Athletic directors from Iowa State and SMU recently engaged in a spirited exchange on social media regarding the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, creating a lively “stay off my lawn” moment.

To provide context, SMU boasts an impressive 11-1 record and is currently enjoying a nine-game winning streak as they head into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship game. However, they were ranked eighth in the recent CFP announcement on Tuesday. In contrast, Iowa State sits at 16th in the rankings and is competing for the Big 12 title, which is expected to secure only one spot in the upcoming 12-team playoff.

Jamie Pollard, Iowa State’s athletic director, expressed his discontent with SMU’s ranking on the platform X, previously known as Twitter. Pollard highlighted that SMU had not faced several top teams in the ACC, including Clemson, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and Miami, and pointed out that they had lost to BYU, a team from the Big 12, at home. He sarcastically remarked, “Looks like your lawn may be artificial,” directing his comment at Rick Hart, the athletic director of SMU.

In response, Hart fired back with a respectful tone but dismissed Pollard’s critique as misguided. He asserted that SMU’s nonconference slate was superior and emphasized that the Mustangs had only trailed for about six minutes during their last nine contests. His post concluded with the spirited retort, “Stay off my lawn!”

The situation appears to be critical for Iowa State, as they are under pressure to win, while SMU’s path remains slightly more ambiguous. If the Mustangs were to fall to No. 17 Clemson, the CFP selection committee would face the challenging task of determining how to assess a team that reached a title game while other competitors did not make it. This scenario could lead to intriguing matchups, potentially putting SMU against Alabama, ranked 11th and currently on the brink of entering the playoff picture.

Ultimately, the ramifications of these discussions will likely be decided on the field during the championship games on Saturday. Acknowledging this fact, Pollard extended a gesture of goodwill towards Hart, offering, “Rick, beat Clemson Saturday and I will respect your ranking,” indicating that the resolution of this rivalry may ultimately come down to performance in the crucial matchups ahead.