Wake Forest could wake up Sunday one step closer to an ACC Championship and a spot in the nation's top 10. That's what is at stake in Saturday's showdown with SMU. I've underestimated the Mustangs a couple of times this season, and they've made me pay for it. That said, the Demon Deacons have been cutting through ACC competition like a hot knife through butter and, while this game may get close, Wake Forest will likely give SMU the same treatment.
Wake Forest sits at 7-1 and ranked No. 11 in the country. Their only loss came against the top-10 Miami Hurricanes. In their other five ACC matchups, they've beaten every opponent by at least three points and by as many as 54 points. The Demon Deacons have piled up 264 points over their last five games alone, four of the contests came against conference foes. While SMU boasts some impressive numbers of its own, Wake Forest doesn't just have scoring power, it has the defense to match. Over those same five contests, the Deacons have outscored their opponents by a combined 233 points. The Mustangs are a solid football team, but what Wake Forest is offering on both sides of the ball may simply be too much for SMU to overcome.
The Mustangs are 7-2 and No. 25 in the country, but both of their losses have come against ACC opponents, conference foes that sit well outside the national rankings. Both of those defeats occurred on the road, and this game will be played in Dallas. However, the vulnerability SMU showed in those matchups arguably demonstrates how unprepared they may be to knock off a team of Wake Forest's caliber. That's why I'm all over the visitors walking away with a statement victory on Saturday.
Wake Forest vs SMU prediction: Wake Forest ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.
