Rhett Lashlee has been sticking up for the ACC during his league’s media days, a conference that often sits in the shadow of the B1G and the SEC when it comes to status among the conferences.
During interviews with the media, he has been talking about how the ACC is tied with the B1G with 3 championships in the last 15 years. He also took a shot at the SEC when it comes to the conference’s depth, calling it more of a top-heavy league.
“The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964,” Lashlee told reporters. “Not a single one has been different since 1964. “That’s top-heavy to me. That’s not depth.”
Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Florida and Auburn have all represented the SEC as a national champion during that time frame. Texas and Oklahoma have both also won titles since that year, but both of those teams won them as members of the Big 12.
With last season being the first year with there being 12 teams in the CFP, these types of conversations have started to occur even more than normal. The SEC and the B1G had 7 of the 12 Playoff teams, while Clemson and SMU represented the ACC.
Lashlee is doing what many coaches from the Big 12 and ACC are doing, and that is sticking up for their respective conferences. They are the other two Power 4 conferences, but they don’t have quite the cache that the B1G and the SEC have.
The Mustangs are looked at as once again one of the top 3 teams in the ACC, and figure to be in contention to make the CFP for much of the season. Lashlee has helped build SMU into a contender, and he is determined to do whatever is needed to help his team and conference get the respect he feels they deserve. Even if that means taking a shot at the SEC.
Read more on Saturday Down South
