T-11 SMU
4-1 in ACC play, T-2nd in the ACC
Up 9 spots (#20 to T-11) after a home win over T-107 California (59-20) in a blowout. As expected: SMU entered with 78.9 TDR points to California's 34.9. Now 6-1, fourth straight win. AP: #23 to #19. TDR score +1.5: win/loss record +1.3.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
SMU (ACC) is ranked T-11, tied with Liberty and Northwestern in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 6-1 and a score of 80.4 out of 100. That is up 9 from week 7. That puts it in the Winning tier (ranks 1-25). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record at game time (63.8 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 5, 25-16 over T-50 Boston College at home. The defeat that hurts the score most is the week 3 loss, 41-31 to T-48 Louisville on the road.
SMU has won its last 4 games in a row. On the road it is 1-1. The average margin is +15.3 points per game, with a biggest win of 46 points. 1 of 7 games was decided by a touchdown or less.
SMU is 19th in the AP poll (8 spots lower than the Davis Rankings); 16th in the Coaches poll (5 spots lower than the Davis Rankings).
Next up is #74 Syracuse in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against #5 Wake Forest. 2 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida State (away, conference game) | W 27-24 |
| 2 | UC Davis (home) | W 56-10 |
| 3 | Louisville (away, conference game) | L 31-41 |
| 4 | Missouri State (home) | W 34-24 |
| 5 | Boston College (home, conference game) | W 25-16 |
| 7 | Virginia (home, conference game) | W 23-13 |
| 8 | California (home, conference game) | W 59-20 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Syracuse (away, conference game) | (ESPN2) |
| 10 | Virginia Tech (home, conference game) | (ESPN) |
| 11 | Wake Forest (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Notre Dame (away) | (NBC) |
| 13 | Stanford (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #11, Winning (week 8). Best #1 (week 1). Lowest #76 (week 3). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left. A poll is a top 25, so its line breaks in the weeks the team is not in it. The poll lines are drawn a little apart so equal ranks do not hide each other: point at a week for the exact ranks.
Week 8 TDR #11 (80.4, 6-1) Winning AP #19 Coaches #16
Week 1 TDR #1 (97.2, 1-0) AP #17 Coaches #17
Week 2 TDR #10 (94.2, 2-0) AP #16 Coaches #16
Week 3 TDR #76 (52.0, 2-1) Do We Need to Talk? AP #22 Coaches #25
Week 4 TDR #40 (72.7, 3-1) Feeling Good AP #21 Coaches #19
Week 5 TDR #30 (76.3, 4-1) Feeling Good AP #24 Coaches #21
Week 6 TDR #28 (76.2, 4-1) Feeling Good AP #24 Coaches #22
Week 7 TDR #20 (78.9, 5-1) Winning AP #23 Coaches #20
Week 8 TDR #11 (80.4, 6-1) Winning AP #19 Coaches #16
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier | AP | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 | 97.2 | 1-0 | - | #17 | #17 |
| 2 | #10 | 94.2 | 2-0 | - | #16 | #16 |
| 3 | #76 | 52.0 | 2-1 | Do We Need to Talk? | #22 | #25 |
| 4 | #40 | 72.7 | 3-1 | Feeling Good | #21 | #19 |
| 5 | #30 | 76.3 | 4-1 | Feeling Good | #24 | #21 |
| 6 | #28 | 76.2 | 4-1 | Feeling Good | #24 | #22 |
| 7 | #20 | 78.9 | 5-1 | Winning | #23 | #20 |
| 8 | #11 | 80.4 | 6-1 | Winning | #19 | #16 |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 85.7 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 77.8 |
| opponent record at game time | 63.8 |
| opponent record today | 64.4 |
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