Duke fans will have to wait at least another week to see the Blue Devils in the AP Top 25. After a dominant 62-7 win over William & Mary, Duke remained on the outside looking in this week, though they did take a substantial step forward.
After being ninth in the "others receiving votes" section of the AP Poll last week, Duke is now 2nd, which places them at No. 27 in the country with 101 points. That's one point behind Wisconsin, the only unranked team ahead of the Blue Devils, and 17 points behind Missouri, which remains in the Top 25 at No. 25 after a loss to Mississippi State on the strength of being in the SEC.
Duke remains the only team with the number of wins they have had since 2024 to not be ranked a single time in the AP Poll. In fact, all the others have been ranked double-digit times. The disrespect is real.
Duke remains one of the most disrespected teams in college football
Duke may end up jumping into the AP Top 25 next week without playing. Following the blowout of William & Mary, the Blue Devils have a well-placed bye week before the final eight-game gauntlet exclusively against ACC opponents.
The ranking doesn't really matter at this point in the season, but it sure would be nice to see this team be rewarded for how well they've played so far in 2026. Of course, it's just extra motivation for Manny Diaz to use in the locker room. Every team tries to use the "nobody believes in us" mantra, but nobody can sell it as effectively as Diaz, because it's no truer anywhere in the country than it is in Durham right now.
Duke's schedule sets up pretty favorably for the Blue Devils to be right in the thick of the ACC Championship race. After the bye week, Duke will head to Atlanta to take on a reeling Georgia Tech team a week before North Carolina comes to Wallace Wade for the annual rivalry game against the Tar Heels.
If Diaz and company can navigate those matchups, they will be 6-0 heading into a pivotal road game at Virginia on a Friday night in a rematch of last season's ACC Championship Game.
Duke will have opportunities ahead to continue to prove the doubters wrong. As much as they were written off in the preseason, this roster probably wouldn't have it any other way.
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