ESPN has released its lates 2019 bowl game projections and the Duke Football team is not included in the predictions by the World Wide Leader of Sports.
The Duke Football team dropped its first game of the season to the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in rather convincing fashion.
After keeping the Tide scoreless through the end of the first quarter, Duke only trailed the SEC savories and National Championship contenders 14-3 at halftime.
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Alabama blitzed the Blue Devils in the second half winning the game, 42-3.
Despite Duke’s valiant effort in the first half against the Tide, the Blue Devils didn’t do enough to crack ESPN‘s latest 2019 Bowl Game predictions.
Neither Kyle Bonagura nor Mark Schlabach envision Duke reaching the six win mark and becoming eligible for a bowl game after Week 1’s loss to Alabama.
Duke has been in a bowl game six of the last seven seasons, winning the last three of those bowl games they have been in.
David Cutcliffe‘s team only missed the postseason in after a 4-8 campaign in 2016.
The Blue Devils have three non-conference games remaining, two in the coming weeks against North Carolina A&T and Middle Tennessee State and one at the end of the season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Duke has its first ACC game on the road against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Friday, September 27 at 7:00pm EST.
Bonagura and Schlabach predict Duke’s next opponent, North Carolina A&T, will get a berth into the Celebration Bowl, while Bonagura sees Middle Tennessee State reaching the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl and Schlabach predicts the Blue Raiders to get into the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
Duke will return to Wallace Wade Stadium for its home opener this Saturday, September 7 against North Carolina A&T at 6:00pm EST. As the Blue Devils look for its first win of the season, fans can watch the game on the brand new ACC Network.