Greg McElroy Names Dark Horse Program That Could Shake Up The ACC In 2024

SMU officially joined the ACC on July 1 and enters the conference with high expectations after winning the first conference title since 1984 last season. The Mustangs finished the season 11-3 and were ranked No. 22 in the final AP Top 25 poll.

ESPN's Greg McElroy believes the Mustangs have a chance to shake up the conference in their first season. He noted that SMU currently has higher odds of winning the ACC than North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

"I think there's a lot of reasons to believe that SMU could be in a position to really shake things up," McElroy said. "Shockingly enough, you look at SMU's odds right now to win the ACC... SMU is +1700 to win the ACC. You realize that's better odds than North Carolina and Virginia Tech."

McElroy remains skeptical due to SMU's struggles against Power Five competition over the past two seasons. The Mustangs were 0-3 last season against Power Five opponents, including a 23-14 loss against Boston College in the Fenway Bowl.

"This is a team that has struggled against Power Five programs. They're actually just 1-9 against Power Five programs in their last 10 games, which is pretty shocking," McElroy said. "And now, they're moving to a league where they have to play Power Four teams every week."

SMU is 0-5 over the past two seasons against Power Five opponents. The last Power Five victory was in 2021, when the Mustangs defeated TCU. Head coach Rhett Lashlee is 18-9 over his first two seasons but will face an entirely new challenge as the Mustangs aim to make a run to the ACC Championship game.

SMU will open the 2024 season against Nevada on Aug. 24 at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nevada. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

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