The College Football Playoff Committee just announced a massive change to the seeding process ahead of the second 12-team College Football Playoff, and it likely helps the Duke football program.
Next year's College Football Playoff will feature a straight-seeding model, as opposed to the four highest-rated conference champions earning the top four seeds. Instead, it will be based on the final CFP rankings.
"After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP Management Committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment," CFP Executive Director Rich Clark said in a released statement. "This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to the Playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire regular season."
This was a change that had to happen, as it just simplifies the process and rewards teams for winning. So, how does this help Duke football?
Well, the Blue Devils have never participated in a CFP, but that could change very soon. Duke football is coming off of an extremely successful first year under head coach Manny Diaz, one where the program won nine games for just the third time since joining the ACC in 1953. The Blue Devils also earned a berth to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Building off of that success, Duke is bringing in one of the top transfer quarterbacks in Darian Mensah, as well as talented receivers via the portal as well including Andrel Anthony and Cooper Barkate. On the defensive side, the Blue Devils returned Chandler Rivers, potentially their best defender, from a defensive unit that was one of the best in the ACC next season.
With this new format, the Blue Devils will completely control their destiny and could very well be a dark horse candidate to win the ACC Championship. Duke also has several marquee games next season that could propel them up the standings and give them a shot at making the CFP.
The Blue Devils will play Illinois, expected to be one of the best teams out of the Big 10 next season, and have matchups against big-time ACC opponents like Georgia Tech and Clemson. If Duke can come out of their with all three wins or two, while winning the rest of its regular season games, it's very realistic to think Diaz could have his team in the CFP for the first time ever.