Duke has done nearly everything a team can do to force its way into the College Football Playoff conversation, and ESPN’s latest projection still left the Blue Devils on the outside.
That’s the frustrating part for Duke: the résumé is there, the results are there, and the respect still isn’t.
Heather Dinich of ESPN released her bubble watch for Week 5 on Tuesday, and she projected Duke would miss the CFP if the selection committee voted today. In her view, Miami would be the lone ACC team in the field.
It’s a hard pill to swallow for a Duke team that enters its bye week unbeaten and carrying a profile that would turn heads if the logo were different. The Blue Devils are 4-0, and their run includes a road win over Illinois, a 35-7 rout of Stanford, and a Week 1 victory over Tulane, which made the CFP last season. Duke also handled Williams & Mary 62-7, the only real breeze on the schedule so far for Manny Diaz’s team.
The reaction point here is obvious: if another program had put together this exact stretch since November, the national conversation would probably look a lot different. Instead, Duke is still being treated like a team that needs to prove more.
And there will be chances to do it. The back half of the schedule is lined with North Carolina, Virginia, Boston College, NC State, No.
4 Miami, Clemson, and Wake Forest. Only Miami is ranked right now, which means the Blue Devils could spend the rest of the season building a case that the committee can’t ignore.
There’s also a real possibility that committee math gets interesting late, with a one- or two-loss Duke team in the mix when everything is settled.
Even with Darian Mensah having moved on to Miami in the transfer portal, Duke hasn’t gone quiet offensively. Nate Sheppard has become the engine of the attack, leading the NCAA with 644 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 91 carries. He’s averaging 7.1 yards per rush, and that kind of production has given the Blue Devils a real identity.
Walker Eget, the San Jose State transfer at quarterback, has done enough to keep the offense moving too. He’s thrown for 721 yards with six touchdowns and one interception, a solid handoff from the running game that has helped Duke keep winning while the national rankings keep looking the other way.
In Other News...
Dukes Title Hype Now Rests On One Huge Early Test
CBS Sports latest early Top 25 and 1 keeps Duke right near the top of the preseason conversation, and that feels fitting for a roster built to win big from the start. The Blue Devils bring back four of their top six scorers from last seasons Elite Eight run, then layered in a strong recruiting class headlined by several five-star prospects and a transfer from Wisconsin. It is the kind of mix that fuels real optimism in Durham, especially when a team has already shown it can survive deep into March.
Still, the appeal of this group may be decided long before ACC play settles in. Dukes non-conference slate is loaded with heavyweight matchups that will quickly show whether the talent translates into immediate cohesion, and the calendar does the Blue Devils no favors. If this team is going to justify the buzz around it, the early stretch is going to have to look a lot less like a measuring stick and a lot more like a launchpad. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duke Stars New Start In LA Just Hit A Worrying Snag
Brandon Ingrams new chapter in Los Angeles has already run into trouble before it really gets underway. After stops in Toronto and with the Lakers earlier in his career, the former Duke standout was traded to the Clippers this offseason, but he is now dealing with a partially torn Achilles tendon and recent heel surgery that cloud the beginning of his time with his new team.
Kon Knueppels situation adds another layer of concern for Duke fans keeping tabs on the NBA. The young Blue Devils product is expected to miss the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, and his availability for the regular-season opener is also in doubt, leaving two familiar names on the sidelines as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Looks More Complete Than Ever Under Manny Diaz
Duke heads into its bye week at 4-0 in ACC play, and the clearest sign of Manny Diazs progress is how complete the Blue Devils have looked across the board. The quarterback room has produced steady play from Walker Eget, the backfield has gotten useful work from Nate Sheppard along with true freshmen CJ Givers and Jayvian Tanelus, and the defense has leaned on a front that keeps winning its share of snaps.
The latest example came against William & Mary, where Dukes defense controlled the line of scrimmage and the secondary again looked steadier than it did a year ago. Transfers Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers have helped bring more stability on the back end, and the overall mix is starting to look like a team with real depth rather than just a few standout pieces, which makes the next stretch after the bye even more interesting. [Read more 🡒]