Over the last couple of years, one of the more debated topics in the sport of college football has been the depth and strength of different conferences as it relates to the College Football Playoff discussion.
Last year, that conversation took center stage in the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff as the SMU Mustangs worked their way into the field over three separate three-loss teams from the SEC before being destroyed in the first round against Penn State.
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As Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina sat home during what was an impressively balanced season from the SEC as a whole, a new ACC team had a poor showing in the playoff and reignited the classic debate.
While addressing the controversy at ACC Media Days, SMU head coach and former Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee issued some very strong words against the SEC.
NEW: SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee takes shot at the SEC in defense of strength of ACC:
“The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964. Not a single one has been different since 1964. That’s top-heavy to me. That’s not depth.”https://t.co/zWOiAQ27vV pic.twitter.com/lZEmwNLmmX
— On3 (@On3sports) July 22, 2025
“The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964. Not a single one has been different since 1964,” Lashlee said via Ben Portnoy of the Sports Business Journal. “That’s top-heavy to me. That’s not depth.”
Perhaps someone should inform Lashlee — a former quarterback at Arkansas — that the “top-heavy” conference is the one his program just joined after Clemson won the ACC eight of the last ten years.
When Oklahoma and Texas are factored in, the SEC has seven different national champions since 1998 while no other school has more than three.
It’s admirable for Lashlee to stand up for his new conference, but this stance is both incorrect and misguided.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
