If you thought day three of ACC Media Days would go off without any fireworks, boy, were you wrong!
SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee hit the podium in Charlotte on Friday morning and discussed the upcoming season for the 2024 ACC Champions.
Among some of the topics of conversation were the Mustangs’ bevy of offensive and defensive coordinators as well as the parity within the conference and how that pertains to the College Football Playoff picture.
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Speaking of the CFP, Lashlee decided to give props to the Duke Blue Devils for winning the ACC in 2025, and in doing so, he may have made an enemy or two in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the process.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with Lashlee’s claims that an ACC champion should have made the College Football Playoff.
As far as the rules moving forward, Lashlee and the rest of the ACC won’t have to worry, since each Power 4 conference champion will be guaranteed a berth in the CFP.
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That’s good news, particularly for the Mustangs, who look to be projected to finish near the top of the league in 2026.
Now, let’s unpack the more incendiary statements made by Lashlee.
“A team from the Sun Belt” almost certainly means James Madison University, who made the CFP as a result of last year’s qualifying rules.
In 2025, the five highest ranked conference champions received automatic bids to the Playoff, and since the Blue Devils were 8-5 following conference championship week and unranked in the final CFP standings, the JMU Dukes got the nod (along with fellow Group of 6 brethren Tulane).
I like the idea of awarding power conference winners for their hard work, and I think this year’s format is more conducive to a competitive field, but that 2025 Duke squad lost to a G6 opponent in Tulane as well as UConn, an Independent, so if there was ever a year the ACC champs weren’t deserving of a trip to the Playoff, it was last year.
Lashlee took plenty of heat for this in the comments section, as droves of JMU fans flooded On3 reporter Brett McMurphy’s post with taunts and jeers.
It’s safe to say Lashlee won’t be receiving any warm welcomes in Rockingham County anytime soon.
You might even be able to make the argument that Notre Dame deserved a spot in the CFP before Duke or James Madison, but that’s a different story for a different time.
Regardless, an SMU vs. JMU first round Playoff matchup would be absolute cinema, so here’s hoping the two meet up at the end of the season.
And if that James Madison head coaching gig ever opens up in the near future, don’t expect Lashlee’s name to be on any short lists to don the purple and gold.
