The Duke football program missed out on a marquee opportunity to collect a victory over a ranked opponent this past weekend, as the Blue Devils fell to No. 7 Georgia Tech at home, 27-18. Now 4-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, the Blue Devils' College Football Playoff outlook might not be as out of reach as many fans might think. Sure, Duke would've massively benefitted from a ranked victory at home, but the ACC is still very wide open. Georgia Tech, SMU, and Virginia sit as the only undefeated teams in the conference up to this point, and with a good chunk of the regular season still left to play, there's a good chance at least two of those squads lose before the end.
What does Duke football's College Football Playoff picture look like following a loss to No. 7 Georgia Tech?
With the loss to the Yellow Jackets, the Blue Devils still sit tied for the second-most wins of any team in the ACC. With its lone loss coming to what is now the best team in the conference, an ACC Championship berth isn't out of the question just yet.
Duke heads into its second bye in three weeks this week, and after that, every game on the remaining slate is realistically winnable. Next up, Duke will take on Clemson in Death Valley. Before the season, this felt like an automatic tack to the loss column. However, now that the Tigers have looked like potentially the biggest disappointment in all of College Football this season, a victory is certainly in the cards.
Aside from the road date with Clemson, the Blue Devils' home opponents are No. 16 Virginia and Wake Forest, and their road opponents are UConn and North Carolina. Duke should win handily in three of those games, and a home victory over the Cavaliers is certainly a real possibility. Sure, Duke is now 0-2 at home this season against ranked teams, but Virginia will be the most vulnerable of those opponents Duke has faced.
The point is, even with a huge missed opportunity, Duke's CFP outlook is still practically the exact same. Before the loss to Georgia Tech, Duke needed to win the ACC Championship to get in. After the loss, it's still the exact same formula. With a very winnable schedule for the remainder of the 2025 campaign mixed with an opportunity to take down a team at the top of the standings at home, the door is still ever so slightly cracked open for the Blue Devils to make a run.