%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20width%3D%2239px%22%20height%3D%2240px%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2039%2040%22%20enable-background%3D%22new%200%200%2039%2040%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M38.5%2C7H28.2v26h10.3V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20clip-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M26.1%2C25.5c0%2C5.8-4.1%2C7.5-12.9%2C7.5C3.9%2C33%2C0%2C31.2%2C0%2C25.2v-1.1h11.6%0A%09v2.4c0%2C0.7%2C0.1%2C1.4%2C1.2%2C1.4c1%2C0%2C1.2-0.4%2C1.2-1.3v-0.9c0-1.6-0.9-1.6-3.5-2.2C2.2%2C21.7%2C0%2C19.7%2C0%2C15.3v-0.9C0%2C9.3%2C5.5%2C7%2C12.9%2C7%0A%09c10.2%2C0%2C12.8%2C2.6%2C12.8%2C7.4v1.8h-11v-2.9c0-0.6-0.4-1.1-1.2-1.1c-0.6%2C0-1.2%2C0.4-1.2%2C1.1v0.9c0%2C1.5%2C0.9%2C2%2C3.3%2C2.5%0A%09c8%2C1.6%2C10.5%2C3.3%2C10.5%2C7.5V25.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
SMU Coach Pokes Fun at ESPN Drama, Shouts Out Brett McMurphy During 'Selection Show'
Southern Methodist University was on the College Football Playoff bubble after a loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game on Saturday, but the CFP committee still put them in over Alabama. One person who was happy to learn this was SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, who appeared on ESPN's Selction Show after the teams were revealed.
Lashlee, who spent a decade as an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at various schools before taking over at SMU in 2022, quickly took the opportunity to take a jab at ESPN's prolonged announcement format and gave a shoutout to a former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy in the process.
UPDATE: Here's a video where you can hear Lashlee from Awful Announcing:
"Your production team sure did a really good job of creating a lot of drama there. ...I think shortly before it was announced, I saw a tweet from Brett McMurphy, and the Vegas odds started shifting." SMU HC Rhett Lashlee had quite the lines on ESPN's CFP reveal show. pic.twitter.com/I17Z1ieBUO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 8, 2024
Here's a very hard to hear clip McMurphy recorded off a television with his cell phone.
Glad to help that heart rate!! Congrats @rhettlashlee & @SMUFB pic.twitter.com/Y9dy2MgS0u
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 8, 2024
"Thanks Rece. I mean your production team sure did a really good job of creating a lot of drama there," said Lashlee. "I mean we were on pins and needles watching it. I think shortly before it was announced I saw a tweet from Brett McMurphy and the Vegas odds starting shifting and it probably took my heart rate from about 200 to 160."
McMurphy, who was laid off by ESPN back in 2017, currently works for The Action Network. One minute before the selection show started on Sunday, he diffused some tension by accurately reporting that SMU was in and Alabama was out.
Breaking: SMU is in @CFBPlayoff and Alabama is out, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 8, 2024
Unfortunately, sources did not know where the volume button was.
More of the Latest Around College Football
feed
Stephen Douglas is a Senior Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in journalism and media since 2008, and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Stephen spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and has previously written for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.