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SMU was forced to sweat it out on Selection Sunday following its hard-fought 34-31 loss to Clemson on Saturday, but the Mustangs earned a spot as the No. 11 seed in the bracket.
The Mustangs’ social media team celebrated their selection with a reference to Family Guy, putting the SMU logo over the horse that entered the Griffins’ dining room, which was labeled with a CFP logo.
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) December 8, 2024
The lighthearted and entertaining post was a healthy contrast to the magnitude of the pick, as this was one of the more controversial decisions in the bracket and one that is almost sure to prompt change in the rankings system over this coming offseason.
SMU enters the CFP with an 11-2 overall record, with its only two losses coming to a ranked BYU team and in an ACC title game thriller to Clemson on Saturday.
But, many argue that the Mustangs’ strength of schedule, which pales in comparison to the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss or South Carolina, is a major reason they should have been held out. The rebuttal to that would be that a team should not be punished for playing in a conference championship, especially when it was ranked ahead of the team it is in debate with prior.
The decision has led most to believe that there will be changes in the structuring and metrics that guide the Playoff committee’s decisions. Namely, the way strength of schedule and conference title games are weighted.
Current Missouri student entering my third year of covering Tiger football and basketball. Contributor to The Transfer Portal CFB and overall college athletics enthusiast.
