Published October 24, 2026 · By the Goalorithm model desk
Preview
The SMU Mustangs visit the Syracuse Orange in college football on Saturday, October 31, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET. The model's likelier result is an SMU Mustangs win, though the Syracuse Orange remain in contention according to its win estimates. Those estimates are not certainties.
The Syracuse Orange arrive after consecutive losses, with a win also among their recent results. The SMU Mustangs have the better season record, setting up a meeting between teams with different records this season.
What the model expects
The model gives the Syracuse Orange 45.7% to win and the SMU Mustangs 54.3%. It projects 27.1 points for the Syracuse Orange and 28.6 for the SMU Mustangs, with 55.7 in all. Its projected margin is the SMU Mustangs by 1.5 points.
Records and recent results
The Syracuse Orange are 2-4 overall this season, with 190 points scored and 154 allowed in 6 games. The SMU Mustangs are 5-1 overall, with 196 points scored and 128 allowed in 6 games; the SMU Mustangs have the better record.
In their recent results, the Syracuse Orange lost 34-26 at home to the Louisville Cardinals on October 17, and before that lost 28-25 on the road to the Virginia Cavaliers on October 10 and beat the UConn Huskies 42-41 on the road on October 3.