SMU coach Rhett Lashlee made one of the most pointed remarks from the 2025 college football convention media days circuit together with his assertion that the SEC is “high heavy” and lacks depth. And per week after he took intention on the league in his argument towards one of many proposed Faculty Soccer Playoff growth fashions, he doubled down on what he known as a “historic reality.”
Lashlee argued the SEC shouldn’t obtain extra computerized bids over one other if — or when– the CFP expands to 14 or 16 groups. One such proposal would reward the Large Ten and SEC with 4 spots apiece, in comparison with simply two every from the Large 12 and ACC.
“All I mentioned was a remark, and sadly, it is a factual remark: that the identical six colleges have gained that league for the final 60 years,” Lashlee mentioned Monday on The Paul Finebaum Show. “It is simply exhausting to argue parity if that is the case. Now, look, I am not essentially saying the SEC is healthier or worse. I feel the SEC is, once more, a league I respect. It is performed loads of nice issues. However we dwell in a day and age the place, sadly, we’re all pressured to politick — virtually prefer it’s a contest or a pageant — to get into the playoffs and sure issues. And when that is the case, and one league is taken into account to perhaps want preferential therapy for bids due to their depth, we have gotta at the least take a look at the information.”
Lashlee was not the one coach from one other convention to place the SEC in his crosshairs at media days. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti took a dig at the league’s scheduling philosophy, discrediting the eight-game convention schedule and skill for groups to play towards FCS competitors deep into the season.
“I’ll differentiate from what I mentioned with what Cignetti mentioned,” Lashlee mentioned. “Once more, I simply introduced up a historic reality that may be backed up by information. I did not come out and throw shade on the SEC scheduling after I did not play a Energy 4 staff on my schedule myself.”
SMU remained on the suitable facet of the playoff bubble final 12 months and earned a seat on the postseason desk only one 12 months into its Energy 4 historical past. It was an excellent job by Lashlee to compete on the sport’s highest degree amid a transition from the American Convention. Within the course of, the Mustangs eradicated three-loss SEC and Large Ten groups from the equation.