Throughout their short time in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the SMU Mustangs have stood out as one of the league's top squads, whether it be with the elite coaching of Rhett Lashlee, or the fact that no one in the conference has been able to truly outclass them head-to-head.
This reputation has dominated their offseason to the point of them being humored for the title of “Best ACC Team Not Named Miami,” and at least until we see any undeniable proof of otherwise from Louisville, I’m willing to feed into the praise.
But of course, no praise from some comes without doubt from some others, as there’s also been serious speculation that we could see SMU take a loss before its 2026 campaign even gets off the ground.
The way some envisioned this going down is actually not too far-fetched: SMU is starting the season in Tallahassee to take on a notoriously unpredictable Florida State team, and while the Ponies are coming into the match cold, the Seminoles will be warmed up after their “Week 0” meeting with New Mexico State. It’s never too hard to sniff the upset potential out of circumstances like those.
However, SMU supporters are probably feeling all the better about their investment today, as Florida State’s performance against the Aggies was nowhere near the caliber that most of us had anticipated, even on the Mike Norvell curve. Yet to those people I ask: doesn’t that showing also run the risk of making matters worse?
Look at it this way—last year’s Mustangs lost to multiple opponents they were good enough to beat (like Baylor, Wake Forest, and Cal). A factor that always comes to mind upon hearing of such losses is the overlooking/disrespecting of your opponent (see the Deacs and Golden Bears specifically for that part, as they were wedged within some of the season’s brightest moments).
With Florida State not looking so hot and getting significant hate for it, the odds of SMU sleeping on the Seminoles in a similar fashion feel increasingly likely, and especially if they appear to have learned from their mistakes, that can spell disaster. Who knows? Maybe the only reason FSU was so flawed against New Mexico State is because the Aggies were subjected to some overlooking themselves!
This could all amount to nothing more than me wasting some words, capped off by the Mustangs smacking the Seminoles down harder than I still believe they will. But until that happens, I’d refuse to let my guard down. No one but you should decide whether your opponent is a worthy threat, and that rule certainly doesn’t rest when the threat in question is 1-0 after beating an FBS foe by 17.
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