Crashing the Party: SMU's Blueprint for a National Title

SMU ponied up to join an exclusive Power Four club and receive an invitation from the ACC ahead of the 2023 season. The Mustangs crashed the party in 2024 by reaching the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs. The Cinderella season proved how far the program has come over the last decade. But a loss to Clemson for the ACC title and, more specifically, the defeat at Penn State in the CFP proved how far they need to go. 

The last two programs to rise into true national relevance are Clemson and Oregon. SMU wants to be next. That’ll take more than money. There will be 136 college football teams at the FBS level in 2026, but only 18 have a real shot at winning the 12-team playoff. Winning a national championship requires collecting high school talent at a high rate over years. There aren’t more than 20 schools that do that.