Lots at stake for No. 14 SMU, the CFP hopeful and newcomer atop ACC hosting Boston College

DALLAS (AP) - SMU is all alone atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, and the 14th-ranked Mustangs have a direct path to the 12-team College Football Playoff even if their new league does end up getting only one team in the expanded field.

"We know we've got a lot at stake right now," quarterback Kevin Jennings said.

And really no room for error.

"I think we have a good resume. I think we've proven that we belong in the conversation," third-year Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said. "I'm not going to worry as much about us in that right now because we've got to take care of business. If we don't win, nothing matters. … If we don't win the next three games, then we don't really have an argument. But if we do, then I think we've earned the right to have an argument."

The Mustangs (8-1, 5-0 ACC, No. 14 CFP) have three games left in the regular season to try to secure a spot in the ACC championship game, where a guaranteed CFP berth will be on the line. They host Boston College (5-4, 2-3) on Saturday, after an open date that followed a dominating win over previously undefeated Pittsburgh at home in their last game. They then play Virginia and California, both now 5-4 like the Eagles.

SMU is the only of the 17 ACC teams without a league loss, but last season’s American Athletic Conference champion dropped a spot to 14th in the second CFP rankings released this week. The Mustangs are five below Miami, which fell from fourth to ninth after its first loss last weekend. Those two teams don’t play in the regular season.

Boston College has changed starting quarterbacks going into its final road game and is trying to get bowl eligible in coach Bill O’Brien’s first season. FIU transfer Grayson James is replacing Thomas Castellanos as the starter after giving the Eagles a second-half spark in their win Saturday over Syracuse. James’ only start was a comeback victory over Western Kentucky on Sept. 28 because of injury to Castellanos, who stepped away from the team this week.

"I expect this transition to be seamless," BC tight end Jeremiah Franklin said.

Boston College is coming off a season-high 313 yards rushing last week against Syracuse with two 100-yard rushers. Kye Robichaux ran for 198 yards and Jordan McDonald 133.

"We rushed for 300 yards so, you know, it was good," O’Brien said. "The line played well, the tight ends played well, the running backs ran well. So it was good."

SMU’s defense leads the ACC and is fifth nationally allowing 90 yards rushing a game, which would be a single-season record. The Mustangs give up only 2.77 yards per carry.

This is a rematch of the Fenway Bowl last December when Castellanos had two fourth-quarter TD runs and the Eagles won 23-14 to snap SMU’s nine-game winning streak.

"Not a bit," Lashlee said when asked what impact that game would have on this meeting. “They've got a new team. I think they're better this year. We have a new team. I think we're better this year. They've got a brand new coach. … Obviously we didn't like the outcome of that game, they beat us. But it's not going to have any bearing on Saturday."

Eagles defensive end Neto Okpala does expect "a lot of trash talking. … It’ll be pretty entertaining, pretty fun, to play them again."

SMU has won six games since its 18-15 loss on Sept. 6 to No. 7 BYU, the Big 12 leader that is still undefeated.

The Mustangs have also won their last 14 regular-season conference games, a school-record streak that goes back to November 2022.

They have averaged 50.4 points over their last 13 home games, and that includes the BYU loss when all their points came on five field goals.

There was a scary moment in the Pitt game when SMU cornerback AJ Davis was taken off the field in an ambulance after remaining down at the end of a special teams play just before halftime. After being taken to the hospital, he was back on the sideline with his teammates before the end of that game.

Davis returned to practice this week, though he wasn't immediately cleared for contact and considered questionable to play Saturday.

"Still, just think about where we were a few weeks ago," Lashlee said. "That's really good stuff."