Why SMU is the most 'rightfully aggrieved' team in college football

Of all the teams in college football that have the right to be upset, On3’s Andy Staples says that the SMU Mustangs are most entitled to those feelings.

Staples labeled Southern Methodist as the team that is most rightfully aggrieved right now while speaking on ‘The Will Cain Show’ on Friday.

“Right now, it would be SMU,” Staples stated.

The basis of Staples’ point was the debate between No. 14 SMU (8-1, 5-0) as compared to No. 9 Miami (9-1, 5-1). Their cases are essentially the same once assessed at value. SMU has played one less game but they still have essentially the same record both overall and in conference play.

However, for whatever reasoning by the committee, even if it be some form of in-conference bias, they’re five spots apart in the latest rankings for the College Football Playoff. That’s enough of a difference to have the Hurricanes in the field and with a bye while the Mustangs would be outside the playoff as the second team out.

“SMU and Miami are basically the same thing,” said Staples. “If we look at their resumés, both of them have a loss. SMU’s loss is probably the better loss if we’re doing better losses because they lost to currently-undefeated BYU and Miami lost to Georgia Tech. But they’re in the same conference. They have the same best win – both of them won at Louisville. Like, it is the same team and yet they are five spots apart.”

“I’m not sure what it is but they should be right together because they are pretty much the same thing,” Staples said. “In this case where we’re talking about SMU, it is a within-league thing because Miami’s brand is getting more credit than SMU’s brand – even though they’re both in the ACC.”

Staples doesn’t see why SMU isn’t getting more of the credit that they deserve. That should be what upsets those in Dallas the most – at least until potentially earning their chance to prove themselves in the ACC Championship in their debut season in the league.

“Like, if I were the SMU folks, I’d be saying, look, this is kind of a brand bias thing going on here,” Staples said. “Is it because they just came from the American Athletic Conference to the ACC? Are people not quite ready for them to be successful at that level yet?”