Must-Win Friday: Unranked SMU Hosts Virginia Tech With the ACC Path Still Alive, Barely

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RF Sports Radio branded title card with SMU Mustang logo: Must-win Friday, SMU vs Virginia Tech

By Brooke Calloway, RF Sports Radio SMU voice

Pony Up, Dallas. The committee left SMU out of the first College Football Playoff rankings. Fine. Friday night at Ford Stadium is louder than any poll. Virginia Tech comes to town, and another ACC loss would put the Mustangs on life support.

The facts

SMU (6-2, 4-2 ACC) hosts Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN, per Field Level Media and SMU Athletics. Neither team appeared in the first CFP Top 25 released Tuesday, when Miami was No. 1, Wake Forest No. 16 and Notre Dame No. 11, per the College Football Playoff. The Mustangs are still receiving votes in the AP poll and ranked 24th in the coaches poll, per SMU Athletics.

SMU is coming off a 30-27 loss at Syracuse on Oct. 31 in which Kevin Jennings completed 29 of 36 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns, and the Mustangs allowed six sacks after giving up just six combined in the first seven games, per Field Level Media. Rhett Lashlee said, "We're no longer in control of everything, but we're also not out of anything. So we put ourselves in this position, we gotta dig our way out." SMU still has home games against No. 16 Wake Forest on Nov. 14 and a trip to No. 11 Notre Dame on Nov. 21.

Virginia Tech arrives off a bye after a 20-16 win at Clemson on Oct. 24. The Hokies' two losses, to Pittsburgh and California, were by a combined seven points, both decided in the final 18 seconds, per Field Level Media. It is the first SMU-Virginia Tech meeting since 1974; the Mustangs lead the series 2-1. Lashlee is 14-2 in November since 2022, per SMU Athletics.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: this is the season, right here. Beat Virginia Tech and you still have a pulse for the ACC title game. Lose, and three conference losses with Louisville holding the head-to-head makes the math brutal.

Protect Jennings. Six sacks at Syracuse was a red flag. If the Hokies get home free, the Friday night crowd will get quiet fast. On defense, keep living on third down. A .270 opponent conversion rate is how you survive an ugly offensive night.

I trust Lashlee in November. The rankings can wait until after the Mustangs stack a win.

What to watch next

Watch Friday's injury report and the sack total. For the CFP snub reaction, read our Nov. 4 CFP rankings reaction, and follow the Mustangs on our SMU Football page.

Radio question: is Friday night against Virginia Tech a must-win for SMU's season, or can the Mustangs still climb after another ACC loss?

Sources: Field Level Media - SMU, Virginia Tech clash in must-win game for CFP aspirations; SMU Athletics - SMU set for Friday night showdown with Virginia Tech; College Football Playoff - First rankings of 2026; The Dallas Morning News - CFP rankings takeaways, SMU left out.

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