Week 5 of the college football season has arrived. On the Saturday slate, an ACC clash sees the Boston College Eagles traveling to Texas as they take on No. 21 SMU. There should be plenty of offense on the menu in this one, go get the popcorn ready and settle in.
Here’s a preview, prediction and pick for Boston College vs. SMU in Week 5 of the 2026 college football season.
Boston College vs. SMU prediction, preview
The Eagles are 2-2 thus far, already matching last season’s win total. They have wins over Rutgers and FCS Maine, with losses to Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. They’re trying to get back above the .500 mark as they were in year one under Bill O’Brien, but unless this offense gets some things figured out, that may prove difficult. Boston College averages just 19.8 PPG and 352.5 YPG – quarterback Mason McKenzie’s 56.5% completion rate and ACC-leading five interceptions aren’t helping anything. He has contributed 363 yards and three scores with his legs in a very solid run game alongside Evan Dickens, who has 214 yards and three scores of his own. The passing attack is headlined by a trio of wideouts with 100+ yards, but none are over the 200 mark yet and the team averages just 189.8 passing yards per contest. The defense is respectable with 23.0 PPG and 340.8 YPG allowed, and the secondary is fairly strong. The run defense is a weakness, though, and overall, it should be quite difficult to hang with the SMU attack.
The Mustangs, meanwhile, are 3-1 after beating Florida State, FCS UC Davis and Missouri State; the lone loss came 41-31 to Louisville. They’re one of the most potent offensive attacks in college football with 37.0 PPG and 550.8 YPG, the latter of which ranks second in the nation. SMU’s pass game paces the sport with 392.5 passing yards per game, running through Kevin Jennings – he leads the ACC with 1,453 passing yards, and while he’s also thrown five interceptions, he has a 77.0% completion rate with 12 touchdowns, too. Yamir Knight is a clear top target with 27 catches for 345 yards and two scores, followed by Jalen Cooper with 14 grabs for 245 yards and one touchdown. For an idea of how deep this offense is, there’s another 200-yard receiver and four more names with 100+ yards of their own. Halfback Kendrick Raphael looks great with 373 rushing yards and five touchdowns while running at a clip of 6.0 YPC, as well. The defense could be better with 24.8 PPG allowed, but the unit has held opponents to 309.5 YPG. And when you’re scoring like this, who needs defense anyways?
Boston College vs. SMU pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, SMU enters as a 21.5-point favorite with -1800 odds on the Moneyline; Boston College is a +1000 underdog to win outright. The game total sits at 55.5 combined points between these teams.
This is a matchup in which I’m looking at the Eagles to cover. A spread of three touchdowns is quite wide, even given the state of both of these teams. Here’s one way to look at it – the Mustangs’ best ability is moving the ball through the air, while Boston College’s secondary is allowing just 165.8 passing yards per game. I’m not bullish on BC’s ability to score a ton on Saturday, but I do think they’ll manage to find the end zone once or twice. And while I do think SMU hangs plenty of points on the opposition, the team total of 37.5 feels high given that the group hasn’t yet eclipsed that mark yet in a game against an FBS opponent.
Don’t get me wrong, the Mustangs should cruise to an easy win given their offensive superiority. Boston College may do just enough to keep this game within 21.5, though.
Best Bet: Boston College +21.5 (-115)
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