All wins are viewed differently. For an emerging program like Duke, it needs to do more than win all the games it should. It is all about taking that next step forward. Under Manny Diaz's direction, the Blue Devils have won nine games in each of the last two seasons. This includes an almost improbable ACC Championship Game victory over Virginia in Charlotte. Will Duke top last season's success this year?
Before we get into all that, let's take a look at who all Diaz's Blue Devils must combat with this season.
Date | Opponent | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 5 | Tulane Green Wave | Durham, NC | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Sept. 12 | at Illinois Fighting Illini | Champaign, IL | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Sept. 19 | Stanford Cardinal | Durham, NC | 4:00 p.m. ET |
Sept. 26 | William & Mary Tribe | Durham, NC | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Oct. 3 | BYE | ||
Oct. 10 | at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Atlanta, GA | TBA ET |
Oct. 17 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Durham, NC | TBA ET |
Oct. 23 | at Virginia Cavaliers | Charlottesville, VA | 7:00 p.m. ET |
Oct. 31 | Boston College Eagles | Durham, NC | TBA ET |
Nov. 7 | at North Carolina State Wolfpack | Raleigh, NC | TBA ET |
Nov. 14 | at Miami Hurricanes | Miami Gardens, FL | TBA ET |
Nov. 20 | Clemson Tigers | Durham, NC | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Nov. 28 | at Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Winston-Salem, NC | TBA ET |
Dec. 5 | ACC Championship | Charlotte, NC | 12:00 p.m. ET |
Only a season ago, Duke finished the campaign with a 9-5 mark. While the Blue Devils ended on a tremendously high note with an ACC Championship and a victory in the Sun Bowl, this was a team that went 7-5 overall during the regular season and 6-2 in ACC play. It just goes to show that Diaz had his team firing on all cylinders when it mattered most. Does Duke have it in them to take it up a level?
In the event Duke wins any of these five games, they will only add to the program that Diaz is building.
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Oct. 10: Atlanta, GA)
Not to say this is a game Duke will certainly struggle to win, but it will be the Blue Devils' first real test of the season during ACC play. They will be coming off a bye. Like Duke, Georgia Tech is well-coached under Brent Key. The Yellow Jackets will also be ushering in a new starting quarterback with Alberto Mendoza taking over for Haynes King, and not Aaron Philo, who plays for Florida with Buster Faulkner.
This game is significant enough to crack this top five because of what it represents. A road win over an emerging quality program like Georgia Tech would show the rest of the ACC that Duke is not going away anytime soon. It is a great opportunity for Duke to kick Georgia Tech while the Yellow Jackets are down. A win may not get them to Charlotte, but a loss could knock Duke out of the ACC title race.
A Georgia Tech victory is a requirement for Duke to possibly get to 6-0 with a win over North Carolina.
4. Virginia Cavaliers (Oct. 23: Charlottesville, VA)
Bad blood is in the water. While Virginia got the best of Duke during their regular-season matchup, it was the Blue Devils who came out on top over the Cavaliers when it mattered most. Yes, Duke was the team who prevented Virginia from reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff last season. Duke sent the Hoos back in Hooville, boo-hooing over why Chandler Morris could not play up to snuff.
As is the case with a potential road victory over Georgia Tech, a win over UVA would do wonders for Duke's staying power near the top of the conference. While a loss to Virginia may not be the end for Duke's chances of getting to Charlotte, a win over the Cavaliers could be the nice resume booster the Blue Devils might desperately need to improve their playoff chances. A win over them matters a ton.
With Virginia expected to be a quality team in the ACC this year, Duke will need to hold its own here.
3. Clemson Tigers (Nov. 20: Durham, NC)
If Duke wants any sliver of hope of getting back to the ACC Championship Game, it starts by beating the Clemson Tigers at home during the penultimate game of the regular season. Clemson is not the same program it once was under Dabo Swinney. The Tigers have not been the same since COVID. While Clemson has the better program history over Duke, why not beat the Tigers at home anyway?
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Not to say it would be a referendum of a loss for Swinney, but it would really set in motion who the new kings of the ACC are. Clemson is living on its past reputation. In time, the Tigers could bounce back. However, they are starting to devolve into what they were under Tommy Bowden, a team that goes 8-4 most seasons who lives to disappoint their fan base. Duke can get one past Clemson here.
With it coming so late into the season, a win over Clemson at home should propel Duke even further.
2. North Carolina State Wolfpack (Nov. 7: Raleigh, NC)
Even though Duke has had its fair share of success historically over North Carolina State, this feels like one of two probable losses on the Blue Devils' schedule for next season. Raleigh maybe in the same metroplex as Durham, but the vibes could not be any more different. This is hostile territory Duke is walking into. A win over the Wolfpack could allow them to gain even more traction in-state.
To put it bluntly, we are overdue for a really good NC State season. The problem with that logic is they happen when you least expect for them to. This is why even if the Wolfpack hold up their end of the bargain that Duke just needs to prevail anyway over in Raleigh. It would go a very long way in helping establish credibility across the conference that Duke is the far steadier program over the Wolfpack.
A road win over North Carolina State could potentially open up the floodgates for in-state recruiting.
1. Miami Hurricanes (Nov. 14: Miami Gardens, FL)
And of course, it had to be the Miami Hurricanes. They are everyone's favorite to win the ACC this season. Too bad that has never happened before in the history of the planet. No doubt about it, Miami should be fielding an excellent team this year. The Hurricanes did play in the national championship game after all. They lost it for Carson Beck reasons, but they were still there! Should Duke even care?
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Honestly, not really... Had the new playoff format been in effect a season ago, Duke would have made the playoffs as well. The reason for this is despite being three regular-season wins worse than the Hurricanes, Duke won all the games it need to. Conversely Miami continues to lose dumb ones that it cannot afford to under Mario Cristobal. It might be David vs. Goliath, but Duke wears the ACC's crown.
If Duke beats Cristobal, Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate, and Miami, then this is a totally playoff team.
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