The SMU Mustangs just might be for real: Earn spot in Top 25 after Week 6 win

Heading into this season, no one was more of a wild card than SMU. This is because while the Mustangs finished 2023 with a phenomenal record of 11-3 (which proved without a doubt that they were head and shoulders above the rest of the AAC), all three losses were to Power Conference opposition, by multiple possessions each.

It was this conflicting nature that caused me to question the reach of 2024 SMU back in July, projecting the Mustangs would finish their regular season with five losses—the first three of which would be to TCU, Florida State, and Louisville. Boy, how wrong I was about that.

Instead of the grand exposure I had in mind, SMU beat all three of those opponents, with two of its wins being by over 20 points, and the third being on the road and over a ranked name.

Along with that quality résumé, SMU’s lone loss is quite forgivable, as not only was it in non-conference play and decided by a field goal, but it was to a BYU team that is currently unbeaten and ranked in the top 15. That’s wild.

In fact, it is so wild that, at this halfway checkpoint, we have to start asking if the 25th-ranked Mustangs are actual contenders in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Upon taking a glance at their remaining games, I’d have to say so.

SMU is on a much-deserved bye this weekend before going to what is currently a negative Stanford squad, then it’s on the road again to face the Duke Blue Devils, who just got exposed by Georgia Tech.

From there, three of its last four foes are in Dallas, with the most difficult one of the bunch also being the first—undefeated Pittsburgh.

My only concern regarding the Panthers, though, is that their perfect record rides almost solely on the fact that they have faced no one of significant merit yet, so beating the Mustangs in what will be their Homecoming game is far less manageable for them than perhaps meets the eye.

Another big one is SMU’s last road game, at Virginia in Week 13, as especially with a record of 4-1, the Cavaliers don’t provide a clear path to a dub.

However, the Cavs have a horrid combination of limited résumé (struggle win over Wake Forest, convincing home loss to Maryland) and unfortunate timing (hosting the Mustangs between visits to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech) that paints a considerably calmer picture for the Ponies.

You’re ranked, you're 5-1 on the season, you're off to a booming start in conference play, and you only have Pitt and UVA as the biggest obstacles still standing in your way—what a time to be an SMU Mustang.

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