2026 MATRIXWEEK 9138 FBS TEAMS56 GAMESCOLLEGE FOOTBALL DECODEDMODEL + MARKET + CONTEXT
GameDay Matrix
S
ACC · Mustangs · 6-1

SMU

Ratings fitted through Week 8. Results through October 25.

Preseason roster reference: Kevin Jennings, Rhett Lashlee and strong offensive continuity support a high floor, while road games at Florida State, Louisville and Notre Dame limit the top end.

MPR #29Projected Wins #20ACC MPR #3Ratings through Week 8 · Outlook October 25
Matrix Power Rating11.3National #29
Projected Wins8.90National #20
Schedule Strength#54National SOS rank
Projected Offense27.4Remaining-schedule average
Projected Defense24.6Remaining-schedule average
Point Differential+2.8Projected per game
Week 8 Model Update

Model Response

Moved Up

The Week 8 review is complete. This panel shows the rating change and its football context.

Week-over-Week MPR9.74 → 11.27+1.53 MPR
Rank#32 → #29+3 spots
Projected Wins8.55 → 8.90Week 9 refresh
SEASON STRENGTH UPDATE

Beat California 59–20. The opponent-adjusted season fit moves power +1.5 points; unit inputs are retained.

External Headlines

Latest SMU news.

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Outcome Range

Season Distribution

Completed results through October 25 are fixed. Remaining-game probabilities use the ratings fitted through Week 8.

Current Season OutlookResults through October 25
6
7
8
9
10
11
The gold bar is the current mode (9 wins). Each remaining game is treated independently; shared rating uncertainty is not included. Bars below 0.05% are omitted.
Season Market Reference · 2026-08-08
Current Forecast / Preseason Quote

The August 8 quote is retained for comparison. This gap is not a current betting recommendation and does not define team strength.

Preseason Posted Total8.5
Preseason Effective Market8.61
Current Win-Total Gap+0.29
Quote StatusReference only
Game by Game

2026 Schedule Matrix

Upcoming games use season-strength ratings after Week 8. Completed results retain their original pregame Matrix forecast.

DateOpponentWin %Score / ResultMarginTotalConfidenceType
SEP 7Florida StateAway · ACCFINALGame Status27–24Final · Pregame Matrix 26–26-0.4Margin51.5TotalFINALFBSOpponent
SEP 12UC DavisHome · NonconferenceFINALGame Status56–10Final · Pregame Matrix 38–15+46.0Final Margin52.4TotalFINALFCS/Other ProxyOpponent
SEP 19LouisvilleAway · ACCFINALGame Status31–41Final · Pregame Matrix 26–27-1.3Margin52.4TotalFINALFBSOpponent
SEP 26Missouri StateHome · NonconferenceFINALGame Status34–24Final · Pregame Matrix 43–10+33.5Margin52.6TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 3Boston CollegeHome · ACCFINALGame Status25–16Final · Pregame Matrix 35–18+16.5Margin53.5TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 17VirginiaHome · ACCFINALGame Status23–13Final · Pregame Matrix 30–20+9.1Margin50.0TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 24CaliforniaHome · ACCFINALGame Status59–20Final · Pregame Matrix 33–22+10.9Margin55.1TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 31SyracuseAway · ACC73%Win %30–21Current projection+9.2Margin51.0TotalMediumFBSOpponent
NOV 6Virginia TechHome · ACC60%Win %29–25Current projection+3.9Margin53.9TotalLowFBSOpponent
NOV 14Wake ForestHome · ACC64%Win %28–22Current projection+5.5Margin49.7TotalMediumFBSOpponent
NOV 21Notre DameAway · Nonconference12%Win %18–36Current projection-18.0Margin54.8TotalHighFBSOpponent
NOV 28StanfordAway · ACC81%Win %32–19Current projection+13.4Margin50.5TotalHighFBSOpponent
Upcoming games use current ratings. Completed games preserve their original forecast and final result.
← All Teams

Week 8 closeout is complete. Season-win market comparisons retain the August 8 quote vintage; they are reference comparisons. Season-win distributions condition on played results and use independent remaining-game probabilities.

Active net power 11.27 = OFF 33.15 − DEF 20.60 + ST -0.30 + legacy residual 0.15 + season adjustment -1.13. Sigma 1.92.