The Mustangs take on Florida State to begin the year, but can Rhett Lashlee's side avoid an upset?
The SMU Mustangs have been one of the teams that most people think can do some damage in 2026 under Rhett Lashlee.
Having won 11 games in back-to-back seasons before a 9-4 record and a Holiday Bowl win last year, SMU is again poised to be a big dog in the ACC.
Yes, Miami is No. 1 for most, but don't discount the Mustangs.
For SMU to be the team many think they can be in 2026, it begins with winning games you should.
And that means taking care of business against Florida State to kick off the season.
On the road, the Mustangs appear to have the advantage at all the critical points, but as we know, football isn't played on paper.
And for Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut.com, he has the Mustangs winning 27-20, thanks to two key players having a great day.
"The SMU Mustangs clearly have the better quarterback in this matchup, and it's easy to argue they have the better coaching staff right now," Johnson wrote.
"Both of those factors can trump Florida State's home-field advantage, especially given how rough things have been for that program under Norvell over the past year-plus. We expect Kevin Jennings and Kendrick Raphael to propel the Mustangs to a win in Tallahassee."
Jennings is seen as one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, and after he had a little hiccup with his finger getting jammed in a door this offseason, he's back at practice and ready to start the season.
As for Kendrick Raphael, coming over from California, he looks as a potential X-factor for the Mustangs in the run game.
Posting 943 yards and 13 TDs last season, that is the sort of production the Mustangs would love to complement with the passing attack from Jennings.
Of course, given that it is the first game of the season for SMU, there is still an unknown to them, and yes, we think we have an idea of how Lashlee's team is going to play, but we won't truly know until they hit the field.
Everything points to an SMU win, but football is rarely an easy thing to predict, but expect the Mustangs to take care of business here.
