In the ever-passionate world of college football, the question of who truly deserves a spot in the College Football Playoff brings spark to perennial debates. This season, SMU became the unexpected centerpiece of that discussion. Coming off a thrilling but heartbreaking ACC Championship against Clemson, where they fell to a jaw-dropping 56-yard field goal, the Mustangs ignited chatter across the nation about what playoffs should truly represent.
As the excitement of the 12-team playoff unfolded, it became clear that expanding the field had its fair share of hiccups. Concerns echoed down the corridors of big football powerhouses, particularly those hailing from the SEC. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin didn’t shy away from expressing their skepticism. For them, teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina—despite seeing three-loss seasons—felt left out, raising eyebrows over SMU’s place in this elite conversation. Kiffin even took his frustrations online, taking jabs at the playoff committee’s nod toward SMU’s inclusion after they grabbed the last at-large spot.
SMU’s playoff debut turned into a rough welcome, as they suffered a bruising 28-point defeat at Beaver Stadium against Penn State. The game fueled whispers questioning whether emerging programs could truly hang with established giants. The lopsided outcomes reignited talks about how competitive a 12-team playoff can be, stirring a dialogue on its future.
Yet, talking only about SMU’s difficulties against powerhouses does a disservice to their remarkable season story. Breaking out from the Group of Five shell to make noise in a power conference, SMU hit incredible milestones: an unbeaten conference run, a conference title, and a groundbreaking playoff qualification in their maiden season at this level. Sure, the playoff didn’t go as planned, but the experience will undeniably catalyze their growth for the road ahead.
Head coach Rhett Lashlee summed up the sentiment saying, “This team’s a quality team. We deserved to be here. We earned the right to be here. I’m disappointed we didn’t play to the level that validates that.” His perspective reminds us that building a program is a step-by-step journey, and SMU’s setback is just one chapter in a larger success story.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings, who ascended from a backup role to shine as an All-ACC quarterback, turned heads with his performances this year. Many are already whispering about his potential as a Heisman contender. Against Penn State, however, Jennings revealed some of the challenges of youth, tossing three interceptions with two returned for defensive touchdowns.
While SMU’s offense struggled, their defense showed grit and resilience. They forced numerous turnovers on downs and initially held Penn State scoreless on four drives—exactly the kind of heart you hope to see, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect the effort.
As the season wrapped up with consecutive losses and no top 25 victories to their name, SMU’s campaign delivered lessons in preparation for what lies ahead. Their nail-biting losses to ranked foes like Clemson and BYU carried the thrill of competition, but Penn State’s blowout stood as a cautionary tale for the 12-team playoff format. The widespread concerns about potential blowout trends resurfaced, especially when games like Indiana’s struggle against Notre Dame punctuated similar issues. Despite hopes that more teams might level the playing field, history appears to repeat itself with games regularly decided by an average of nearly 18 points in semifinal play during the previous four-team era.
As critics sharpen their focus on SMU, it’s clear their narrative extends beyond a solitary playoff loss. They’ve set a new bar, elevating program expectations. As Coach Lashlee poignantly put it: “This team raised the standard and the expectations for SMU football. They made our school proud. They made our entire city proud. It’s unfortunate that it happened on this stage and in this moment, but we’ve proven we belong.”
The Mustangs stand at the dawn of what could be an exciting journey. While there’s much work to do, they’ve got the groundwork laid for continued advancement. But as playoff blowouts cast shadows of doubt, changes to the 12-team template could loom on the college football horizon. As the sport evolves, SMU’s soaring aspirations remind us of the stakes at play—but perhaps a future awaits where quality trumps quantity, providing a selective, competitive playoff stage once more.
