This is the matchup we all wanted to see last year to decide a spot in the ACC Championship – the two didn’t play each other. That might be the case this time around.
It’s gone way under the radar, but SMU is back in the title game mix … sort of.
It lost to Wake Forest in a 13-12 fight last week, but with winnable games at Boston College and Cal still to go, and with Louisville having to come to Dallas, there’s a real shot at getting back to the ACC Championship with a win over Miami.
The Hurricanes bounced back from their loss to Louisville with a blowout win over Stanford. With Syracuse, NC State, at Virginia Tech, and at Pitt to close, this might be it – at least until that last trip to face the Panthers.
Oct 4, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) rolls out with the ball during the first half against the Syracuse Orange at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
How To Watch Miami vs SMU
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
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Why Miami Will Win
How did Miami lose to Louisville?
The four interceptions thrown by Carson Beck had something to do with it. The Canes also came up with their lowest offensive output game all year – and they still almost won.
This isn’t the SMU team of last year – it’s not as efficient. It’s not nearly as good at controlling games, the lines will struggle against the NFL types on the Hurricane lines, and the ground attack should grind to a halt.
On the road, Miami won’t take too many crazy chances. It’ll get its own rushing attack moving and …
Why SMU Will Win
SMU takes the ball away a whole bunch.
This is just the second road trip this season for Miami – the first was up the road to Florida State – and it has to deal with an SMU defensive front that brings more pressure than anyone else in the ACC.
Again with the Louisville problem for the Hurricanes – they threw a slew of different looks, blitzes, and other things at Beck. He was off, but the defense made him misfire.
SMU might have lost to Wake Forest last week, but it forced five takeaways. It came up with multiple turnovers in every game but two, and …
Miami vs SMU Prediction, Betting Lines
The Mustangs have to pitch a near-perfect game to pull this off.
They were able to take down Clemson in Gerald R. Ford because they got the running game going.
There was a good balance with a few big pass plays to keep the pressure on, and Clemson couldn’t keep up – it couldn’t run the ball at all.
Miami’s ground game will be good enough. It only totally failed once – take a guess who that was against – but Beck will be solid, the defensive front will stuff the Mustangs from the start, and even though it’ll be a bit dramatic, Miami will push through with a strong fourth quarter.
Miami 30, SMU 20
Line: Miami -10.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Must See Rating: 3.5
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.