11. SMU Mustangs
11-2 (8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season)
What’s next: at No. 6 Penn State, State College, Pa., Dec. 21, Noon ET
Head coach: Rhett Lashlee (three seasons, 29-11 overall)
About Lashlee: The 41-year-old is enjoying success in his first college head coaching gig and has guided the Mustangs to back-to-back 11-win seasons. He was offensive coordinator at SMU from 2018-19 before heading to Miami for two years and returning to take the head job. He was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year this season.
Resume
SMU notched ranked wins over then-No. 22 Louisville and then-No. 18 Pitt but really served notice while racking up 66 points in a win over TCU. The Mustangs lost two games by a total of six points: 34-31 to Clemson in the ACC title game and 18-15 to BYU.
Postseason history
This is SMU’s first trip to the playoffs during the CFP era. The Mustangs have lost their past four bowl games, including two under Lashlee. The program had a memorable run in the early 1980s behind stars like Eric Dickerson and Craig James but numerous NCAA violations sank the Mustangs and they eventually served a two-year death penalty.
The road to Atlanta
SMU hits the road for the first-round matchup at No. 6 Penn State. The winner advances to play No. 3 Boise State (12-1) in the quarterfinals in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
Names to Know
QB Kevin Jennings
He threw for 304 yards and three TDs in the ACC title game, his fourth game over 300 yards passing this season.
Jennings had a strong regular season with 2,746 yards and 19 TDs in the air and four scores on the ground. He can hurt teams with his feet, proven by a 113-yard outing against Louisville.
“What is new now is the amount of criticism I receive from everyone. I get a lot of comments and messages from people on social media always criticizing everything after each game,” Jennings said.
RB Brashard Smith
Stellar runner averaging 5.9 yards per carry to go with 1,270 yards and 14 TDs on the ground.
LB Kobe Wilson
Stands out against both the run and the pass, leading the team in tackles (110) and adding three sacks and two interceptions.
S Isaiah Nwokobia
He has enjoyed an outstanding season with 91 regular-season tackles and three interceptions while patrolling the back end. He has nine career interceptions.
DT Jared Harrison-Hunte
A force with 6.0 sacks, one interception and 38 tackles. He’s in his first season with SMU after four at Miami. He has 15 career sacks.
–Field Level Media