College Football News

With the defense of their national title beginning in just over three weeks, the Ohio State Buckeyes have yet to determine who will be under center when they host Texas on August 30.Sophomore Julian Sayin and junior Lincoln Kienholz are the prime competitors for the job left open by the departure of Will Howard.Howard, who transferred from Kansas State and led the Buckeyes to their sixth national championship in January, is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers."The competition continues," head coach Ryan Day said. "They both have had good moments and moments where they're growing. I will say I've been pleased with the progress. It's going to go right down to the wire."The positives of having a competition is that you know every day you got to bring it. The guys are always on edge, they're uncomfortable, they're working at it. I think that's healthy for the entire building."Sayin, a native of Carlsbad, Calif., got into four games last season, completing 5-of-12 passes for 84 yards, including a touchdown in an early rout of Western Michigan.Keinholz did not play in 2024, but got into three games in 2023, including OSU's 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. The Pierre, S.D. native struggled in that outing, completing only 6-of-17 attempts for 86 yards and no touchdowns.

One day after athletic director John Hartwell stepped down, UL Monroe named its head football coach, Bryant Vincent, as his temporary replacement.Vincent will serve as interim athletic director as he enters his second season coaching the Warhawks on the gridiron."I am grateful to Bryant for stepping up to serve as interim AD. Not only is Bryant a leader, but he builds teams and communities," UL Monroe president Dr. Carrie L. Castille said in a statement. "Bryant has the support of the Associate ADs and will be working closely with them to ensure he can serve both roles and win games. He has already gained the support of this community as a head coach, and I hope that everyone will join me in rallying around him to support ULM Athletics. I have no doubt in Bryant's ability to serve in both roles with excellence and a winning spirit."In the meantime, the university will launch a national search for a full-time athletic director.Vincent, 49, took over at UL Monroe ahead of the 2024 season and helped the Sun Belt program go 5-7 -- the Warhawks' best season since a matching 5-7 record in 2019. The program is 15-43 this decade and last made a bowl game in 2012.

The agreement on a proposed 98-acre mixed-use development in Honolulu that would include a new 25,000-seat stadium is being reviewed by lawyers ahead of a self-imposed Aug. 15 deadline.The state's contract agreement with the Aloha Halawa District Partners, the developer of the New Aloha Stadium and Entertainment District (NASED) project, initially featured a June 30 deadline. But if the Aloha Stadium Authority votes to ratify the contract by mid-August as expected, demolition on the 50-year-old Aloha Stadium that has been closed since 2020 could begin by the end of the month.The state has appropriated $400 million for the new Aloha Stadium that will serve as the new home for the University of Hawaii football team and the Hawaii Bowl, according to the Sports Business Journal. The full stadium project is estimated to cost as much as $650 million, with the difference being paid by NASED with revenues generated from its development of the rest of the 98-acre site."We've never been this close to executing an actual contract," University of Hawaii Engineering School dean Brennon Morioka told the SBJ.

Rutgers has named former LSU executive Keli Zinn as its new athletic director.Zinn had been the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at LSU since 2022. Before that, she worked in the athletic departments at West Virginia and Maryland and for the Big East Conference."Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence, and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics," said William F. Tate IV, the new Rutgers president who also came over from LSU, in a statement issued Wednesday. "Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers' mission -- competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices, and excellence in the student athlete experience. She will guide Rutgers into a new era, with forward-looking leadership, tapping into the Rutgers Edge."Zinn officially begins her tenure in Piscataway, N.J., on Aug. 6. Her five-year deal makes her the highest-paid AD in school history, with a base salary starting at $1.35 million and rising to $1.55 million. Bonuses are available based on the performance of the football and men's and women's basketball teams."I am honored to join Rutgers at this exciting juncture, and I want to thank President Tate and the Board of Governors for this incredible opportunity," Zinn said. "Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, and fans to build on Rutgers' strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top tier compliance, and pursue excellence both on and off the field. We will compete with the nation's best and we will represent the university with integrity and pride in all we do."Zinn will oversee 24 varsity sports programs with more than 730 student-athletes competing in the Big Ten.

Hugh Freeze hit the ground running as Auburn opens fall camp even as the Tigers' coach takes the field knowing he will likely need surgery for prostate cancer.Freeze, 55, said he hasn't felt this good physically to start a season in years."I don't think anything about the health right now," said Freeze. "Whether that's right, wrong or indifferent. I talk to docs. I had three of them text me yesterday. They're awesome. I've got a great team around me, but I just don't have any ... I mean, I don't feel sick."Freeze made similar comments in March, when he decided he could postpone any medical procedure until January.Auburn went 5-7 last season and Freeze said earlier this month at SEC Media Days he's confident his third year will bring a breakthrough. He has 14 losses -- nine against conference teams -- in two seasons.

Florida starting quarterback DJ Lagway has a calf strain and is not practicing as the Gators' fall camp kicks off.Lagway is wearing a walking boot after he hurt his lower leg during a team run last week, Gators Online reported.Coach Billy Napier did not have a timetable for Lagway's return when he spoke to reporters Tuesday. Napier said Lagway is day-to-day and showing improvement from a week ago."In general, he's made a lot of quick progress, but it will be something that we're monitoring," Napier said. "Hopefully as we go, his ability to participate in practice will be a little bit more with each opportunity that we get going forward."It's the latest health setback for a former five-star quarterback expected to be in the Heisman Trophy discussion this year.Lagway could not throw during Florida's spring practices due to a shoulder injury. He said at Southeastern Conference media days earlier this month that he'd be a full participant in fall camp -- which was before his latest injury."Injuries are one of the tougher things about the profession, and certainly for him being a Year Two player and a really motivated and hungry guy," Napier said. "So I think he's done a good job staying connected. I think he still has a voice as a leader. He's still walking the halls. He's still able to be a factor in that regard.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel confirmed Tuesday that star defensive back Boo Carter still is with the team.The Knoxville News Sentinel reported last week that Carter had missed "numerous" team activities and had been confronted by team leaders about the absences.Heupel addressed the situation Tuesday during the Volunteers' on-campus media day. Preseason practice begins on Wednesday, and the season opens Aug. 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta."Boo is a part of our team here," Heupel said, per On3.com. "There's some things he's got to accomplish to get back on the field here. Don't have a set timetable on that.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said Monday that a cancerous tumor was discovered on his bladder this offseason but he is now cancer free after his bladder was removed.Sanders, 57, announced the update in his return to campus at Boulder, Colo., along with his medical team."I'm thankful," Sanders said. "It has been a tremendous journey. It's been tough. I think I dropped 25 pounds. ... Just dealing with a catheter, dealing with all of the stuff I had to deal with. Right now, I'm still dealing with going to the bathroom. It's a whole life change."In reminding people of all ethnicities to seek medical attention in a time of need, Sanders said, "Get checked out because it could have been a whole other gathering if I hadn't."Dr. Janet Kukreja said the cancer was considered high risk since the tumor was starting to affect a muscle near the bladder. During surgery, Sanders' bladder was removed with the "creation of a new bladder," according to Kukreja."I am pleased to report that the results of the surgery is that he's cured of the cancer," Kukreja said.Said Sanders: "You can clap. It's OK."Wearing denim overalls and a cowboy hat, Sanders was upbeat throughout Monday's press conference."I've built myself up to where I'm able, I'm strong, I'm ready," Sanders said. "I'm still probably about 12 pounds down but I'm going to get that right. I'm going to fill these overalls up like no other. But it has been a tremendous journey."The bladder tumor was ultimately discovered through Sanders' yearly body scan that, among other things, searches for issues associated to previous unrelated blood clots that caused two toes to be amputated in 2021.Sanders admitted he was going through medical challenges after the Buffaloes' season ended but had not given details of his health issue until Monday.

Virginia Tech said Saturday it is investigating allegations by North Carolina Central coach Trei Oliver that a Hokies staff member tried to get his star running back to transfer to the ACC school.Oliver was one of five coaches of North Carolina football programs who took part Friday in The Bill Dooley Pigskin Preview in Raleigh. With new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick on his right, Oliver told the story of a Virginia Tech staffer being on the sideline during NC Central's 26-3 win over Howard on Nov. 15.Oliver was told the Virginia Tech staff member was there to visit George "Bulldog" Smith, an assistant athletic director at NC Central. He didn't buy the story."Virginia Tech was actually on my sideline recruiting our running back," Oliver said. "That was pretty bold. I couldn't believe it."Oliver said the running back went on to transfer to Virginia. While he did not name the player, graduate transfer J'Mari Taylor is now on Virginia's roster.Virginia Tech, in a statement released Saturday, said Oliver had not reported the potential tampering to the school.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders will be joined by his personal medical team on Monday when he holds his first news conference since returning to campus amid ongoing health issues.According to an advisory from Colorado Athletics, Sanders will "provide team and general updates" at the 1 p.m. ET session and will be accompanied by his medical providers. Also present will be representatives from CU Anschutz, the university's medical campus, and UCHealth, the academic wing of the medical center.Sanders, entering the third year of his tenure with the Buffaloes, returned to the Colorado campus in Boulder this week for the first time since April. He had been at his Texas estate for most of the spring and summer as he dealt with ongoing undisclosed health issues.On Friday he wrote "Back and Feeling Great!" on X.Earlier in the week, in a social media video posted by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., the coach said, "You know I'm still going through something. I ain't all the way recovered." The video showed him stepping into an ice bath, walking, shooting hoops and attending a tennis lesson.The only recent appearance by Sanders related to Colorado was at Big 12 preseason media days two weeks ago, when he declined to give details about his condition, insisting he felt "good."

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that aims to bring stability to college sports while preventing college athletes from becoming professionals.The president's order includes guidelines that would preserve athletic scholarships based on an athletic department's annual revenue. More noteworthy, however, is the declaration that no athlete should be permitted to accept "third-party, pay-for-play payments."The executive order directs members of his Cabinet to develop a plan of attack within the next 30 days. It also tabbed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to use future federal funding decisions, among other points of leverage, to force schools to oblige the new policy."A national solution is urgently needed," Trump said in the executive order, "to prevent this situation from deteriorating beyond repair and to protect non-revenue sports, including many women's sports, that comprise the backbone of intercollegiate athletics."According to the order, third-party endorsement deals could continue if they carry "fair market value."Trump's order comes as college athletes have taken advantage of the NCAA easing its constraints on pay-to-play. That came on the heels of an antitrust settlement this summer that allowed schools to pay up to $20.5 million to their athletes in the forthcoming academic year.Last week, Steve Berman, one of the co-lead plaintiff attorneys in the antitrust case, said that college athletes "don't need Trump's help," adding that "he shouldn't be aiding the NCAA at the expense of athletes."As a result of our case, college athletes are now free to make their own deals," Berman said. "For Trump to want to put his foot on their deal-making abilities is unwarranted and flouts his own philosophy on the supposed 'art of the deal.'"The Autonomy 5 Conferences -- which includes the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC -- issued a statement after Trump signed the executive order, saying that it is a step toward "preserving these monumental gains by passing a federal law with national standards" for name, image and likeness rights.

It's fair to wonder how long it's been since the University of North Carolina was the talk of the ACC football world.The Tar Heels stole the show on the final day of ACC Kickoff on Thursday in Charlotte when legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick made his first appearance at the annual preseason event as UNC head coach.A winner of six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Belichick is now a first-time college football coach at 73 years old."The support's been overwhelmingly tremendous," Belichick said of the North Carolina fans and alumni. "Not only supportive, but engaged and very excited. We want to match that excitement and put that on the field."In an effort to overhaul the roster he inherited, Belichick brought in 71 new players this offseason (41 transfers, 30 high-school signees). Even before he's coached a game in the college ranks, he's grown to appreciate a few things about coaching in college relative to his 49 years of NFL coaching experience"I'd say on the college end, the players are a little bit younger and less skilled. Sometimes that's an advantage," Belichick said. "There are fewer bad habits to break. But also, I'd say the players are much more receptive to the coaching ... Our players, they've been very receptive to everything we've asked them to do. They've trained extremely hard."--O'Brien hopes to face former boss Belichick in the futureWhile one of them is drawing most of the headlines, the Atlantic Coast Conference actually has three former NFL head coaches in its ranks this season.Two of those coaches, Belichick and Boston College's Bill O'Brien, had two stints together in New England. O'Brien was on the Patriots' staff under Belichick from 2007 through 2011 and in 2023 before he landed the BC job.After facing off seven times during O'Brien's tenure as head coach of the Houston Texans (2014-20), the former colleagues are not scheduled to meet in 2025. But O'Brien hopes that can change in the future."I was hoping we could play," O'Brien said. "I'd love to play North Carolina in Gillette (Stadium), then come back and play them in Chapel Hill."

Nico Iamaleava spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since his April transfer saga and claimed money was not his primary motivator for leaving Tennessee for UCLA.Closing out Big Ten media days in Las Vegas, the quarterback also shared some lofty goals for a Bruins football program that has not been nationally relevant in many, many years."Family was the biggest thing to me," Iamaleava said after calling the decision to leave Tennessee one of the hardest of his life."A lot of things about finance and stuff, it was never that. It was me getting back home closer to my family and playing at the highest level with my family's support. In our Samoan culture, we're always together and that was a very important thing for me."As a highly touted high school recruit, Iamaleava had signed a name, image and likeness deal with Tennessee's collective that reportedly paid him $2.4 million per year. After his first season as the Volunteers' starter in 2024, it was widely reported that Iamaleava's representatives went to Tennessee seeking a raise to $4 million -- and threatened Iamaleava would hold out otherwise.When Iamaleava skipped practice and team meetings April 11, the day before the Volunteers' spring game, it prompted coach Josh Heupel to part ways with the QB.Iamaleava is from Long Beach, Calif., so transferring to UCLA did indeed bring him closer to home. It also offered the Bruins an upgrade at the position following a 5-7 campaign."We're just excited to have a playoff quarterback, somebody that was able to lead his team to the playoffs," UCLA coach DeShaun Foster said. "... (With Iamaleava) being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think the sky is the limit. We're excited about this."Iamaleava called himself "a big-time winner" and had big designs on what he wanted to accomplish at UCLA, whose only national title came in 1954."The main thing for me is to bring a championship culture back to Westwood. ... I want to win games," he said. "And that's our main thing. Our main goals for this year is to bring championships back to Westwood."--Lincoln Riley wants Notre Dame rivalry game to continueWhen Lincoln Riley got confirmation that he would be hired as the head coach at Oklahoma, his first thought was that he'd get to coach in the Red River Rivalry against Texas.Now the coach at Southern California, Riley said Thursday that he had a similar moment when he accepted the Trojans' job offer in late 2021."My first thought was, I get to coach in USC-Notre Dame. The first thought," Riley said.

Oregon was perfect all the way through its first season in the Big Ten, mowing through the regular season at 12-0 and handling Penn State in the conference championship game.Then the Ducks were dropped by eventual national champion Ohio State, 41-21, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl to end the season as a national afterthought to the likes of Notre Dame, Texas and the Buckeyes, a team Oregon beat in the regular season.With a pair of trophies on display on either side of his dais at Mandalay Bay for Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday, Oregon's coach shared his uncomfortable truth."I think every coach probably feels this way, but we always remember the losses over the wins," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Wednesday during Big Ten Media Days."I think there's a lot you can learn from that. It doesn't take away from what we were able to accomplish, but we lost to a great team. Coach (Ryan) Day did an unbelievable job last year of having his team in position to have success there. There's some things I think I could have done better at the end.I don't think we played our best football. That being said, we did go undefeated in the conference and won the Big Ten Championship in our first year. That said, double down. Focus on our process. What do we have to continue to improve? There's always learning lessons, but it doesn't necessarily impact the future."The future in Eugene is bright. But success is going to be relative at Oregon, a reality Lanning has embraced and knew well from his background at Georgia, where he knows the one trophy every team wants -- the national title -- is the goal on constant repeat.Marinating, and believing there is victory in the process, and avoiding the "microwave" are themes in his locker room in 2025.

CHARLOTTE -- New Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos made the most of the talking season that is college football's summer tradition.In an interview with On3 in June, Castellanos talked boldly about FSU's season-opening matchup against Alabama, saying, "They don't have Nick Saban to save them. I just don't see them stopping me."Those strong words inspired some attention in Tuscaloosa and led to plenty of questions for the FSU quarterback Wednesday at ACC Kickoff ahead of the Aug. 30 matchup with the Crimson Tide in Tallahassee."We stand on what I said," Castellanos said. "There's no disrespect (towards) that team or anything like that. It's just the confidence that I have in my teammates and the way we've been preparing and putting this preparation together this offseason."Castellanos transferred to FSU after spending the prior two seasons at Boston College. In 2023, the dual-threat QB was a sensation at BC with 2,248 passing yards, 1,113 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns (15 passing, 13 rushing). In 2024, he didn't adapt especially well to a new offensive scheme and left the team midway through the season after he was removed as the starter.Now Castellanos is tasked with providing a spark to an FSU team that struggled mightily in 2024, limping to a 2-10 record that was the program's worst since 1974."Being a part of Florida State is a dream come true," Castellanos said.--Miller Moss excited to start at Louisville after bowl breakout vs. CardinalsThe best football game of Miller Moss' career to date was a Louisville game. He just happened to be playing for the other team.The then-USC quarterback made his first career start in the 2023 Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville, throwing for six touchdowns and 372 yards. Moss is expected to be Louisville's starting quarterback in 2025 after spending the past four seasons with the Trojans."It's kind of a random coincidence or full-circle moment, whatever you want to call it," Moss said. "Fans will come up and say stuff to me (about the Holiday Bowl). I'll just let them know that we're going to make up for it this year."

Missouri extended football coach Eliah Drinkwitz's contract through the 2029 season on Thursday.Drinkwitz, 42, has guided the Tigers to a 38-24 record since his hiring in December 2019.Missouri went 11-2 in 2023 and 10-3 last season, the program's winningest two-year stretch since 2013-14.The Tigers are 27-7 (.794) at home under Drinkwitz, including 7-0 in 2024, and are 2-2 in bowl games."I'm incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou Football," Drinkwitz said. "The Board of Curators, President (Mun) Choi, (athletic director) Laird Veatch and our donors and fans have shown a deep commitment to building a championship-caliber program. That means investing in the people throughout our building who work tirelessly for our student-athletes. I'm proud of the staff we've assembled and excited to keep pushing forward together."He is scheduled to earn $9 million this season, rising to $9.25 million in 2026 and $9.5 million in 2028. According to the USA Today database, Drinkwitz's total compensation for 2025 ranks tied for sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

LAS VEGAS -- At the Big Ten's first-ever media day in Nevada on Tuesday, a portion of commissioner Tony Petitti's opening address suggested College Football Playoff odds are stacked against his conference."It's really simple math," Petitti said at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the first day of the Big Ten Media Days gathering. "With 18 schools (in the Big Ten) and nine conferences (eligible for FBS playoffs), we're losing nine more games to start."Nine- vs. eight-game conference scheduling is a debate predating any iteration of the playoff, beginning in 2006 when the FBS season expanded to 12 regular-season dates.Petitti's position that playing more conference games than the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference puts Big Ten teams at greater risk of stumbling has merit when referring to the Bowl Championship Series and four-team playoff for reference.Most notably, teams from the old Pac-12 -- one-third of which the Big Ten absorbed -- routinely missed out on national-title opportunities because of conference losses.Ironically, though, the 2024 season played out much differently: It was the SEC's eight-game schedule and playoff hopefuls Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina being tripped up that impacted the bracket.Meanwhile, the Big Ten's Indiana Hoosiers reached the playoff despite finishing the regular season with no Top 25 wins and two defeats total of conference opponents that produced winning records.The commissioner defended Indiana's playoff inclusion, noting that, "when Indiana's schedule was made ... (there) were the two teams that played in the (national) championship game the season before, Michigan and Washington."Be that as it may, the Hoosiers finished with a Sagarin strength of schedule ranking of No. 66, easily the worst of the power-conference playoff teams. The nine-game slate did not hurt the Big Ten in 2024, but Petitti inferred the Big Ten beat the odds.To adjust the odds going forward, Petitti's math factors into a postseason equation the commissioner has touted throughout the 2025 offseason: 16 equals four times two.With talk of expanding the College Football Playoff to 16 entrants after just one year of the 12-team format, Petitti is pushing for a format that grants both the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference four automatic bids. That ensures the two most prominent leagues in the sport comprise half of the field every year.The Petitti plan also includes the concept of a play-in round where conference championship games currently reside on the football calendar, the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday. He presented the idea as something "fans will really gravitate to ... providing games that are do-or-die on the field."Petitti's suggestion faces resistance, including from SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. At his conference's media days last week, Sankey pushed for a playoff format with automatic qualifiers for five conference champions -- as exists now in the 12-team Playoff -- and 11 at-large berths.As for Petitti's position on when to reformat the postseason, the commissioner sounds content on slow-rolling it."I'm not going to put any deadline on it," he said.--National champs tabbed as unlikely underdogsBefore a rematch on Aug. 30 in Columbus, plenty will be made of Ohio State's 28-14 win over Texas in January's Cotton Bowl, which propelled the Buckeyes to the national championship game against Notre Dame.At Big Ten media days, however, Ohio State coach Ryan Day made clear the marquee matchup on Week 1 is a new chapter."The team we have currently wants to leave their own legacy behind, and they made that clear a week after the national championship game," Day said. "We've said it before, we're not defending national champions, because we're not defending anything ... We're looking to attack."

The debut season of coach Bill Belichick at North Carolina is a home sellout.The university announced Wednesday that all season and single-game tickets at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill have been sold.The school, instead, is directing fans seeking tickets to SeatGeek, the official resale marketplace of the Tar Heels.The home season begins Sept. 1 with a nonconference game against TCU. Also visiting Chapel Hill in 2025 are Richmond (Sept. 13), Clemson (Oct. 4), Virginia (Oct. 25), Stanford (Nov. 8) and Duke (Nov. 22).The Tar Heels signed Belichick, 73, to a five-year deal through the 2029 season to replace Mack Brown. He will earn $10 million a year, plus up to $3.5 million in performance incentives. The first three years of the contract are guaranteed.

Chace Calicut, a four-star safety committed to the University of Georgia, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an alleged shooting on July 6 in Houston, according to multiple media outlets.Calicut, a rising senior at Houston North Shore High School who committed to the Bulldogs on June 27, appeared on Tuesday in a Houston court. His bond was set at $20,000.According to court documents viewed by media outlets, Calicut, 17, pulled up in his car behind a car driven by an unidentified 17-year-old boy with a 17-year-old girl in the passenger seat. The teen driver said Calicut passed them, swerved in front of their car and braked, forcing him to brake to avoid hitting Calicut's car.The teen drove around but Calicut again pulled alongside him, according to the documents, and allegedly was swerving around the car. The teen driver said a man in Calicut's passenger seat pointed a gun at him. The passenger was later identified as Isaiah Brice Phillip, 17, whom Harris County officials said was shot at a July 20 pool party and died on July 21.The 17-year-old in the other car said he drove away and heard gunfire, per the documents, and a friend in a separate vehicle told investigators that he saw Phillip firing a gun out of Calicut's car window.

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee isn't quietly entering the 2025 season. He is firing shots.His main target was the Southeastern Conference, a league that views itself as the best in college football.But Lashlee's not so sure the SEC is loaded with quality teams."The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964," Lashlee said at ACC Kickoff on Tuesday in Charlotte. "Not a single one has been different since 1964. That's top-heavy to me. That's not depth."Those six programs to collect every title since 1964 were Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. There is one exception: Kentucky shared the 1976 title with Georgia.SMU qualified for a College Football Playoff spot last season ahead of SEC teams like Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss.Making it more impressive is that it came in the Mustangs' first season in the ACC. SMU went 8-0 in conference regular-season play, lost to Clemson in the ACC title game and to Penn State in the first-round of the CFP to finish 11-3.Lashlee is bullish on the ACC's accomplishments as a conference.