Do you think the No.4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are just gonna stroll into the playoffs and steamroll the No. ranked SMU Mustangs on December 21? If so, you gotta think again. Rhett Lashlee, head of the Mustangs, ain’t intimidated by Penn State or the daunting atmosphere of Happy Valley. SMU might be the underdog, but don’t sleep on them. Underdogs have a way of making a statement, and this time, Lashlee isn’t backing down. He’s got something to prove!

On December 10th, Rhett Lashlee went live with CBS Sports, firing the first shot with zero fear. “You know, we got a 10-game road winning streak right now and so it’d be awesome to see if our guys can continue to travel and play well,” he said, keeping it 100% real. Look, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is literally a madhouse, arguably the loudest crowd in the entire US sports. The teams have taken time-outs while playing there because of loud noises. But for Lashlee and his Mustang? This ain’t mean anything. Their track record for road games is too clean to be distracted by loud mouths on the afternoon game. They have that type of confidence that can’t be simply ignored.

The Mustangs punched their playoff ticket despite a heartbreaking, razor-edge 34-31 loss to Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in the ACC championship game. However, Rhett Lashlee’s Mustang showed heart and balled out in the face of adversity. Almost had Dabo Swinney and his Tigers on tightrope until that last-minute game winning FG. But Lashlee ain’t crying over spilled milk. He’s laser focused on what’s next.

“I think the best thing that this new playoff brings, besides more teams like us getting in, is first-round games on college campuses,” he added, praising the new playoff format. Yeah, he knows going to Happy Valley and taking that W in front of 107,000 ain’t no walk in the park. But he’s all cashed in. “We’re fired up and we’re excited about the challenge to go out and prove that the committee made the right decision.”

Rhett Lashlee breaks down James Franklin’s Penn State strategy

Alright, let’s talk strategy. Lashlee’s not a rookie when it comes to reading defenses. Penn State’s defense has been diabolical throughout the season. They are the top 3 defenses in the nation. But even giants have weak spots; the Oregon Ducks exposed them in the Big 10 title game, dropping 45 on James Franklin’s defense. “Their defense has been playing very well all season, but last night they were leaking a little bit,” Rhett Lashlee stated. Translation? If you can catch Penn State on the wrong night like Dan Lanning’s Oregon did, they can literally drag and drown that defense.

But this ain’t just about Penn State’s screw-ups. Rhett’s got mad respect for their crew too. “I got a lot of respect for James. I know Tom Allen, who’s their defensive coordinator. Well, I know offensively, you know, they’re doing a lot of what… Kansas last year, very multiple, exotic things they do on offense,” he said, breaking it down like a chess player eyeing the board.