanbases.”
A lot of the talk when it comes to the CFP over the past few months has been around how dominant the SEC and the B1G have been. Those 2 conferences had 7 of the 12 teams in the Playoff last year. However, Lashlee was quick to point out how the ACC stacks up to those conferences, while also saying Miami deserved to be in last season.
“There’s only been 3 leagues to have teams currently in their conference to win a championship since 1990,” Lashlee said. “All of the teams that have won a national championship since 1990 are either in the ACC, B1G or the SEC. In the last 15 years, we are tied with the second-most championships with 3 with the B1G. I don’t know why that’s not talked about. If it stays at 12, we are a multiple bid league every year. Miami should have been in last year, there is no question they were 1 of the 12 best teams in the country last year.”
Moving forward, there will continue to be talk on whether or not the CFP is going to expand. Last year was a great start, but there are many people who share the same opinion with Lashlee in terms of wanting there to be 16 teams in the CFP.
