Rhett Lashlee blasts ESPN for ‘rigged’ FPI college football rankings

When ESPN released its initial FPI college football rankings in June, Miami was No. 9 and Clemson was No. 11. Friday’s updated rankings saw both teams fall out of the Top 15, and SMU coach Rhett Lashlee called the rankings “rigged.”

Clemson is now No. 16 and Miami dropped to No. 17 in the updated FPI released Friday – the two highest-ranked ACC teams. SMU, meanwhile, moved up one spot from No. 20 to No. 19.

The top 15 teams include nine SEC teams, five Big Ten teams and independent Notre Dame. Given the ACC’s drop down the FPI rankings, Lashlee argued it’s “rigged.”

Clemson was picked to win the ACC once again in this year’s preseason poll while Miami checked in at No. 2 with seven first-place by the panel of voters. SMU followed behind as the No. 3 team in the preseason media opll and got two first-place votes.

Lashlee made waves during ACC Media Days this year when he took aim at the SEC, particularly with regard to its schedule. He also called the conference “top-heavy” considering six teams from the league have won national championships since 1964.

“There’s other leagues that claim depth,” Lashlee said. “The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964. Same six. Not a single one has been different since 1964. That’s top-heavy to me. That’s not depth.”

Rhett Lashlee’s point was about the grind of the ACC on a week-to-week basis, arguing it’s among the toughest conferences in the country. During his opening statement in Charlotte, he pointed out the league had multiple teams in the College Football Playoff, joining the SEC and Big Ten as multi-bid conferences in the first year of the 12-team format. SMU, of course, was one of those teams.

“When it comes to the ACC, there’s no question our league has separated itself as one of the top three leagues in America,” Lashlee said. “The data speaks for itself, whether it’s the revenue generation that we did this past year. I know the commissioner spoke to three leagues how to network. Our network five years in is thriving and does a great job covering us. Three leagues had multiple CFP participants this year. We were one of them.

“I think sometimes — you know, I was fortunate to win a National Championship in 2010 when I was at Auburn, and since then, over the last 14 seasons, one league’s won eight championships and two other leagues, us and the Big Ten, have won three National Championships, and another league hasn’t won any. I think that just shows you where our league has been on the national stage and where we think we’ll continue to be and where we belong.”