Which Miami Hurricanes Opponent will be the Canes' Clunker?

Trinton Breeze · Aug 17, 2025

Expectations for the Miami Hurricanes this season are sky-high. Plenty of media outlets have the Hurricanes projected as a College Football Playoff contender, while others still wonder if Miami will once again stumble short of the mark.

But here’s the real question every fan is asking: What will be Miami’s clunker game if one shows up?

History tells us that even when the Canes are rolling, there’s usually at least one game where things fall apart.

2017: Miami 14, Pittsburgh 24
2018: Miami 13, Virginia 16
2020: Miami 26, UNC 62
2022: Miami 31, Middle Tennessee State 45
2023: Miami 20, Georgia Tech 23
2024: Miami 23, Georgia Tech 28

The Hurricanes always seem to slip once, even in great seasons; those letdowns have derailed momentum late in the year.

So as Miami enters 2025 with championship expectations, the question looms. If the Canes drop a game, they shouldn’t. Who’s the team that hands them this year’s clunker?

If you look at the Miami Hurricanes’ schedule, it’s loaded with potential clunker spots.

Let’s start with SMU. It’s on the road, the Mustangs are striping their stadium, and they’re led by former Miami OC Rhett Lashlee, who has built them into a consistent 11-win program.

Then comes November, which is brutal for Miami. The Hurricanes have to run through SMU, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, NC State, and Pittsburgh, all in the same month, which dont seem too bad, but Miami always seems to slip up in the month of November. That’s a stretch where, if a clunker is going to show up, it very well could.

Miami will also have to travel to Tallahassee to face rival Florida State on the first weekend of October. It will likely be a night game, and as with any rivalry matchup, expect it to be a back-and-forth battle.

I don’t have one specific game circled as the clunker, but if I had to pick, I’d say at Pittsburgh. History says the Panthers are always better than people expect, and catching them on the road to close the season has trouble written all over it. Do we have to mention 2017?

Who do you think the Hurricanes' clunker game this season is? You can maybe say as early as the Notre Dame or Florida game.