The Duke football program has been trending in the right direction over the last few weeks, recently picking up its third straight victory on the road over California. Now 4-2 overall and 3-0 in ACC action, the Blue Devils sit at the top of the conference standings with Virginia as the only two squads that have gotten out to 3–0 starts in ACC play. Duke will deal with one of the lighter remaining conference slates of any team in the ACC, and it's not crazy to believe that Manny Diaz and his squad can win out for the remainder of the 2025 campaign and make a run towards the 2025 ACC Championship game. The Blue Devils haven't won an ACC Championship since 1989, but for now, let's take a look at the current bowl projections for Duke.
Duke football's current bowl game projections midway through the 2025 season
Duke has now played six of its 12 regular season contests, and after an ugly start to the season, the Blue Devils are looking like a real threat to take home the ACC crown. Let's take a look at where different networks project the Blue Devils to be playing once bowl season rolls around.
Sports Illustrated: Military Bowl, Duke vs. Navy, December 27th
CBS Sports: Pinstripe Bowl, Duke vs. Maryland, December 27th
ESPN: Military Bowl, Duke vs. Navy, December 27th OR Sun Bowl, Duke vs. USC, December 31st
Athlon Sports: Military Bowl, Duke vs. Navy, December 27th
Even with some consistency as to where experts see the Blue Devils performing once bowl games begin to happen, Duke is looking for much more at this point, given a newfound offensive rhythm.
Unforced errors and miscues plagued the Blue Devils across the program's first three games and were a big reason why it got out to a 1-2 start. However, across Duke's three-game win streak to move atop the ACC standings, the Blue Devils have outscored their last three opponents 128-57 while averaging a ridiculous 42.6 points scored per game. Will those numbers keep up? Probably not. But as of late, the Blue Devils have looked like one of the most dangerous teams in the ACC and look to make more noise as the back half of the season gets moving.
Duke is on bye this week, but will kick off the most crucial matchup of the campaign next, as it will host No. 13 Georgia Tech on October 18th.