Let's take a look at Duke Football for the upcomnig season.
Best / Worst Case Record for :
Louisville | Virginia | Miami | Georgia Tech | SMU | Boston College | Pittsburgh | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Cal | NC State | Clemson | Syracuse | North Carolina | Stanford| Wake Forest
Duke
Duke football has quietly been one of the ACC’s biggest winners over the last three years. Duke has gone 26-13 (14-10) since 2022, which includes a coaching change from Mike Elko to Manny Diaz. Diaz led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 (5-3) season in his first year. Duke seems to be underestimated every year. It’s time just to admit that Duke football is one of the better football programs in the ACC. Can they go from just being good, though, to contending for a trip to Charlotte?
Will Go 9-3 (6-2) if:
QB Darian Mesnah is the upgrade over the previous QB Maalik Murphy, many expect. Murphy wasn’t a bad QB, but the Duke offense was inconsistent at best last year, ranking 108th in the nation. The schedule is not easy, but there’s opportunity. If Duke doesn’t collapse under the weight of a two-month stretch, the end of the season opens up. After Elon, the Blue Devils face Illinois, play at Tulane, NC State, at Syracuse, at Cal, Georgia Tech, and at Clemson. If they could be 5-3 in that stretch, then at UConn, Virginia, at UNC, and Wake Forest gives a chance to finish 4-0. The defense, which was decent last year, can’t slip.
Will Go 5-7 (4-4) if:
Duke starts the 2-6, or 3-5. A below .500 start is not out of the question for Duke, given the schedule. Duke will probably be an underdog against Illinois, possibly Tulane, Georgia Tech and at Clemson. Games at Syracuse and at Cal could have Duke as underdogs too, and those are on the road. I have only 1 game – Elon that I’m 100% confident Duke will win. If Mensah is only OK at quarterback, there may not be enough talent across the board to make up for it on offense. The defense was 58th in the country, and if it gets worse, Duke will not make a bowl game.
