SMU isn't waiting around for anybody to catch up. The Mustangs are 31-10 since the start of 2023 and 14-2 against ACC opponents in the regular season since joining the league, and Jennings returning for a fifth season in Dallas gives them the kind of continuity most Power Four programs would kill for. Add in transfer running back Kendrick Raphael, who ran for 13 touchdowns at Cal last season, and this offense has a chance to be one of the more complete units in the conference.
Virginia Tech's schedule was never going to make this rebuild easy — Clemson at Death Valley, a trip to Dallas for SMU, and a road date in Miami are all on the slate — and by early November, Franklin will have a much clearer read on whether his new pieces are actually meshing or whether the growing pains from a coaching change are still showing up on tape.
For SMU, the bigger question isn't talent, it's whether this is finally the year the close calls turn into a trophy. The Mustangs played for the 2024 ACC Championship and came close again in 2025 without closing the deal, and Jennings has dealt with ankle issues in the past that are worth watching as the season wears on. A veteran team with real CFP aspirations hosting a rebuilding opponent at home is exactly the kind of spot where a program with something to prove needs to take care of business.
Virginia Tech's ceiling this season is bowl eligibility and proof of concept for Franklin's first year; SMU's ceiling is a return to the playoff conversation. That gap in stakes is part of what makes this one worth watching — a program trying to climb back to relevance against one already operating near the top of the ACC.