SMU is chasing a Heisman campaign and an ACC title. Boston College is just trying to remember how to win. This one's not close on paper before it's even kicked off.
Bush’s Picks
BCSMU
BCSMU
OverUnder
Best BetSMU
SMU is the far more proven team here, built around a third-year starting quarterback with a winning track record against ACC competition. Boston College is trotting out a first-time Division I starter behind a defense that was one of the worst in the country a season ago. This is a lean-hard spot for the home side.
Boston College
+McKenzie brings dual-threat ability from D-II standout season
+History of quick turnarounds after bad seasons
+Ted Roof overhauling defense via transfer portal
−Coming off 2-10 season, defense ranked 128th nationally
−No returning pass rusher with more than 2.5 sacks
−CFN projects just a 4-8 record
SMU
+Jennings enters year 3 as starter with 19-7 record
+8 of 11 offensive starters returning
+14-2 record in ACC starts under Jennings
−Lost both coordinators, promoted from within instead
−Edge and secondary leaning on transfers still gelling
−Building Heisman-hype pressure around the QB
Boston College is coming off a 2-10 disaster, and new defensive coordinator Ted Roof has spent the offseason restocking the country's 128th-ranked defense through the transfer portal. On offense, redshirt junior Mason McKenzie won the starting job after arriving from Division-II Saginaw Valley State, where he threw for over 4,300 yards and ran for 662 more. He's never taken a Division I snap. That's the leap BC needs him to make for any of this to matter.
SMU isn't rebuilding anything. Kevin Jennings enters his third year as the starter with a 19-7 record and a Heisman campaign built around him, and the Mustangs are bringing back 8 of 11 offensive starters around him. Rhett Lashlee did lose both of his coordinators this offseason, opting to promote from within rather than go outside for replacements, but the on-field pieces are largely intact. That continuity gap is the closest thing to a soft spot in this matchup, and it's a small one.
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BC Boston College
SMU SMU
This is an ACC game between a team with real conference title aspirations and a team that CFN projects to finish 4-8. Boston College's history says quick turnarounds are possible — the program bounced back from 2-10 in 2012 with back-to-back 7-6 seasons — but that timeline usually takes longer than a few weeks in early October.
Boston College Eagles
Sep 25?vs Virginia Tech—
Sep 19?vs Maine—
Sep 11?vs Rutgers—
Sep 5?@ Cincinnati—
SMU Mustangs
Sep 25?vs Missouri State—
Sep 19?@ Louisville—
Sep 12?vs UC Davis—
Sep 7?@ Florida State—
Recent form.
The number to watch for BC is the pass rush: no Eagle recorded more than 2.5 sacks last season, and that unit gets tested against an SMU offense that's built to push the ball vertically through Jennings. If BC can't get pressure, this turns into exactly the kind of long night that sank the 2025 defense repeatedly, with opponents topping 200 rushing yards in five separate games.
Boston College Eagles
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
SMU Mustangs
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Safety KP Price and free safety Carter Davis give Boston College a competent last line of defense, and the corner room has depth even if the front seven doesn't. That secondary talent is probably BC's best chance to keep this from getting out of hand early and let McKenzie's dual-threat game find a rhythm as the season wears on.
