The SMU Mustangs were a staple in the 2024 College Football Playoff rankings, earning one of seven at-large spots to become an 11-seed in the 12-team field.
In 2025, it took until Nov. 25 for SMU to return
to the CFP rankings, but it made its first appearance in the Tuesday night reveal, checking in at No. 21 in the rankings.
However, the ranking is somewhat irrelevant to SMU as the Mustangs do not have to finish above a certain threshold to qualify for the College Football Playoff. The ACC champion is slated to finish as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions — one of the qualifications for the CFP. SMU would likely be the fourth highest-ranked conference champion should it win out, considering the Mustangs are well behind the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 title contenders and ahead of American Conference frontrunner Tulane — the fifth highest-ranked conference leader at No. 24.
In summary, SMU likely controls its destiny for the No. 11 seed in the bracket.
Now the bracket is somewhat misleading as Miami (FL) is listed as the mock ACC champion, considering it is currently the highest-ranked ACC team. However, the Hurricanes do not control their own destiny for the ACC Championship Game and need significant help to qualify this weekend. Currently, Virginia (which plays Virginia Tech) and SMU (which plays California) are win-and-in for the ACC title game, and the conference champion is almost certain to secure a spot in the playoff.
Five ACC teams were ranked in Tuesday night’s reveal — No. 12 Miami (FL), No. 18 Virginia, No. 21 SMU, No. 22 Pittsburgh, and No. 23 Georgia Tech. Miami is the only team realistically positioned for an at-large bid but will need losses from the top 10 for that to materialize. Otherwise, the ACC is likely a one-bid league with the eventual champion securing spot. The five aforementioned teams, plus Duke, are still alive for the ACC Championship Game.
SMU must defeat California on Saturday, Nov. 29 on the road to complete its first step in qualifying for a second-straight CFP. But unlike last year, the Mustangs cannot afford to lose the ACC Championship Game and receive an at-large spot.
The full CFP rankings are below:
