SMU football opens the 2026 season ranked No. 20 in the Coaches Poll, giving the Mustangs another chance to prove they belong among the nation’s elite.
SMU football is officially starting the 2026 season with a target on its back.
The Mustangs landed at No. 20 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, earning 378 points and securing a spot among college football’s opening Top 25 for the second consecutive year.
That’s another sign SMU’s rise is no longer being dismissed as a temporary hot streak.
The program has graduated from feel-good outsider to nationally recognized contender.
SMU enters the season ahead of several established programs, including No. 21 Utah, No. 22 Iowa, No. 23 Clemson, No. 24 Houston and No. 25 Missouri.
The Mustangs also sit just behind Washington, Tennessee, Penn State and Michigan, putting them within striking distance of a significant early-season climb.
Ohio State owns the poll’s top spot after receiving 38 first-place votes and 1,741 points. Oregon checks in at No. 2, followed by Georgia, Texas and Notre Dame.
Indiana surprisingly grabbed 14 first-place votes but still finished sixth, two points behind the Fighting Irish.
The state of Texas is heavily represented. Texas begins at No. 4, Texas A&M is eighth and Texas Tech sits at No. 12. SMU and Houston give the state five teams in the initial rankings.
For the Mustangs, No. 20 is both validation and a warning.
National voters clearly respect what SMU has built, but they’re not ready to place the program among the sport’s heavyweights just yet.
That leaves the Mustangs in an ideal position: ranked high enough to matter, but low enough to play the disrespect card.
Preseason polls don’t win conference championships or College Football Playoff games. They do, however, shape national perception and create opportunities for major jumps when ranked teams start falling.
SMU won’t have to beg for attention in 2026. The Mustangs already have it. Now they have to prove No. 20 was only the starting point.
