Miami’s Overtime Defeat to SMU Could Shift Things for Duke

Everything went right for the Duke Blue Devils in Week 10. In addition to defeating the Clemson Tigers on the road, there were a couple of results in other games around the conference that opened up an opportunity for the Blue Devils.

One of those outcomes was the Miami Hurricanes falling to the SMU Mustangs 26-20 in overtime on Saturday.

Nov 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) celebrates after he scores a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The top of the ACC is crowded with several one-loss teams vying for the summit of the conference, as those spots represent a chance to earn an automatic bid in the College Football Playoff.

Here is some reasoning why Miami's loss over the weekend benefited multiple teams, specifically Duke, which now has a legitimate track to the ACC title game.

What it Means for Duke

Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Andrel Anthony (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Obviously, every loss to a premier competitor is impactful, but the Hurricanes losing to SMU is monumental for several reasons.

With the defeat, Miami now has two conference losses, which virtually eliminates them from contention in the race for the ACC Championship game.

With the aforementioned two losses, the Hurricanes now need multiple teams to lose one or two games to even re-enter the equation, which is not likely.

As for the Blue Devils, this now narrows the number of teams they have to account for during the last few weeks of the season.

Nov 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs running back T.J. Harden (27) scores the game winning touchdown during the overtime period against the Miami Hurricanes at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It can be argued that Miami has the most talented and deepest roster, which still has an opportunity to compete in the ACC. The Virginia Cavaliers currently sit atop the conference with a 5-0 record in the ACC. However, quarterback play and overall roster construction are not intimidating in the slightest.

Now, SMU winning does keep itself in contention for the top two spots, but it's easy to say that if the Blue Devils were rooting for a team in that matchup, it would have been the Mustangs. SMU had just suffered a loss to Wake Forest the week prior and still has to face the Louisville Cardinals in two weeks.

Nov 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) drops back to pass against the SMU Mustangs during the first quarter at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Carson Beck - who continues to throw his teammates and coaching staff under the bus - is arguably the second-best quarterback in the conference. That, paired with Miami's defense allowing the fewest points in the conference (125), is why the Hurricanes are viewed as one of, if not the most dangerous team in the conference.

However, they are likely in Duke's rear-view mirror with other teams now on the Blue Devils' radar towards the back stretch of the 2025 season.

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