Rivalry leaderboard
Houston-SMU Greatest Games
The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 50/100
- Overtime
- 0
Series context
- Completed meetings
- 37
- Series record
- Houston 22-14-1 SMU
- Tracked years
- 1975-2022
- Trophy
- No named trophy
Series ranking
The rivalry's top 25 games
14 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 1982Week 7
Houston at SMU
Houston 14, SMU 20
Winner: SMU
Unranked Houston vs. No. 5 SMU · 6-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
- 1984Week 9
Houston at SMU
Houston 29, SMU 20
Winner: Houston
Unranked Houston vs. No. 14 SMU · 9-point margin
Ranking 12/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
38
Game score
- 1978Week 8
Houston at SMU
Houston 42, SMU 28
Winner: Houston
No. 11 Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 14-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
36
Game score
- 1986Week 8
Houston at SMU
Houston 3, SMU 10
Winner: SMU
Unranked Houston vs. No. 18 SMU · 7-point margin
Ranking 8/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
36
Game score
- 1981Week 7
SMU at Houston
SMU 38, Houston 22
Winner: SMU
No. 10 SMU vs. Unranked Houston · 16-point margin
Ranking 16/50 · Closeness 19/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
- 1993Week 8
Houston at SMU
Houston 28, SMU 28
Result: Tie
Unranked Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
- 1983Week 14
Houston at SMU
Houston 12, SMU 34
Winner: SMU
Unranked Houston vs. No. 6 SMU · 22-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 13/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
- 2000Week 6
SMU at Houston
SMU 15, Houston 17
Winner: Houston
Unranked SMU vs. Unranked Houston · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
- 1980Week 8
Houston at SMU
Houston 13, SMU 11
Winner: Houston
Unranked Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
- 1994Week 8
Houston at SMU
Houston 39, SMU 33
Winner: Houston
Unranked Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 6-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
29
Game score
- 1990Week 9
Houston at SMU
Houston 44, SMU 17
Winner: Houston
No. 6 Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 27-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 8/35 · Overtime 0/15
28
Game score
- 1979Week 8
SMU at Houston
SMU 10, Houston 37
Winner: Houston
Unranked SMU vs. No. 6 Houston · 27-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 8/35 · Overtime 0/15
28
Game score
- 1976Week 7
Houston at SMU
Houston 29, SMU 6
Winner: Houston
No. 14 Houston vs. Unranked SMU · 23-point margin
Ranking 12/50 · Closeness 12/35 · Overtime 0/15
24
Game score
- 1975Week 4
SMU at Houston
SMU 27, Houston 16
Winner: SMU
Unranked SMU vs. Unranked Houston · 11-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
24
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.