SMU is 9-1 on the year, but it's found itself as a team still searching for respect among the college football ranks.
With a 9-1 record, SMU is one of three teams in the American Athletic Conference with the best overall record. The Mustangs are tied with Cincinnati and Memphis.
That's the good news. The bad news for the Mustangs is that their record -- as a team which was one six-point, primetime-platform road loss against Memphis away from being unblemished -- has not earned the full respect of pollsters. In the latest AP Top 25 Poll and Coaches Poll, SMU dropped a spot from No. 20 to No. 21, despite not playing this week.
And in the College Football Playoff rankings, SMU was ranked No. 25 in the initial rankings on Nov. 5. Last Tuesday, despite beating East Carolina, SMU was dropped from the top 25 -- and this Tuesday, there's no guarantee that the Mustangs will return to the poll.
As a team with one of the best records in all of college football, SMU is still the hunter, versus being the hunted.
