Rhett Lashlee calls out national perception of the ACC in the College Football Playoff

Depending on how the release of the second rankings for the College Football Playoff go on Tuesday, SMU might be the only team in the field from the ACC. That may be great for Rhett Lashlee but he also finds it unfair to the rest of their new conference.

Lashlee went on about biases across college football while speaking with the media earlier today. He doesn’t understand how the Atlantic Coast Conference, which currently looks like a one-bid league, could be so based on what else has happened across the country, including with their conference having beaten some of the others head-to-head.

“I will say this. I do think, on behalf of the ACC? I think it is interesting. Yeah, there’s normal brand biases for teams – I’m not going to get into that. But there’s conference biases,” said Lashlee. “I think it’s interesting that, you know, you look at the ACC. We have a winning record against the Big Ten this year. We have a winning record against the Big 12 this year. We don’t have a winning record against the SEC but we have four games left and, if we win enough of those, we would have a winning record so that’s still up in the air. It’s been competitive, you know.

“To look at our league and say, ‘Well, we may be a one-big league’ but you look at another league that we have a winning record against and say, ‘Oh, they’re going to get four in!’ Like, it doesn’t make sense to me,” Lashlee continued. “Make it make sense.”

Lashlee’s point was supportive of the ACC but he also felt the same way about those in the Big 12.

“Same thing – Big 12? If I’m them, I’m upset too. I’m like, ‘Hold on, we’ve got an undefeated?'” said Lashlee. “Like, make it make sense.”

Again, preconceived notions and how that impacts the in-season perception of results is what Lashlee took issue with. He can’t get why what one league does isn’t seen as the same when another league does it. Include the in-depth look across the country and the current equation for the playoff isn’t figuring up for him.

“You know, when other leagues beat each other up internally, they’re considered a deep, solid league. When we beat up internally, we’re considered a weak league,” said Lashlee. “You know, when Kentucky goes and beats Ole Miss, when Arkansas goes and beats Tennessee, when South Carolina goes and beats A&M, when Vandy beats Alabama? That’s considered a deep league. When Georgia Tech beats Miami, right, when Louisville goes on the road and beats Clemson, when UVA goes on the road and beats Pitt – we’re not considered a deep league? I think we’re a pretty deep league.

“When the data and the metrics say it should, I think that’s the biggest thing. I think our league has earned the right to be in the conversation. It’s insulting to say, ‘Oh, it’s a one-bid league probably, maybe two?’ yet we’ve got another league that the metrics don’t add up any better, as a matter of fact, worse, and we’re acting like they’ve just got four and it’s done,” Lashlee added. “Make it make sense.”

So, what can their conference do about it? Well, still winning is a good start. Besides that, though, there’s only so much to fix it considering the work that the playoff committee has to do and what all the other contenders have achieved in their own rights.

“Look, the great thing about our sport is its a human sport. In games, you’ve got coaches who make mistakes, you’ve got players who make mistakes, you’ve got officials who make mistakes. It’s no different with the committee. They’ve got a tough job,” said Lashlee. “There’s a lot of teams that should argue they should belong in so I’m not discrediting anyone. But I think we’re way too early in the process to start acting like, ‘Well, this league gets this and this league gets this’ when some of these teams haven’t even beat a ranked team or a team that’s going to a bowl game and yet they’re just, like, gifted in. It’s a challenge.

“Just as a whole with the league? I don’t know what can be done. I think some of that stuff is predetermined a little bit and that’s the bias we’re talking about,” Lashlee continued. “That’s no disrespect to the other leagues. That’s the problem. It’s hard to stomp and argue on behalf of your league without making it sound like you’re being negative. I think the other leagues are great. I think we’ve got four big-time leagues in college football. There just needs to be, you know, quality representation from all four.”

In the end, Lashlee just wanted to make the case for the ACC. SMU is in solid position itself to be in the playoff but, if they’re the only one from their conference to eventually be in it, he thinks that’d be a shame for the rest of their teams.

“I just want our league to get the same respect that everyone else gets,” Lashlee said. “I think we have at least two, probably three or four teams still that should be very well considered for the College Football Playoff.”