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This might prove to be one of the biggest games in SMU’s modern history. The Mustangs win this game and they are the clear-cut favorite in the conference. They are the clear-cut favorite to win the Group of Five. They are even giving themselves a puncher’s chance to make the College Football Playoff, if a couple other things fall into place. That’s how big this game is, for both SMU and Cincinnati.

But a loss, and the entire tenor of things changes. It doesn’t end the goals of the season, but it doesn’t provide all the glory of a win. SMU beat three less-than-stellar teams to start the season. Then it beat an undermanned Memphis team and a Tulane team that has struggled to win conference games. This opponent, though, is legitimately good.

It’s really important to note that the big matchup in this game is SMU’s offense and Cincinnati’s defense. The Mustangs are a high-scoring group. But the Bearcats have only allowed a handful of touchdowns this year, and just more than 12 points per game. It’s a great matchup within the matchup.

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No doubt this is a huge game for this season and as a measuring stick for the program’s evolution. Already with the win against a then ranked Memphis team this season, the win against a #9 ranked team will bring us to new heights not seen since our pay-for-players era.

Cincy might be better than last year’s Memphis team (hard to objectively judge that), so I won’t view a loss as an abject failure and major blow to the program’s development. But, a win really locks in some nice gains in progress for the reasons you state above. ...puts us in a new status of achievement and shows year-over-year high performance in conference and even nationally. And in addition to the impact you mention for this season, it might do wonders for recruiting.

Winning and staying highly ranked continues to shape the brand of the program. We keep this up and the view of SMU football becomes: class of the Group of 5, wins a ton of games, and buries further down “The only school ever to receive the death penalty.”

I’m really worried that our running game without TJ is going to really hurt us against good teams. Hope we can pull it off.

AfricanMustang, YES SMU can win this latest "Big Game".

I would only contend with one point you made...the key to the game is whether our defense can limit THEIR offense.

We will score. The issue is whether we can make stops or hold them out of the end zone.

I like our chances.