SMU coach calls ESPN rankings system 'rigged' after latest Football Power Index update

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SMU head football coach Rhett Lashlee is doubling down on his belief that ESPN favorites certain conferences with their rankings. 

ESPN released its first Football Power Index rankings in June. The Mustangs came out as No. 20 among college football teams entering the 2025 season, though ACC teams like Miami (No. 9) and Clemson (No. 11) were higher on the list. 

The Football Power Index is a "measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season."

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Southern Methodist head coach Rhett Lashlee answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown.  (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)

Now, ESPN updated those rankings on Friday, and the Mustangs, coming off a surprise College Football Playoff trip after going 11-3 last season, only moved up one spot to No. 19. Miami and Clemson, though, took a tumble to No. 17 and No. 16 respectively. 

This led Lashlee to call ESPN’s ranking system a farce. 

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"Because the whole thing is rigged," he wrote on X. 

Lashlee was also vocal during last season, where he questioned his belief that the ACC and the Big 12 were disrespected compared to the Big Ten and the SEC, calling the latter "top-heavy."

Head coach Rhett Lashlee of the SMU Mustangs speaks with an official during the first half of the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

"There’s other leagues that claim depth,"